Q9

[lhermary]

Why is E right here? A, B and E look like they could be right

Thanks

[Jacob10504]

Will someone answer this question please!

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

I think there is a point to be made for both answer choices (A) and (B). And while they have some connection to the passage, they each fail to describe the author's primary purpose of the passage for very specific reasons.

Let's start with what the author did do, and then we can move to what the author did not do. The author describes many of the differences between modern bankruptcy law and the way it was focused on punishment in the past. Furthermore the author argues that the focus of modern bankruptcy law is preferable to the focus of punishment found in bankruptcy law of centuries past. The first part "explains" the difference and the second part "defends" modern bankruptcy law - best expressed in answer choice (E).

Let's look at the incorrect answers:

(A) contradicts the passage. The author does not seek to offer criticism of modern bankruptcy but rather defends it.
(B) is too descriptive. The author is also advocating a position, not just summarizing the points of a debate.
(C) is unsupported. While the author might criticize someone who felt bankruptcy laws were better focused on punishment, no one in the passage does so.
(D) is unsupported. The author is more concerned about highlighting modern improvements that are currently in place than in pointing out future improvements that could be made.

Hope that helps!

[emarxnj]

I'm still a bit confused on this one. Why does "critique" necessarily have to be a negative? The author seems to critique modern bankruptcy laws; he/she finds them to be better than previous methods and explains why.

I definitely see how E is correct, but A still seems right to me.

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

On the LSAT (and I think generally in life), a criticism carries a negative association. So we could not say that the author offers a critique of both modern and previous bankruptcy laws, but rather only criticizes the latter. So while criticizing past bankruptcy laws, the author defends contemporary ones.

Hope that helps!

[marshal_of_grey]

I'm still a bit confused on this one. Why does "critique" necessarily have to be a negative? The author seems to critique modern bankruptcy laws; he/she finds them to be better than previous methods and explains why.

I definitely see how E is correct, but A still seems right to me.

It doesn't, and that too made me pause. Pace mattsherman, "critique" is a neutral term, so A is not incorrect because it suggests the author does not approve of modern laws. It's incorrect because the author's primary purpose is not simply to critique all the laws; there is a clear and demonstrable support for modern laws. It's usually the case that if there is a clear tone in a passage, "primary purpose" questions need to include it. If E were not an option A would be correct.

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

I would still argue that "critique" has a negative connotation. Here's what the free online dictionary has to say:

"Critique has been used as a verb meaning "to review or discuss critically" since the 18th century, but lately this usage has gained much wider currency, in part because the verb criticize, once neutral between praise and censure, is now mainly used in a negative sense."

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/critique