Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Easy

PT6 S3 Q2 Explanation

The use of money causes a

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

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Stimulus

The use of money causes a civilization to decline. That this is true is shown by the way the troubles of Western civilization began with the invention of money. While real money (gold and silver) is bad enough, imitation money (paper money) is a horror. The decline of Western civilization exactly worthless paper money—as a substitute for things of intrinsic value.

What this question is testing

Weaken

Your task

Find the choice that makes the argument's conclusion less likely to be true.

Common trap

Answers that look negative but attack a claim the argument never relied on.

Winning move

Find the assumption the argument depends on, then pick the choice that undermines it.

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The question
2.

Which one of the following, if true, could contribute most to a refutation

Answer choices

  1. No Impact12% picked this

    People prefer using money to having a system in which goods are bartered for other goods

    People's preference for using money instead of bartering does not address whether money itself causes civilization to decline. People prefer fatty foods to vegetables, but that doesn't undermine the idea that fatty foods have caused the decline of our health.

  2. Correct80% picked this

    Eastern cultures have used money, and Eastern civilizations have

    Why this is right

    This attacks the plausibility of the author's causal story by providing Cause w/o Effect data points. Eastern cultures have money (the supposed Cause) but have not declined (have not experienced the supposed Effect).

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

  3. Opposite Impact (strengthens)4% picked this

    The use of paper money encourages disregard for the value of work because the money itself

    This supports the plausibility of the idea that paper money could contribute to the decline of civilization, because it encourages disregard for the value of work, which sounds like something that undermines civilization.

  4. No Impact2% picked this

    The rate of exchange between gold and paper money has fluctuated greatly

    This is one of those "differences exist" / "things change" answers you see on Strengthen / Weaken. Naturally exchange rates fluctuate. What does that have to do with money causing the decline of civilization? Do fluctuating exchange rates undermine civilization?

  5. No Impact1% picked this

    Some employers exchange goods for their employees’ services in order to avoid the

    This is such a weak idea it's unlikely to be correct on Str / Wkn. The fact that "at least one employer pays in goods rather than money" doesn't do anything to help us argue that money doesn't cause the decline of civilization.

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