LSAT Explanation PT 19, S2, Q21: Medieval Arabs had manuscripts of many

LSAT Question Stem

Which one of the following, if true, most strongly supports the argument above? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Strengthen question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is A. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

The question type for this problem is Strengthen, which asks us to find the answer choice that most strongly supports the argument in the passage.

Let's first analyze the argument in the passage. The passage claims that medieval Arab philosophers were interested in Aristotle's Poetics, but medieval Arab poets were not. This conclusion is based on the fact that Homer, who is frequently referenced in Aristotle's Poetics, was not translated into Arabic until modern times. So, the argument's structure can be summarized as:

Premise: Homer was not translated into Arabic until modern times.

Conclusion: Medieval Arab poets were not interested in Aristotle's Poetics.

An "Evaluate" question for this argument could be: "Did medieval Arab poets have access to manuscripts of Homer's works?"

Now, let's examine each answer choice:

a) A number of medieval Arab translators possessed manuscripts of the Homeric epics in their original Greek.

This answer choice strengthens the argument by eliminating another possible cause for the lack of Arabic translations of Homer: lack of access to the original Greek manuscripts. If medieval Arab translators had access to these manuscripts, it supports the idea that the lack of translations was due to a lack of interest in Homer's works. Therefore, this is the correct answer choice.

b) Medieval Arabic story cycles, such as the Arabian Nights, are in some ways similar to parts of the Homeric epics.

This answer choice is irrelevant to the argument, as any similarity between Arab works and those of Homer does not provide information about whether medieval Arab poets were interested in Homer's works specifically.

c) In addition to translating from Greek, medieval Arab translators produced Arabic editions of many works originally written in Indian languages and in Persian.

This answer choice is also irrelevant to the argument, as it does not provide any information about the interest of medieval Arab poets in Homer's works or the reasons for the lack of Arabic translations of Homer.

d) Aristotle's Poetics has frequently been cited and commented on by modern Arab poets.

This answer choice is irrelevant to the argument, as any interest by modern Arab poets does not affect the discussion in the passage, which focuses on medieval Arabs and the works they translated.

e) Aristotle's Poetics is largely concerned with drama, and dramatic works were written and performed by medieval Arabs.

This answer choice does not strengthen or weaken the argument, as an overlapping interest in drama does not provide any information about the interest of medieval Arab poets in Homer's works or the reasons for the lack of Arabic translations of Homer.

In conclusion, the correct answer choice is (a), as it strengthens the argument by eliminating another possible cause for the lack of Arabic translations of Homer and supports the idea that the lack of translations was due to a lack of interest in Homer's works by medieval Arab poets.