Logical reasoning PrepTest 118 · Section 3 · Question 12

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Valid

Question Type:
Main Point

Stimulus Summary:
Many artists — Models have to be from outside the psyche

Surrealist — That view is mistaken, because although one thing is true that seems to support it, doing so would be an ironic waste.

Answer Anticipation:
This argument uses . . . a lot of fancy language. Seemingly unnecessarily so! However, we can cut through all of that with some knowledge of arguments on the LSAT and structure keywords.

The Surrealist (let's call him Sal Dolly) starts by bringing up what many artists believe—almost certainly an opposing point. This is reinforced by Dolly saying that this belief is "mistaken[]"—and the author's opinion of an opposing point is almost always the main point of the argument.

This opening line is then followed up with an "Although" statement—these are concessions to the opposing point or things that cut against the author's main point so they're not the conclusion itself. And the second half of these statements will pivot to a part of the author's argument—sometimes premise sometimes conclusion.

Here it pivots to the idea that focusing just on objects outside the psyche is an ironic waste. That reinforces the idea that it's a mistake to focus just on those objects so that first line—or at least the author's view of it—is the main point:
It's a mistake to think that artistic models must be taken from outside the psyche.

Answer Explanation:
This answer paraphrases the author's opinion from the opening line that the opposing view is a mistake. If someone believes it's a mistake to believe models should be taken only from outside the psyche then they believe that artists shouldn't just represent those objects. This answer is correct.

Key Takeaway:
The author's opinion of an opposing point will almost always be the main point of the argument. Sometimes this opinion is denoted by a single adverb in the statement of the opposing point!

Incorrect. The Surrealist believes that using art to preserve/reinforce objects that exist outside the psyche is an ironic waste, so he doesn't believe that this is how art should be used. This answer thus can't be the main point since the author believes doing it is a waste.

Incorrect. The Surrealist questions using art to represent existing objects, not representation in art generally.

Incorrect. The Surrealist notes that human sensibility can do this, not art.

Incorrect. The Surrealist notes that using art only for the purpose of representing existing objects would be a waste, but that doesn't mean that he views it as a waste generally. He could believe that as long as there's a mix of art representing real and internal objects, then both types of art can be great.