PrepTest 157, Section 3, Question 22
Philosopher: Philosophers usually treat emotions as nonrational.(58 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(27 more words not shown)
- AIt is an(10 more words not shown)
- BIt is the(5 more words not shown)
- CIt is a(11 more words not shown)
- DIt is a(10 more words not shown)
- EIt is the(10 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
What does lacking a precise word have to do with whether an emotion is rational?
I can understand the language problem the philosopher describes. The joy of scoring a goal needn't feel the same as the joy of seeing your child born. Calling both experiences “joy” gives them a shared label without capturing every difference between them. So perhaps our vocabulary is too broad to communicate the details.
But that is a point about describing an experience. I'd still want the philosopher to explain how it establishes that emotions aren't nonrational. Better communication and rationality aren't obviously the same issue. We can see the intended argument without finding that connection persuasive.
What we’re looking for
Now the question asks about the role of the final joy example. The word “Thus” might tempt us to call it the main conclusion, but follow what it actually does. Joy illustrates the general claim that our emotion words are too broad. That language limitation is then used to support the philosopher's position that emotion only seems nonrational. The specific example supports the larger argument indirectly.
Working the answers
- A
The phenomenon being explained is why emotions seem nonrational. The joy example doesn't illustrate an emotion appearing nonrational; it illustrates the alleged limits of our vocabulary. It belongs on the supporting side of the proposed explanation, not as an example of the appearance being explained.
- B
The philosopher's main point is that emotion is not nonrational and only appears that way because language is inadequate. The claim about distinguishing joys helps support that position. Its placement at the end and the word “Thus” don't make it the main point.
- CCorrect
The general claim concerns words for emotions naming broad kinds of experience. The particular example concerns our inability to describe exactly how one joy differs from another. That example illustrates the general language problem, which the philosopher uses to defend the conclusion about emotion. C captures both the example's immediate job and its indirect support for the conclusion.
- D
A concession would acknowledge something in favor of the opposing view. The philosopher isn't offering the joy example to agree that emotions are nonrational. It supports the philosopher's own account of why people mistakenly treat them that way.
- E
The proposed explanation is the broader claim that language cannot adequately convey emotions. The statement about joy is a specific illustration offered to support that explanation. Calling the example itself the explanation skips the distinction the question asks us to recognize.
More Role/Main Point questions
Learn the LSAT our way
Our platform drills Role/Main Point questions at your level and adjusts as you improve.