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- rob.schimmel
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Vinny Gambini
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PT48, S1, Q26 Reza: Language requires the use of verbal
I think I see the overall logic here: Language requires -> Verbal Signs requires -> Conceptual Thought = Conceptual Thought is required for Language. However, I'm struggling to explain why E is logically incorrect. If only humans can ask for an egg or an apple, then only humans can distinguish objects from other objects, and in turn, only humans can possess the ability for conceptual thought. So, other than humans, the vocal expressions of animals must not require conceptual thought?
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- noah
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Atticus Finch
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Re: PT48, S1, Q26 Reza: Language requires the use verbal
Preptest 48 December 2005 LSAT Answers.
I agree that (E) is the most attractive of the wrong answers. However, we don't know anything about all these other, non-human vocal expressions. All we know is that this one special type that we can make (verbal signs for objects), require the ability to distinguish and therefore conceptual thought.
It's as if the argument says: Swimming requires coordination. Many kids can dance, but only true athletes can move their hands and feet at the same time, and doing that requires use of both sides of the brin, which in turn requires that your brain is functioning.
Does this mean that when non-athletic kids dance they don't have functioning brains? Maybe so, maybe not. All we know for sure is that moving hands and feet at the same time requires a functioning brain.
Does that clear it up? Do you want to dance now?
I agree that (E) is the most attractive of the wrong answers. However, we don't know anything about all these other, non-human vocal expressions. All we know is that this one special type that we can make (verbal signs for objects), require the ability to distinguish and therefore conceptual thought.
It's as if the argument says: Swimming requires coordination. Many kids can dance, but only true athletes can move their hands and feet at the same time, and doing that requires use of both sides of the brin, which in turn requires that your brain is functioning.
Does this mean that when non-athletic kids dance they don't have functioning brains? Maybe so, maybe not. All we know for sure is that moving hands and feet at the same time requires a functioning brain.
Does that clear it up? Do you want to dance now?
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- angela
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- LSAT Geek
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Re: PT48, S1, Q26 Reza: Language requires the use of verbal
I've also written an explanation for this problem and thought it might help!
26. (A)
Question type: Inference
A key to this question is the phrase "if Reza’s statements are true." The test taker should not pick an answer based on outside knowledge, or what they deem to be "reasonable," but rather on the specific conditions within the argument.
If we combine the statements "Language requires the use of verbal signs for objects," and "using verbal signs for objects requires the ability to distinguish objects, which in turn requires conceptual thought." We get the following logic chain:
Language -> Verbal signs:objects -> Ability to distinguish objects -> Conceptual thought
It logically follows then that conceptual thought is required for language, per answer choice (A).
(B) reverses the chain of logic incorrectly.
(C) is out of scope.
(D) makes an extreme statement that does not necessarily follow logically from the argument.
(E) can be thought of as: - language -> - concetptual thought. This is an illegal negation of the logic in the argument.
26. (A)
Question type: Inference
A key to this question is the phrase "if Reza’s statements are true." The test taker should not pick an answer based on outside knowledge, or what they deem to be "reasonable," but rather on the specific conditions within the argument.
If we combine the statements "Language requires the use of verbal signs for objects," and "using verbal signs for objects requires the ability to distinguish objects, which in turn requires conceptual thought." We get the following logic chain:
Language -> Verbal signs:objects -> Ability to distinguish objects -> Conceptual thought
It logically follows then that conceptual thought is required for language, per answer choice (A).
(B) reverses the chain of logic incorrectly.
(C) is out of scope.
(D) makes an extreme statement that does not necessarily follow logically from the argument.
(E) can be thought of as: - language -> - concetptual thought. This is an illegal negation of the logic in the argument.
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