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- erin.sparke
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Q. 19
Hi! I'm not sure how answer choices (b) and (c) are different. It seems to me that both show "the behavior would be reasonable only if one had that interest (line 58-59)." Thanks!
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- towardvision
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Vinny Gambini
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Re: Q. 19
If you read the question, it is asking what a mistaken assumption underlying arguments in passage A is.
What evolutionary psychology assumes is that as long as a certain behavior "would have improved the reproduction," then it is "sufficient" to explain a type of human behavior in evolutionary terms.
Also, in lines 29-30, the language is very similar to the answer C.
B is wrong because EP doesn't say that "any" action performed by an early human was done by the genes to achieve the goal. Moreover, this is a necessary condition. It doesn't make sense if you negate it to make contrapositive: If an action was not orchestrated by genes, it wasn't an action performed by an early human?
That wouldn't make much sense.
What evolutionary psychology assumes is that as long as a certain behavior "would have improved the reproduction," then it is "sufficient" to explain a type of human behavior in evolutionary terms.
Also, in lines 29-30, the language is very similar to the answer C.
B is wrong because EP doesn't say that "any" action performed by an early human was done by the genes to achieve the goal. Moreover, this is a necessary condition. It doesn't make sense if you negate it to make contrapositive: If an action was not orchestrated by genes, it wasn't an action performed by an early human?
That wouldn't make much sense.
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- erin.sparke
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Re: Q. 19
Now I see the difference. Thanks!!
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- ManhattanPrepLSAT1
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Atticus Finch
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Re: Q. 19
Nice work erin.sparke! I think you got it!
If you don't mind, I'll just chime in with a few other thoughts here. Looking at lines 44-52 an argument about monogamous families that the author of passage B criticizes. That monogamous families would favor the propagation of genes, at least according to the author of passage B, would not allow one to conclude that monogamous families were established in order to propagate genes. If it would, then answer choice (C) would be an assumption underlying that argument. So the author of passage B is undermining the assumption outlined in answer choice (C) - particularly as it represents an assumption of an argument outlined in lines 44-52.
Let's look at the incorrect answer choices:
(A) is not an assumption that the author attacks. And no where is this assumption made, since we do not know that most of the physical features of modern humans would favor the propagation of genes.
(B) is again to too strong since we are not told that these actions would propagate one's genes.
(D) is a distinction that is not addressed by the author of passage B.
(E) is not addressed. The author of passage B does not discuss the extent to which there are behaviors that hinder reproductive success, nor whether the majority of them have been eliminated.
Hope that's helpful for those who might have had a question regarding another of the incorrect answer choices.
If you don't mind, I'll just chime in with a few other thoughts here. Looking at lines 44-52 an argument about monogamous families that the author of passage B criticizes. That monogamous families would favor the propagation of genes, at least according to the author of passage B, would not allow one to conclude that monogamous families were established in order to propagate genes. If it would, then answer choice (C) would be an assumption underlying that argument. So the author of passage B is undermining the assumption outlined in answer choice (C) - particularly as it represents an assumption of an argument outlined in lines 44-52.
Let's look at the incorrect answer choices:
(A) is not an assumption that the author attacks. And no where is this assumption made, since we do not know that most of the physical features of modern humans would favor the propagation of genes.
(B) is again to too strong since we are not told that these actions would propagate one's genes.
(D) is a distinction that is not addressed by the author of passage B.
(E) is not addressed. The author of passage B does not discuss the extent to which there are behaviors that hinder reproductive success, nor whether the majority of them have been eliminated.
Hope that's helpful for those who might have had a question regarding another of the incorrect answer choices.
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