Logic Breakdown

Passage Summary: Practical intelligence is the skill of figuring out how to get what you want; if a creature always gets everything instantly, it will never have the need to learn this skill.

Conclusion: A being that never experiences deprivation and always gets its desires met immediately cannot develop practical intelligence.

Reasoning: Practical intelligence is defined as the skill of finding means to ends, and skills do not develop on their own without effort or necessity.

Analysis: The argument relies on a gap between a skill 'not developing on its own' and the specific conditions of a 'spoiled' being. We need an assumption that bridges the lack of deprivation with the inability to develop the skill. Look for a choice that guarantees that the need to overcome deprivation is the only way to trigger the development of practical intelligence. If the being never has to 'find a means' because the 'end' is always provided, the argument assumes they will never practice the skill.

Passage Stimulus

Passage Redacted

Unlock Full Passage

9.

The conclusion of the essayist's argument can be properly drawn if which one of the following is assumed?

Correct Answer
B
Skills are acquired only if they are needed. If the being always gets what it wants, it never needs to discover means to its ends; since skills don’t develop on their own, this principle blocks any other route to developing the skill, so the conclusion that it could never become practically intelligent follows.
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
Explore Perfection Plus for full LSAT prep