Q11

[khaleesiwantstodolaw]

I suck at "serve the function" questions. Is there a general rule that can be applied to answer this type?

I picked B for this one. I sort of understand why E is correct but I know I would have picked B if this were the LSAT I took. Help!

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

There are a couple of general rules to keep in mind when answering a question like this. Think about the role of the paragraph within the larger passage. What purpose does it serve?

Second, be really careful about answer choices that describe the cited text perfectly, but that don't describe why it's there. Essentially there's a difference between what the claim is, and why it's there.

The second paragraph is all about describing some scientific views that are not open to the discussion presented in the first paragraph. Answer choice (E) correctly describes that anyone who were to try to challenge the views described in the second paragraph would not be correctly describing the phenomena and would be wrong. The words "any serious minded and informed person" are meant to limit the discussion to people who who are reasonable and exclude irrational people.

Incorrect Answers
(A) is contradicted. The information does not satirize notions about the composition of water. Instead it claims that the composition of water is not to be challenged.
(B) is tempting, as they form part of a larger argument against the philosophers of science, but one cannot point back to a previously stated opinion for which these words offer support.
(C) is contradicted as the author does not have reservations about the "traditional belief," and instead suggests that those who reject will turn out to be wrong.
(D) has a similar problem as answer choice (C) in that the author is not opposed to the objective view of the world of science.

[keonheecho]

There are a couple of general rules to keep in mind when answering a question like this. Think about the role of the paragraph within the larger passage. What purpose does it serve?

Second, be really careful about answer choices that describe the cited text perfectly, but that don't describe why it's there. Essentially there's a difference between what the claim is, and why it's there.

The second paragraph is all about describing some scientific views that are not open to the discussion presented in the first paragraph. Answer choice (E) correctly describes that anyone who were to try to challenge the views described in the second paragraph would not be correctly describing the phenomena and would be wrong. The words "any serious minded and informed person" are meant to limit the discussion to people who who are reasonable and exclude irrational people.

Incorrect Answers
(A) is contradicted. The information does not satirize notions about the composition of water. Instead it claims that the composition of water is not to be challenged.
(B) is tempting, as they form part of a larger argument against the philosophers of science, but one cannot point back to a previously stated opinion for which these words offer support.
(C) is contradicted as the author does not have reservations about the "traditional belief," and instead suggests that those who reject will turn out to be wrong.
(D) has a similar problem as answer choice (C) in that the author is not opposed to the objective view of the world of science.

Hi,
I still don't really see how (B) is incorrect. Isn't the first sentence of the second sentence ("...it is deeply implausible") the author's opinion about the philosophers of science, and couldn't it be argued that the author is supporting that point with lines 28-29?

Thank you in advance

[maryadkins]

Yes, good call. So that's not what's wrong with (B) for me (the "previously stated opinion" part). What's wrong with (B) is that the previously stated opinion isn't an opinion about CERTAIN PHILOSOPHERS OF SCIENCE. It's about an approach to viewing science, not about the philosophers themselves.