Principle JustifyDiff: Medium
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: There's a rule that the government shouldn't censor the truth unless it hurts people. Based on this, the author argues the government shouldn't have silenced Calista's claims about cell phones and cancer.
Conclusion: The government acted wrongly when it stopped Calista from sharing her beliefs about cell phones and cancer.
Reasoning: The government should only stop someone from expressing a true belief if that expression would be generally harmful.
Analysis: In this 'Principle Justify' question, we need to bridge the gap between a general rule and a specific case. The principle has two conditions for censorship: the belief must be false, or it must be harmful. To conclude the government was 'wrong' to stop Calista, we must assume her belief was true (or at least based on evidence) and that her speaking out wasn't harmful. Look for an answer that confirms these conditions are met, thereby making the principle applicable to her situation.
Conclusion: The government acted wrongly when it stopped Calista from sharing her beliefs about cell phones and cancer.
Reasoning: The government should only stop someone from expressing a true belief if that expression would be generally harmful.
Analysis: In this 'Principle Justify' question, we need to bridge the gap between a general rule and a specific case. The principle has two conditions for censorship: the belief must be false, or it must be harmful. To conclude the government was 'wrong' to stop Calista, we must assume her belief was true (or at least based on evidence) and that her speaking out wasn't harmful. Look for an answer that confirms these conditions are met, thereby making the principle applicable to her situation.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage17.Which one of the following, if true, would most help to justify the above application of the principle?
Correct Answer
B
B directly supports both required elements: several studies have found evidence that cell phone use has been partially responsible for the increase (so Calista’s belief about evidence is true), and it would benefit people to know this (so expressing it is not harmful to people generally). That justifies the application under the principle.
Upgrade Your Prep
Ready to go beyond free explanations?
LSAT Perfection is the #1 modern LSAT prep platform, trusted by thousands of students for comprehensive test strategies, advanced drilling, and full analytics on every PrepTest.
Detailed explanations for 59 PrepTests
Advanced drillset builder
Personalized analytics
Built-in Wrong Answer Journal