LSAT Question Stem

The clinic administrator responds to the hospital auditor by doing which one of the following? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Method of Reasoning question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is E. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

Let's first analyze the argument in the passage. The hospital auditor argues that the clinic administration is violating the terms of the Rodríguez family's donation, which stipulates that the funds be used to minimize patients' suffering. The auditor's premise is that the clinic is spending nearly one fifth of the funds on research into new diagnostic technologies instead of directing the money to patients. The clinic administrator responds by stating that the successful development of new technologies will allow early diagnosis of neurological disorders, leading to less suffering for patients who are treated in the early stages. The administrator's premise is that early diagnosis and treatment can minimize patients' suffering. The conclusion of the argument is that the clinic is not violating the terms of the donation.

The question type is Method of Reasoning (MOR), and it asks us to identify how the clinic administrator responds to the hospital auditor's claim.

Now let's review the answer choices:

a) The clinic administrator is not demonstrating that the auditor's conclusion is broadly correct but needs a minor qualification. Instead, the administrator is arguing that the auditor's assumption about minimizing patient suffering is incorrect. So, this answer choice is incorrect.

b) The clinic administrator is not showing that the auditor's argument fails to separate what is the case from what ought to be the case. Rather, the administrator is reinterpreting the phrase "minimize patients' suffering" to include the benefits of early diagnosis. This answer choice is incorrect.

c) The clinic administrator is not reminding the hospital auditor that being told what to do is tantamount to being told how to do it. Instead, the administrator is reinterpreting the phrase "minimize patients' suffering" to include the benefits of early diagnosis. This answer choice is incorrect.

d) The clinic administrator is not arguing that the severity of a violation should be assessed based on the reasoning motivating the violation. Instead, the administrator is reinterpreting the phrase "minimize patients' suffering" to include the benefits of early diagnosis, arguing that there is no violation. This answer choice is incorrect.

e) This is the correct answer. The clinic administrator is reinterpreting the key phrase "minimize patients' suffering" to undermine the hospital auditor's assumption that the funds must be spent directly on patients. By broadening the scope of what is included in minimizing patient suffering to include new diagnostic technologies, the administrator is arguing that the clinic is not violating the terms of the donation.

In summary, the clinic administrator responds to the hospital auditor's claim by reinterpreting a key phrase in the auditor's argument to undermine an assumption underlying that argument, which is answer choice E.