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- demetri.blaisdell
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Re: Q25
Thank you for asking about this tough question. The LSAT has put an Identify the Disagreement question in RC---tough break! This question just asks for our understanding of the last section of the passage (lines 50-60). The first step is to figure out what Stone is saying.
The Stones have a full argument core if we take a moment to dig it out:
Late 18th century men married widows less often + (Widows had more money than never-married women) --> More couples were marrying for love
Note: the second premise comes from lines 56-57 and is actually described as an assumption which is why I put it in parentheses.
The important thing is that Staves "counters" this assumption (about widows and their money) but does not "completely undermine their contention." (A) gives us this idea of attacking an assumption without necessarily disagreeing with the whole argument.
(B) is unsupported by the text. It is not clear that Staves is introducing new data. She is described as "pointing out" the jointure property tidbit. More importantly, she does not refute the Stones' contention, but rather attacks an assumption.
(C) is also unsupported by the text. Staves only points out one assumption that is mistaken and again does not "show that Stones' contention cannot be correct."
(D) Where is the contradictory data? Staves does not show us information that never-married women are richer than widows, just that widows are not richer because of jointure property. Again, the broader contention (about couples marrying for love) may or may not be correct according to Staves.
(E) Where are the data? Just like in (B), we aren't told that Staves has new data. Neither the Stones nor Staves gives us data. Staves does not indicate that the Stones used accurate but incomplete data. Perhaps if Staves and the Stones were to debate, she might suggest this, but it isn't in the text.
The most important thing that (B) and (E) were missing was the idea that Staves might even agree with Stones' conclusion, but not with their assumption about the widows. (A) was the only answer choice that preserved this idea.
Let me know if you have any more questions about this.
Demetri
The Stones have a full argument core if we take a moment to dig it out:
Late 18th century men married widows less often + (Widows had more money than never-married women) --> More couples were marrying for love
Note: the second premise comes from lines 56-57 and is actually described as an assumption which is why I put it in parentheses.
The important thing is that Staves "counters" this assumption (about widows and their money) but does not "completely undermine their contention." (A) gives us this idea of attacking an assumption without necessarily disagreeing with the whole argument.
(B) is unsupported by the text. It is not clear that Staves is introducing new data. She is described as "pointing out" the jointure property tidbit. More importantly, she does not refute the Stones' contention, but rather attacks an assumption.
(C) is also unsupported by the text. Staves only points out one assumption that is mistaken and again does not "show that Stones' contention cannot be correct."
(D) Where is the contradictory data? Staves does not show us information that never-married women are richer than widows, just that widows are not richer because of jointure property. Again, the broader contention (about couples marrying for love) may or may not be correct according to Staves.
(E) Where are the data? Just like in (B), we aren't told that Staves has new data. Neither the Stones nor Staves gives us data. Staves does not indicate that the Stones used accurate but incomplete data. Perhaps if Staves and the Stones were to debate, she might suggest this, but it isn't in the text.
The most important thing that (B) and (E) were missing was the idea that Staves might even agree with Stones' conclusion, but not with their assumption about the widows. (A) was the only answer choice that preserved this idea.
Let me know if you have any more questions about this.
Demetri
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