Max: Although doing so would be very costly, humans already possess th

Question

Max: Although doing so would be very costly, humans already possess the technology to build colonies on the Moon. As the human population increases and the amount of unoccupied space available for constructing housing on Earth diminishes, there will be a growing economic incentive to construct such colonies to house some of the population. Thus, such colonies will almost certainly be built and severe overcrowding on Earth relieved.

See how Max goes from saying growing economic incentive to concluding that such colonies will almost certainly be built! It's a big leap. He is assuming that economic incentive will be so great that it will lead to building such colonies.

Max’s argument is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds?

(A) It takes for granted that the economic incentive to construct colonies on the Moon will grow sufficiently to cause such a costly project to be undertaken.

(B) It takes for granted that the only way of relieving severe overcrowding on Earth is the construction of colonies on the Moon.

(C) It overlooks the possibility that colonies will be built on the Moon regardless of any economic incentive to construct such colonies to house some of the population.

(D) It overlooks the possibility that colonies on the Moon might themselves quickly become overcrowded.

(E) It takes for granted that none of the human population would prefer to live on the Moon unless Earth were seriously overcrowded.

Bunuel · Answer

EXPLANATION FROM Fox LSAT

Max has apparently never taken a drive down California’s Interstate 5. True, there is a “limited” amount of real estate on Earth, in the sense that they aren’t making any more of it. But we are nowhere near developing all of California alone, and California is one of the most populous places on the planet. Don’t even get me started on the enormous undeveloped expanses in Nevada, Utah, etcetera. Now I’m not saying I would actually want to live in Nevada or Utah (God forbid) but I’d actually prefer to live there than on the Goddamned Moon. So Max is foolish for assuming that the Moon will ever be the answer.

We’re asked to criticize the argument, which, like always, we already have.

A) Yes, exactly. Max makes a huge leap from “Earth is limited, and development is getting more expensive” to  “Therefore Moon. Moooooooon!”  No, dude. Not Moon. Keep your pants on. Max has “taken for granted” that the Earth limitation and growing expense will eventually get so dire as to justify a development on the Moon. I love this answer.

B) Well, actually, no. Max is a Moon freak, but he doesn’t say the Moon is the only way. Max certainly thinks the Moon is inevitable, but Max never said Mars and/or Atlantis are impossible. This answer choice goes further than even a whack job like Max is willing to go.

C) I think this answer could only be used to criticize Max if Max had concluded that we will not go to the Moon. Max hasn’t “overlooked” any possibility of development on the Moon—quite the opposite.

D) This is just irrelevant, since it only applies to whatever would happen after Max was already proven correct.

E) The argument is never about human preferences, so this can’t possibly be the answer.

Our answer is A, because it best captures Max’s huge illogical leap.

winterschool · Answer

Max: Although doing so would be very costly, humans already possess the technology to build colonies on the Moon. As the human population increases and the amount of unoccupied space available for constructing housing on Earth diminishes, there will be a growing economic incentive to construct such colonies to house some of the population. Thus, such colonies will almost certainly be built and severe overcrowding on Earth relieved.

See how Max goes from saying growing economic incentive to concluding that such colonies will almost certainly be built! It's a big leap. He is assuming that economic incentive will be so great that it will lead to building such colonies.

Max’s argument is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds?

(A)  It takes for granted that the economic incentive to construct colonies on the Moon will grow sufficiently to cause such a costly project to be undertaken.   Correct

argument accept this option to make a conclusion

(B) It takes for granted that the only way of relieving severe overcrowding on Earth is the construction of colonies on the Moon.  Incorrect

not true

(C) It overlooks the possibility that colonies will be built on the Moon regardless of any economic incentive to construct such colonies to house some of the population.  Incorrect

argument is not consider that without economic incentive colonies will be built on moon

(D) It overlooks the possibility that colonies on the Moon might themselves quickly become overcrowded.  Incorrect

not true

(E) It takes for granted that none of the human population would prefer to live on the Moon unless Earth were seriously overcrowded.  Incorrect

not true

100mitra · Answer

Correct Answer A

(A)  correct .

(B)  Wrong : The argument assumes that colonies on the moon are a way of alleviating overcrowding.

(C)  Wrong : The conclusion that colonies would be built would still be true.

(D)  Wrong : is out scope

(E)  Wrong : is not assumed in the argument

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thelastskybender · Answer

Max: Although doing so would be very costly, humans already possess the technology to build colonies on the Moon. As the human population increases and the amount of unoccupied space available for constructing housing on Earth diminishes, there will be a growing economic incentive to construct such colonies to house some of the population. Thus, such colonies will almost certainly be built and severe overcrowding on Earth relieved.

See how Max goes from saying growing economic incentive to concluding that such colonies will almost certainly be built! It's a big leap. He is assuming that economic incentive will be so great that it will lead to building such colonies.

See how Max goes from saying growing economic incentive to concluding that such colonies will   almost certainly   be built! It's a big leap. He is assuming that economic incentive will be so great that it will lead to building such colonies.

VerbalBot · Answer

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Max: Although doing so would be very costly, humans already possess th

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