LSAT 144 | Section 2 | Logical Reasoning: Q24

LR Question 24 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: It has been said that authors who write in order to…

QUESTION TYPE: Necessary Assumption

CONCLUSION: It is possible for authors to write to please, yet also be truthful.

REASONING: Otherwise, you could look at sales figures to see if a book were true. If a book were popular, it likely gave pleasure and therefore was at least somewhat false.

ANALYSIS: This argument has a lot of negatives, it’s difficult to untangle. I normally can simplify arguments in the conclusion/reasoning above, but this one was hard. Basically, here’s what’s going on:

• Some people claim that if you try to please, you won’t write true things.
• The author thinks this is wrong.
• If the first claim was true, then we could say popular books were at least somewhat false. Because popular books probably please people.

The LSAT tests your ability to notice small distinctions. The claim talks about authors writing in order to please people. But the evidence talks about actually pleasing people.

There’s a difference. You can please without trying to please. And you can try to please yet fail at it. So the argument must assume that pleasure can only happen if the author was trying to please.

Three of the wrong answers weaken the argument. That’s totally wrong. On a necessary assumption question, the correct answer will strengthen the argument if true, and destroy the argument if negated.

___________

1. The author says sales figures likely indicate pleasure. But if people can’t predict pleasure in advance, then sales figures are a less reliable indicator of pleasure.
   This answer hurts the argument, so it certainly isn’t necessary.
   Negation: People know in advance whether a book will please them.
2. The argument is assuming that intending to please will give people pleasure. The argument is stronger if this answer is false, so this isn’t necessary.
   Negation: If an author write to give pleasure, they’ll always meet their goal.
   Note on “even”: People often ask what “even” indicates. Even is not an indicator – it shows that something is not a sufficient or necessary condition.
3. The author was talking about whether a book was true. It doesn’t matter if people care if a book is true. Those are two different things.
4. CORRECT. If this isn’t true, the argument falls apart. The argument was assuming a link between pleasure in reading and author’s intent to please.
   Negation: A book might please readers even if an author wasn’t writing in order to please.
5. This weakens the argument. The author was arguing that popularity was probably a good indicator of pleasure. The argument is stronger if this answer is false.
   Negation: Pleasure is the only reason for a book’s popularity.