LSAT Question Stem

The argument would be most seriously weakened if which one of the following were discovered? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Must Be False question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is E. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

This question is a "Most Seriously Weaken" type, which means we're looking for an answer choice that would most seriously weaken the argument presented in the passage. The argument claims that the play "Mankind" must have been written between 1431 and 1471 based on two pieces of evidence: the circulation of the rose noble coin mentioned in the play starting in 1431, and the mention of King Henry VI as a living monarch in the play's dedication, with his death occurring in 1471. Our goal is to find an answer choice that casts doubt on this conclusion by suggesting that the play could have been written either before 1431 or after 1471.

Let's go through each answer choice:

a) The Royal Theatre Company includes the play on a list of those performed in 1480.

This answer choice does not necessarily weaken the argument because it only tells us when the play was performed, not when it was written. The play could have been written between 1431 and 1471 and still be performed in 1480.

b) Another coin mentioned in the play was first minted in 1422.

This answer choice also does not weaken the argument. The fact that another coin was minted in 1422 does not change the evidence about the rose noble coin, which was first circulated in 1431. The play could still have been written between 1431 and 1471, mentioning both coins.

c) The rose noble was neither minted nor circulated after 1468.

This answer choice does not weaken the argument because it does not change the date range for when the play could have been written. The fact that the rose noble was no longer minted or circulated after 1468 does not mean the play could have been written earlier than 1431 or later than 1471.

d) Although Henry VI was deposed in 1461, he was briefly restored to the throne in 1470.

This answer choice does not weaken the argument because it still places the play's writing within the given date range. Henry VI's brief restoration in 1470 still falls between 1431 and 1471.

e) In a letter written in early 1428, a merchant told of having seen the design for a much-discussed new coin called the "rose noble."

This is the correct answer choice because it weakens the argument by suggesting that the play could have been written before 1431. If the design for the rose noble coin was already known and discussed in 1428, it is possible that the play was written before 1431, when the coin was first circulated.

In conclusion, answer choice E most seriously weakens the argument by suggesting that the play "Mankind" could have been written before 1431, based on the knowledge of the rose noble coin's design in 1428. This casts doubt on the conclusion that the play must have been written between 1431 and 1471.