So the answer is A. I got this wrong and from my mistake I see that its because I probably rushed. So I understand why B-E are wrong. None of them happened/where said in the passage.
I am having trouble with A. This is my take on it.
It is supported by the beginning of the next, 3rd paragraph from 2nd passage, paragraph. The author believes the studies previously mentioned are circular in reasoning? Am I on the right track here? Im pretty confused by this.
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- ohthatpatrick
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Atticus Finch
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Re: Q15
You're correct! The justification for (A) is all about the first sentence of the 3rd paragraph.
Whenever LSAT question stems say "The author did/said ____ in order to / primarily to / serves to ...", they're testing us on the purpose of the specific detail, not the specific detail.
Correct answers almost always paraphrase the bookend ideas - the bigger claim that comes right before or after the detail in question.
The big idea BEFORE Maritain was brought up was, "Many people think conscious intention is UNIQUELY human."
Maritain is discussed and he clearly thinks this way.
The big idea AFTER Maritain was, "But this type of thinking Maritain was doing is crappy ...".
You can clearly see how "rests on a logical error" is just a paraphrase for "circular reasoning".
In the end, this sentence in lines 53-56 is springboard for the main point of passage B. The author thinks that all this talk of "humans are special because only THEY have conscious intention" is a lot of arrogant hullabaloo. He thinks that scientists/philosophers who see animals looking like they're intentional refuse to believe it's intentional because they want to believe that only humans are intentional.
In the end, the author suggests, it's probably more likely that humans are in the same boat with other animals (meaning either we ALL have some conscious intention or NONE of us do).
Let me know if you're still confused.
Whenever LSAT question stems say "The author did/said ____ in order to / primarily to / serves to ...", they're testing us on the purpose of the specific detail, not the specific detail.
Correct answers almost always paraphrase the bookend ideas - the bigger claim that comes right before or after the detail in question.
The big idea BEFORE Maritain was brought up was, "Many people think conscious intention is UNIQUELY human."
Maritain is discussed and he clearly thinks this way.
The big idea AFTER Maritain was, "But this type of thinking Maritain was doing is crappy ...".
You can clearly see how "rests on a logical error" is just a paraphrase for "circular reasoning".
In the end, this sentence in lines 53-56 is springboard for the main point of passage B. The author thinks that all this talk of "humans are special because only THEY have conscious intention" is a lot of arrogant hullabaloo. He thinks that scientists/philosophers who see animals looking like they're intentional refuse to believe it's intentional because they want to believe that only humans are intentional.
In the end, the author suggests, it's probably more likely that humans are in the same boat with other animals (meaning either we ALL have some conscious intention or NONE of us do).
Let me know if you're still confused.
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