Q14 - Roger Bacon, the thirteenth-century scientist

[aidanmenzul]

I got to E), but only got it because everything else was wrong. Was he really criticizing his character? It seemed a little bit weak to me...

[cyruswhittaker]

Yes, and the argument clarifies the ad hominem attack based on Bacon's actions with the additional phrase "...in view of the contradiction between his statements and his own behaviour."

[aileenann]

Yes, I have to agree with Cyrus. I think the text Cyrus pointed out exactly how we see the author of the argument criticizing Bacon. It's never a good thing to be a contradictory thinker, especially on the LSAT.

To give you a similar detail, consider the following: Mary, the greatest opera singer of all time, says everyone should rehearse before a performance. But Mary herself often does not rehearse. Therefore we should not go hear Mary perform.

This is a silly argument because it undercuts Mary's work just because she doesn't follow her own advice. For all we know, she would still be fantastic. The argument in this question commits the same fault.

I hope this helps! Please let me know if you still need follow up

[aidanmenzul]

I like that comparison. Looking at the question now, I can't even figure out why I had trouble with it.

[peg_city]

Why is C wrong?

Maybe he (Bacon) said it but it wasn't his opinion. IE he was required to say it as a teacher

Thanks

[jimmy902o]

I agree with peg_city. Just because a teacher says something doesnt mean it has to believe it. For example, if an accounting professor is required to teach one method as "the best" but has found on his own that another is much more comprehensible and effective, then what he is teaching wouldnt necessarily be what he believes. This may not be the best example, as the teacher in this example would likely mention the alternative method, but the analogy still stands, no?

[wj097]

Why is C wrong?

Maybe he (Bacon) said it but it wasn't his opinion. IE he was required to say it as a teacher

Thanks

Hey peg_city,

I initially did not cross out answer choice (C) b/c of the same reason. However, the argument does not care about the REASON for how that statement came about; evidence for the conclusion simply being the contradiction between his statement and behaviors. Thus, the part in which (C) concerns about Bacon's real(?) opinion seems to be out of scope.

[slimjimsquinn]

I was up in the air about B and E. What is the difference? The only difference I can see is specificity. B is more specific.


Can't we say that B) Attacking uncritical reliance on authority is a form of E), criticizing Bacon's character to question his scientific finding?

Also, we don't have any information to say Bacon was relying on authority uncritically. He could have. Right? Help please!

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

Can't we say that B) Attacking uncritical reliance on authority is a form of E), criticizing Bacon's character to question his scientific finding?

There is a difference between these two forms of reasoning. The former discusses an appeal to an authority - which is often a flawed form of reasoning. In an argument it sounds like, so-and-so said, "____________." So "____________," is true. Pointing out that someone used such reasoning is not flawed but could correctly be used to point out a weakness in someone's reasoning.

The latter form of reasoning is flawed though. Criticizing someone's character does nothing to indicate whether their reasoning was valid or not. So answer choice (E) represents a flawed method of reasoning, whereas answer choice (B) does not.

Hope that helps!

[hyewonkim89]

Hello!

I also picked C, but the previous explanations don't seem so clear to me.

Also, from the previous posts, I understand that his "behavior" is the same or at least included in his "character." Is this right?

Please help! Thanks!

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

Roger Bacon warned his students against relying on authorities, but he appealed to authority when it was helpful for him.
[Therefore]
Bacon’s work on optics should be disregarded because of this contradiction.

Correct Answer
The problem with the argument is that it correctly points out that Bacon was a hypocrite, then uses this judgment to comment on his scientific discoveries. Answer choice (E) correctly describes this flaw; Bacon’s character has no relevance to his work.

Incorrect Answers
(A) attributes some opinion regarding the correctness of authorities to the argument. But the stimulus never weighs in on such a thing.
(B) is very tempting, but it doesn’t have any relevance to the conclusion, which is that we should disregard Bacon’s work on optics.
(C) misrepresents the argument entirely. As far as we know, Bacon did not live by the remarks he made to his students.
(D) is irrelevant, as the argument makes no comment on whether thirteenth-century science is still relevant today.

[griffin.811]

Just want to tack on to Matt in case this helps someone.

The issue with B is, as Matt pointed out, that it doesn't relate to the conclusion. The conclusion is that Bacon's work should be rejected because he contradicts himself, not because he relies on the opinion's of authorities.

In this case, it just happens to be that the contradiction revolves around the use of reliance on an authority, but the bigger issue is that Bacon's work should be discredited because he contradicts himself.

Had he relied on the authority of others, and not contradicted himself, there would be no reason to discredit him.

[chunsun..b]

(C) is wrong because it distorts the argument.

Take a look at the last sentence of the paragraph: "... in view of the contradiction between his statements and his own behavior."

Thus, the author is not talking about Bacon's opinion; it's merely talking about his statements and how it doesn't match with his behavior.

Consequently, it's not true that the argument is using Bacon's remarks as evidence of his opinions; rather, he is saying that Bacon's remarks by themselves--regardless of whether or not they actually are evidence of his opinions--don't match up with his behavior.

[christine.defenbaugh]

Rock on, chunsun..b!

That's exactly it! The premises point out 1) his statements and 2) his behavior, then note that there is a contradiction between the two. The author never uses those statement to conclude anything about Bacon's opinions on anything.

Awesome work!