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 Lsat_student2019
  • Posts: 8
  • Joined: Aug 09, 2019
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#67579
Hi,

I am a bit confused on how to eliminate answer choice E. I understand that unwarranted is just asserting that the argument lacks some support. However, I read the answer choice " describes a hypothesis about the sequence of events involved in the origins of a phenomenon, and then argues that those events occurred in a different sequence. I did not think "argues" was incorrect. In the stimulus the anthropologist says that one assertion is unwarranted, and that another explanation might be plausible. Is this not an argument? Thanks in advance!
 Rachael Wilkenfeld
PowerScore Staff
  • PowerScore Staff
  • Posts: 1358
  • Joined: Dec 15, 2011
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#68034
Hi lsat-student,

Answer choice (E) is very very close, so let's take a look at it. The author of our stimulus suggests another possible explanation for the fact that useful animals are also taboo. But the author doesn't argue that it is the correct explanation, but just an explanation that should be considered. There's no evidence that he gives for picking one over the other. Rather, he questions the traditional explanation by providing a possible alternative. Typically for something to be an argument, the author would need to give some support. In this case, he's not even willing to say that his alternative possibility is likely correct, just that it might be. There's no support or reasoning given to support his alternative.

Hope that helps
Rachael
 hope
  • Posts: 84
  • Joined: Feb 13, 2018
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#72789
I chose D and still do not understand how it cannot be correct. I read the stimulus to be saying that one view is incompatible with the other. One is for rituals and the other one is for a practical use. Need help in understanding why these two views are compatible. Thank you.
 Paul Marsh
PowerScore Staff
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  • Posts: 290
  • Joined: Oct 15, 2019
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#72864
Hi Hope! The issue with Answer Choice (D) is similar to the one that Rachael pointed out above with Answer Choice (E): the anthropologist never argues in favor of any explanation. It's true that the anthropologist brings up a point that is "incompatible with" the researchers' explanation that the taboos originated solely for practical reasons. But at no point does he/she seem to say, "Here's what the real explanation is". The anthropologist does say, "taboos against eating certain animals might instead have arisen for symbolic, ritualistic reasons", but this is suggested as a possibility merely to undermine the explanation of the researchers; he/she never argues in favor of that "ritualistic" possibility or provides any support for it. To sum up: the anthropologist attacks one explanation, but never "argues in support of" any another explanation like Answer Choice (D) says. Hope that helps!

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