Logical reasoning PrepTest 146 · Section 1 · Question 8

Incorrect. This answer doesn't address the "universal tastes" portion of the analogy, so it's incomplete.

Incorrect. This answer doesn't line up with the "different cuisines" portion of the analogy, so it's incomplete.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Argument Completion

Stimulus Summary:
Opposing point Ð Cultures have different moral codes, so morality is relative.Philosopher Ð Some morals are present in all cultures. Like shared flavors can lead to different cuisines, __________. So the opposing point is wrong.

Answer Anticipation:
Argument Completion questions come in two flavors (pun completely intended)—ones that ask you to fill in the conclusion, and ones that ask you to fill in a premise (sometimes an intermediate conclusion). This is the latter, as that statement about the opposing argument being flawed is the main point.

Many Argument Completion questions bring up comparisons, and this one is no different—in fact, it uses an analogy to make its point, and we're tasked with filling in the second half of that analogy.

The analogy is between foods and morality. The food section brings up something that's shared—tastes—leading to something that's different—cuisine. The argument has already brought up something similar between cultures—certain moral attitudes—and something different—moral codes. The correct answer, then, should bring these together, highlighting how, in different cultures, the shared moral attitudes can come together to lead to different moral codes.

Answer Explanation:
This answer matches our anticipation. The analogy provided us with one side—shared flavors can lead to different cuisines—and this answer maps the elements of morality correctly to the elements of food—certain moral attitudes being shared, leading to different moral codes.

Key Takeaway:
When you're asked to work with an analogy on the LSAT, start by identifying the key elements and make sure you understand what matches up with what.

Incorrect. Understanding isn't a part of the taste/cuisine analogy, so this answer is out of scope.

Incorrect. While not wildly off, and incorporating elements that match with both elements of the analogy, this answer doesn't really reflect the taste/cuisine side of the provided analogy. That wasn't about adapting tastes to different cultures but rather building different cuisines from the same tastes.