LSAT 114, Section 3, RC Passage 3, Sociology

This is an explanation for passage 3 of LSAT preptest 38, the October 2002 LSAT. This passage is about historical sociology. It discusses how we influence society and how the society shapes our lives.

This section has paragraph summaries and an analysis of the passage, links to the explanations for the questions are below.

Paragraph Summaries

1. Abrams argues that individuals influence society and society influences individuals.
2. We shape history, but our actions are also limited by our historical circumstances. (Julius Caesar changed the history of Rome. But he couldn’t fly to New York, for example, despite his power.)
3. Abrams’ advice to sociologists for how to understand history.

Analysis

Abrams makes a good point. We influence society, and society influences us. You can’t separate the two (though some sociologists do separate them). Abrams calls this dual influence “structuring”.

Contingency isn’t a word people use often, but it’s important. A contingency is something random that meaningfully affects your life.

Your parents. Your hometown. Your name. Your native language. All of these are contingencies. They’ve determined the course of your life, but you didn’t choose them. You were given them at birth.

Other things can be contingencies. You have an important job interview, and it’s sunny outside. Studies show that companies hire more people they interview on sunny days.

It was your choice to interview for that job, but some factors beyond your control (contingencies) can affect whether you get it.

The last paragraph is hard, and demands analysis. Abrams is saying that we should look at certain important historical events. We need to know what the event was, what broad forces made it possible, the historical figure who helped direct the event and the results of the event.

For example. Napoleon losing at Waterloo, (the final battle of the Napoleonic wars):

We’d need a description of the battle. We’d need discussion of the history of the Napoleonic wars up to that point and Napoleon’s return. We should mention that Europe was tired of war, and other social factors. We should know about the technologies that made the battle what it was. The weather, if it was important, etc.

Then we should discuss Napoleon himself. Who was he? How was his life shaped by his historical circumstances? How did he shape the history of the world around him?

Finally, we’ll need to know the results of the battle, both for Napoleon and society.

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