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 Administrator
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#34757
Complete Question Explanation
(See the complete passage discussion here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=14088)

The correct answer choice is (A)

The passage contains several claims that the author attributes to Marcuse, so it is inefficient to try to predict which of those claims the correct answer choice will test. Instead, eliminate answer choices that are inconsistent with the Marcusian view as presented by the author.

Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice because it is consistent with the claim in the first paragraph, attributed to Marcuse, that modern people believe themselves to be satisfied by satisfying the false needs created by advertising.

Answer choice (B): The passage says only that Marcuse thinks that “the consumer remains at some level unsatisfied.” (Line 25). This answer choice is incorrect because it fails to mention the role of advertising in meeting needs, making the answer choice overly broad. Even if this answer did relate to advertising, it would be too extreme, because Marcuse did not allege that advertising causes people to be unable to meet even their basic physical needs.

Answer choice (C): The statement in this answer choice presents an inference drawn by the author from the Marcusian view, not a claim attributed directly to Marcuse.

Answer choice (D): While the author did convey the Marcusian view of consumer oppression, that oppression resulted from the manipulation engineered by corporations, and did not have anything to do with totalitarian regimes.

Answer choice (E): This answer choice is incorrect because Marcuse argued that advertising creates false needs, not that it derives secondary needs from basic human needs.
 Cking14
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#19987
Hi,

I chose answer choice (E) for this question and the correct answer is (A). For this passage, I looked to where the author refers to Marcuse when he was referring to the creation of false needs (lines 11-13 and lines 17-20). I thought the answer choice (A) was more broad and was based both on Marcuse, the critics, and the author. To me, answer choice (E) seemed to focus more on Marcuse himself. Can someone please explain why (A) is superior to (E)?

Thanks!
Chris
 David Boyle
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#20006
Cking14 wrote:Hi,

I chose answer choice (E) for this question and the correct answer is (A). For this passage, I looked to where the author refers to Marcuse when he was referring to the creation of false needs (lines 11-13 and lines 17-20). I thought the answer choice (A) was more broad and was based both on Marcuse, the critics, and the author. To me, answer choice (E) seemed to focus more on Marcuse himself. Can someone please explain why (A) is superior to (E)?

Thanks!
Chris
Hello,

I'm not sure answer E focuses more on Marcuse himself, but in any case, it's wrong because it says needs made up by advertising "become real needs", but the stimulus says they're false needs, not real.

David
 emilysnoddon
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#25766
Where is the support in the stimulus for answer choice A? I ruled out this answer choice because I thought the second paragraph said the opposite - that "the implicit promises of advertisements are never really fulfilled and the consumer remains at some level unsatisfied".
 Emily Haney-Caron
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#25932
Hi Emily,

Look to lines 5-10 here, where the author says Marcuse argued people "believe themselves satisfied."

Hope that helps!
 Khodi7531
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#46366
For a question like this, "claim the author ATTRIBUTES to Marcuse" does it mean this is something the author has indirectly said/assumed that Marcuse's idea leads to? I ask because i'm thinking if impossible wasn't used in C, isn't it still something that the author does attribute to Marcuse? Author does state a consequence if Marcuse is right, and it is his idea, but that would still mean that the author attributes that to Marcuse. Does it not?

I can see how C you can get rid of by "impossible", and the line reference "with any assurance" definitely doesn't justify "100% impossible". So i'm ok with getting this wrong and now seeing the issue. But just wondering what anyones thoughts would be concerning the way line 28-31 was phrased.


Thanks
 Robert Carroll
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#62594
Khodi,

If the author attributes something to Marcuse, the author will indicate that Marcuse thought it. This can be direct or indirect, as long as you're sure the author is claiming that Marcuse thought it. Contrast that with line 28 or so, where the author says "If Marcusians are right..." I can't be sure whether that's referring to Marcuse directly or to followers of Marcuse (or some other entity), so I can't definitely say that this is an attribution to Marcuse himself. Answer choice (C) appears to discuss an implication of the Marcusian view that the author thinks that view leads to, but which Marcuse and other Marcusians may not have realized, believed, or confessed themselves. Thus, this is not an attribution to Marcuse.

Robert Carroll

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