33 COMMON LSAT FLAWS
Family 1: Exclusivity Flaws (4) - ANSWER Exclusivity flaws are typically seen
when the author excludes all other options (generally when they believe theirs is the
only conclusion that can be derived from the premises). Also common to see these
flaws when the author incorrectly infers a relationship between two things.
- False Dilemma
- Ignoring a True Dilemma
- Failure to Eliminate Alternatives
- Ignoring the Middle Ground
(1) False Dilemma - ANSWER The argument treats two or more things as
inconsistent, when they are actually consistent
Ex: You're a Yankees fan. Therefore, you don't belong at the Giants game in the fan
section.
Issue: Being a sports fan of one team does not automatically rule out being a fan of
other teams
(2) Ignoring a True Dilemma - ANSWER The argument treats two or more things
as consistent, when they are actually inconsistent
Ex: One of my friends believes the universe was created 14 billion years ago by the
Big Bang and another friends believes it was divinely created 6,000 years ago, My
, belief system requires me to accept all beliefs about the cosmos and combine them
into one.
Issue: The universe was created only once, so it's impossible for both theories to be
true
(3) Failure to Eliminate Alternatives - ANSWER The argument neglects to
consider other possibilities
Ex: Kayla turned down all her job offers. Therefore, Kayla is destined to be
unemployed forever.
Issue: The argument fails to consider other avenues for Kayla (applying to other jobs,
creating a business, etc)
(4) Ignoring the Middle Ground - ANSWER Presenting two extremes and failing
to recognize that something could fall in the middle
Ex: When students aren't challenged they become bored and achieve less than
they're capable of. When students are too challenged they give up and achieve less
that what they're capable of. Therefore, no student will ever be able to achieve their
full potential.
Issue: The argument assumes without warrant that a solution only allows two
possibilities (assumes that there is no middle ground)
Family 2: Causal Flaws (3) - ANSWER Cause-and-effect arguments are often
vulnerable to attack because it's very hard to prove causation. Most of the time if
the conclusion is causal, anticipate a causal fallacy
- Treating Correlation as Proof of Causation
Family 1: Exclusivity Flaws (4) - ANSWER Exclusivity flaws are typically seen
when the author excludes all other options (generally when they believe theirs is the
only conclusion that can be derived from the premises). Also common to see these
flaws when the author incorrectly infers a relationship between two things.
- False Dilemma
- Ignoring a True Dilemma
- Failure to Eliminate Alternatives
- Ignoring the Middle Ground
(1) False Dilemma - ANSWER The argument treats two or more things as
inconsistent, when they are actually consistent
Ex: You're a Yankees fan. Therefore, you don't belong at the Giants game in the fan
section.
Issue: Being a sports fan of one team does not automatically rule out being a fan of
other teams
(2) Ignoring a True Dilemma - ANSWER The argument treats two or more things
as consistent, when they are actually inconsistent
Ex: One of my friends believes the universe was created 14 billion years ago by the
Big Bang and another friends believes it was divinely created 6,000 years ago, My
, belief system requires me to accept all beliefs about the cosmos and combine them
into one.
Issue: The universe was created only once, so it's impossible for both theories to be
true
(3) Failure to Eliminate Alternatives - ANSWER The argument neglects to
consider other possibilities
Ex: Kayla turned down all her job offers. Therefore, Kayla is destined to be
unemployed forever.
Issue: The argument fails to consider other avenues for Kayla (applying to other jobs,
creating a business, etc)
(4) Ignoring the Middle Ground - ANSWER Presenting two extremes and failing
to recognize that something could fall in the middle
Ex: When students aren't challenged they become bored and achieve less than
they're capable of. When students are too challenged they give up and achieve less
that what they're capable of. Therefore, no student will ever be able to achieve their
full potential.
Issue: The argument assumes without warrant that a solution only allows two
possibilities (assumes that there is no middle ground)
Family 2: Causal Flaws (3) - ANSWER Cause-and-effect arguments are often
vulnerable to attack because it's very hard to prove causation. Most of the time if
the conclusion is causal, anticipate a causal fallacy
- Treating Correlation as Proof of Causation
