LSAT Explanation PT 29, S4, Q14: Plant manager: We could greatly reduce

LSAT Question Stem

The plant manager's argument is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Flaw question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is A. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

Let's first analyze the argument in the passage. The plant manager presents an argument that adopting a new process to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions will cost much but bring the company no profit. This is the conclusion of the argument. The premises supporting this conclusion are: the new process requires expensive equipment and costs more to run because the copper must be reheated after it has cooled. The supervisor agrees with the overall conclusion but disagrees on one point, stating that the latest closed furnaces are extremely fuel-efficient.

The structure of the argument can be broken down as follows:

1. Premise: The new process requires expensive equipment and costs more to run.

2. Conclusion: Adopting the new process will cost much but bring the company no profit.

An "Evaluate" question for this argument could be: "Does the new process have any potential benefits that could offset the increased costs?"

Now, let's discuss the question type and answer choices. The question asks us to identify the ground on which the plant manager's argument is most vulnerable to criticism. This is a Flaw question type.

a) The overall conclusion is about a net effect but is based solely on evidence about only some of the factors that contribute to the effect.

This is the correct answer. The plant manager's argument is vulnerable to criticism because it only considers the costs associated with the new process and does not take into account any potential benefits that could offset those costs. The supervisor's mention of fuel efficiency is an example of a factor that the plant manager failed to consider.

b) The support for the overall conclusion is the authority of the plant manager rather than any independently verifiable evidence.

This answer choice is incorrect because the plant manager's argument is based on evidence about the costs of the new process, not his own authority. Furthermore, the evidence presented could be independently verified.

c) The overall conclusion reached merely repeats the evidence offered.

This answer choice is incorrect because the conclusion does not merely repeat the evidence. The conclusion is about the net effect of adopting the new process, while the evidence focuses on the costs associated with the process.

d) Evidence that is taken to be only probably true is used as the basis for a claim that something is definitely true.

This answer choice is incorrect because there is no indication in the passage that the evidence presented is only probably true. The plant manager presents the costs as definite, and the issue with the argument is not the certainty of the evidence but the omission of other factors.

e) Facts that are not directly relevant to the argument are treated as if they supported the overall conclusion.

This answer choice is incorrect because all the facts presented in the argument are directly relevant to the conclusion. The issue with the argument is not the relevance of the facts but the incomplete consideration of factors that contribute to the net effect.

In summary, the correct answer is (A) because the plant manager's argument is vulnerable to criticism for only considering some of the factors that contribute to the net effect of adopting the new process.