Historian: The early Egyptian pharaohs spent as much wealth on largely

Question

Historian: The early Egyptian pharaohs spent as much wealth on largely ceremonial and hugely impressive architecture as they did on roads and irrigation systems. This was not mere frivolousness, however, for if people under a pharaoh 's rule could be made to realize the extent of their ruler's mastery of the physical world, their loyalty could be maintained without military coercion.

The claim that early Egyptian expenditure on largely ceremonial architecture was not frivolous plays which one of the following roles in the historian's argument?

(A) It is a conclusion purportedly justified by the argument's appeal to the psychological effects of these structures on the Egyptian population.

(B) It is offered in support of the claim that Egyptian pharaohs spent as much on ceremonial architecture as they did on roads and irrigation systems.

(C) It is a premise given in support of the claim that the loyalty of people under a pharaoh 's rule was maintained over time without reliance on military force.

(D) It is offered as an illustration of the principle that social and political stability do not depend ultimately on force.

(E) It is a premise used to justify the pharaohs' policy of spending scarce resources on structures that have only military utility.

Source: LSAT

AshutoshB · Answer

IMO A

Using Eliminating other option you can reach the answer

even if we don't understand the complete relation between statements we can do elimination

from the statement, we know " This was not mere frivolousness " is not a premise , its somewhat a conclusion

B: Wrong , it does not provide any support for the claim , it is just a fact

C & E : Wrong , not primise

D: Wrong : it doesn't state anything about political and social stability

anse · Answer

I am unable to decide how this is a premise or a conclusion. I singled out A and C. Rest all seemed illogical . But was not able to decide between the fact that this is a premise or conclusion. In my view this acts as a bridge between premise and conclusion

redskull1 · Answer

It is definitely a conclusion.The clue is the word “Claim” in the question stem.Claims cannot be premises.Even otherwise it is quite cleat that it is the conclusion.

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KarishmaB · Answer

The conclusion is the author's opinion. Note that a conclusion is debatable. You can make it more likely or less likely to be true by giving more data to support or weaken it. Often, when the author is getting judgemental, it is a conclusion such as "this expenditure is frivolous (another may consider the expenditure necessary)", "this plan is not suitable (another may consider it suitable)"

Yellkrishna · Answer

A. The is the conclusion, which is supported by the statement that such structures help contain the subjects without military force. Good.

B. No. This is a subsequent statement that is derived from the first statement.

C. It is the conclusion, not premise.

D. This is not offered as a support to a general principle. Rather, this is a conclusion that is supported by succeeding statements.

E. military utility? Also, it is not a premise.

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PSKhore · Answer

The claim that the early Egyptian pharaohs' expenditure on ceremonial architecture was not frivolous serves as a (A) conclusion purportedly justified by the argument's appeal to the psychological effects of these structures on the Egyptian population.
 
 Explanation:

The historian's argument is that the impressive architecture, despite being largely ceremonial, wasn't just wasteful spending. The argument suggests that these structures served the practical purpose of fostering loyalty among the populace, thereby reducing the need for military coercion. Therefore, the historian's claim of "not mere frivolousness" acts as the conclusion derived from observing the psychological impact of the architecture.
 
 Why other options are incorrect:
 
(B) It is offered in support of the claim that Egyptian pharaohs spent as much on ceremonial architecture as they did on roads and irrigation systems:
While the historian does mention that the spending on both was equal, this is a premise of the argument, not the conclusion. The focus of the question is on the historian's claim that the architectural expenditure was not frivolous.

(C) It is a premise given in support of the claim that the loyalty of people under a pharaoh 's rule was maintained over time without reliance on military force:
This is the reverse of the actual relationship. The historian is arguing that the loyalty was maintained because the architecture wasn't frivolous. It's the reason for the claim, not the claim itself.

(D) It is offered as an illustration of the principle that social and political stability do not depend ultimately on force:
While there is an element of this principle at play in the argument, the historian's specific claim about the architecture is not presented as an illustration of a broader principle. It's a specific claim within the context of ancient Egypt.

(E) It is a premise used to justify the pharaohs' policy of spending scarce resources on structures that have only military utility:
This is the exact opposite of the historian's claim. The historian is arguing that the architecture wasn't just for military utility. The historian's point is that the expenditure on these structures wasn't wasteful, but rather a tool for social control.

Source: AI Overview

xyz12345678 · Answer

I think C could be eliminated based on wording of the options ie."was maintained" vs "could be maintained" in the passage

Historian: The early Egyptian pharaohs spent as much wealth on largely

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Historian: The early Egyptian pharaohs spent as much wealth on largely

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