Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Easy

PT3 S4 Q15 Explanation

Extinction is the way of nature

A free, expert breakdown of this official LSAT Logical Reasoning question.

TopicsFlaw

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Full official LSAT questions are available through LawHub. This page provides LSAT Lab's explanation, strategy, and review tools without republishing the full official question.

Stimulus

Extinction is the way of nature. Scientists estimate that over half of the species that have ever come into existence on this planet were already extinct before humans developed even the most primitive of tools. This constant natural process of species emergence and extinction, however, is ignored by those who wish to in modern times would have become extinct by now even if humans had never acquired technology.

What this question is testing

Flaw

Your task

Describe the reasoning error the argument actually commits.

Common trap

Answers that name a real logical flaw the argument doesn't actually make.

Winning move

Articulate the gap in the reasoning yourself, then match it to the choice that describes that gap.

Reading along? Open the full official question in LawHub — we show a fragment here and keep the reasoning in our own words.

The question
15.

Which one of the following identifies a reasoning error in

Answer choices

  1. Trap5% picked this

    The author mistakenly assumes that technology has not caused any harm

  2. Trap2% picked this

    The author ignores the fact that some species that are not yet extinct are in

  3. Trap1% picked this

    The author fails to consider that there are probably species in existence that have not yet been identified

  4. Trap1% picked this

    The author cites scientists who support the theory that over half of all species that ever existed have become extinct, but fails to mention

  5. Correct90% picked this

    The author provides no specific evidence that the species that have become extinct in modern times are the same species that would have become

    Why this is right

    Answer E is correct.

    Skill tested: Flaw · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

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