LSAT Explanation PT 40, S3, Q24: New evidence suggests that the collapse

LSAT Question Stem

Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument? 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Strengthen question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is C. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

Let's first analyze the argument presented in the passage. The author claims that the collapse of Egypt's old kingdom was caused by an environmental catastrophe (global cooling leading to extended droughts) rather than internal social upheaval. The structure of the argument is as follows:

Premise: Ocean sediments reveal a period of global cooling at the time of the collapse.

Premise: Global cooling is generally associated with extended droughts.

Conclusion: The collapse of Egypt's old kingdom was caused by an environmental catastrophe (extended droughts) rather than internal social upheaval.

To help you understand this better, let's use a simple example. Imagine a small village that relies on farming for survival. One year, the village experiences a severe drought, and the crops fail. As a result, the villagers start fighting amongst themselves for the limited resources. In this case, the drought (an environmental factor) is the primary cause of the village's problems, rather than the internal conflicts between the villagers.

The "Evaluate" question for this argument could be: "Were there any other significant factors, besides global cooling and extended droughts, that could have caused the collapse of Egypt's old kingdom?"

Now, let's look at the question type and what it's asking us to do. This is a Strengthen question, which means we need to find the answer choice that, if true, would most strengthen the author's argument.

Answer Choice Explanations:

a) This answer choice suggests that most civilizations have succumbed to internal strife rather than external factors. However, this does not strengthen the author's argument that the collapse of Egypt's old kingdom was caused by an environmental catastrophe. If anything, it might weaken the argument by suggesting that internal strife is a more common cause of collapse.

b) This answer choice states that the social problems in Egypt's old kingdom were serious enough to have caused the collapse. This actually weakens the author's argument, as it provides an alternative cause for the collapse (internal social problems) rather than supporting the environmental catastrophe claim.

c) This is the correct answer choice. By stating that other nearby civilizations experienced sudden declines at the same time as Egypt's old kingdom, it suggests that there might be a common cause (such as an environmental catastrophe) affecting all of these civilizations. This strengthens the author's argument that the collapse was due to an environmental catastrophe rather than internal social upheaval.

d) This answer choice refers to Egyptian records mentioning deteriorating societal conditions. However, this does not strengthen the author's argument that the collapse was caused by an environmental catastrophe. Instead, it provides evidence that internal social problems may have contributed to the collapse, which weakens the argument.

e) This answer choice mentions a civil war that occurred after the collapse of the old kingdom. While it indicates that there were internal conflicts in Egypt, it does not provide any information about the cause of the collapse itself. Therefore, it does not strengthen the author's argument that the collapse was due to an environmental catastrophe.