PrepTest 106, Section 3, Question 26
It is common to respond to a person(43 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(11 more words not shown)
- AOther countries argue(31 more words not shown)
- BMy neighbor urges(26 more words not shown)
- CWhen one country(35 more words not shown)
- DOne should not(31 more words not shown)
- EWe should not(30 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
A hypocrite can still give good advice.
It can be annoying when someone urges us to do something they don't do themselves. But that doesn't settle whether following the advice would help. Imagine a smoker warning you not to start smoking. The fact that the smoker hasn't followed that advice doesn't make the warning wrong. We would still need to assess the advice itself.
That's the author's point. “Exhorting” means urging someone to act. The response being criticized is turning from the advice to the adviser: “You don't do it, so why should I?” We need to evaluate the advice itself. The adviser's conduct doesn't settle its merits.
What we’re looking for
For the parallel question, look for an argument that rejects that kind of personal-behavior objection because it doesn't address the actual claim.
Working the answers
- A
This rejects the disarmament argument because the same demand could be directed at the countries making it. That uses the accusers' position against their advice. The original goes the other way: whether advisers follow their own advice doesn't decide whether the advice is sound. A relies on the kind of response the original rejects.
- B
The neighbor follows the advice and apparently receives no benefit. The objection therefore concerns evidence about whether exercising helps, not a mismatch between what the neighbor says and does. Whatever we think of that evidence, it isn't the irrelevant-conduct objection the original addresses.
- C
This says attacking the accuser's record can be an effective distraction. That is a claim about managing public attention and protecting a reputation. The original concerns whether the response is rationally relevant to the advice. A tactic could distract people while still failing to address the merits of the accusation.
- DCorrect
The philosopher's argument takes the role of the original person's advice. The philosopher's behavior takes the role of the adviser's failure to follow that advice. In each case, the author says not to dismiss the reasoning merely because the speaker acts inconsistently with it.
To assess whether matter exists, we need to examine the argument. Pointing out that the philosopher behaves as though matter exists doesn't show where that argument fails. That is the same separation between a claim's merits and its proponent's conduct that the original defends.
- E
This recommends leniency because other people have also lied. It uses everyone's conduct to moderate condemnation of the salesperson. The original doesn't argue that widespread wrongdoing excuses an individual, and it isn't deciding how harshly to judge the adviser. It asks whether the advice should be followed regardless of the adviser's conduct.
More Parallel Reasoning questions
Learn the LSAT our way
Our platform drills Parallel Reasoning questions at your level and adjusts as you improve.