Q22 - The 1980s have been

[noah]

This question and explanation was posted in the wrong spot, so here it goes, finally in its rightful home. Sleep tight, little forum post...

I see that E is the answer, but what are the two different uses of the term 'selfish' here?

Is the distinction selfish concerns for individuals and selfish concerns for the human species as a whole?

Thank you

The distinction is between "selfish individualism" and "selfish motives."

The big tip off though, and while this used to be very frequent, is not something the test writers seem to do much anymore. They switched the suffix on a key word.

Selfish
Selfishness

They did this very regularly in the past. And a strategy I have followed is that if I'm asked to identify the flaw and I can't see it, I look for a key term used twice. In this case selfish. If I see it clearly used in two different ways, as an adjective describing two different nouns, or with a different suffix/prefix, that was enough evidence for me to select an answer choice saying that the argument has allowed a key term to shift it's meaning over the course of the argument.

(A) is not true. That claim is relevant.
(B) is true, but premises do not need to be supported. They are simply taken for granted.
(C) is the opposite of what the argument assumes.
(D) is true, but irrelevant. The conclusion does not go beyond human behavior.
(E) is correct. The argument does allow the key term "selfish" to shift meanings over the course of the argument.

I think all you needed was the first line or two of this explanation, but I hope this helped! Let me know if you still don't see the shift in language...

[iridium77]

I must admit, I don't see how 'selfish' and 'selfishness' represent two different uses of the word.

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

My previous explanation could have been a bit more specific about the actual equivocation of terms. I discussed my strategy for identifying equivocal language, but the actual equivocation is between the following two ideas:

selfish individualism ≠ selfish concern for the human species

The first is a form of selfishness aimed at oneself, the other, a form that focuses not on oneself but the group one is a member of.

Does that answer your question?

[iridium77]

Sure, Ok.
I see that the selfishness is focussed on the individual in the first case, & then on the species in the second case, but isn't the definition of the term selfish the same in both uses ?

[noah]

Sure, Ok.
I see that the selfishness is focussed on the individual in the first case, & then on the species in the second case, but isn't the definition of the term selfish the same in both uses ?

The use of the term shifts. In one instance, it's used to refer to concern for oneself, in the other, concern for one's species.

The word might be the same word, with the same definition, but how it's used in the argument shifts.

[iridium77]

I see it now. Thanks !

The argument attempts to show that one type of selfishness has always existed by raising another type of selfishness as an example.

[sarah_sarah99]

The first use of "selfish" is modified with an adjective clause "that threatens the cohesion of society", while the second use is explained as "for the human species", these two modifiers are polar opposite to each other, indicating the two different uses of "selfish".

[XiaoranZ794]

I chose A because I think what matters is whether such selfishness is threatening rather than how long selfishness has existed. Would you please tell me why the logic is wrong?

[Misti Duvall]

I chose A because I think what matters is whether such selfishness is threatening rather than how long selfishness has existed. Would you please tell me why the logic is wrong?

I think MPrep and Noah above both have good explanations for why the object of the selfishness shifts in a way that makes (A) wrong and (E) correct. Do those explanations help or is there another aspect about this answer that's tricky?