PT 38 Section 1, #19 & #21 Forum

[jbud72]

For 19, my mind feels like it's going to explode trying to follow the Essayist's argument. I don't know how to attack this question.

For 21, I understand the argument (I think), but don't really see how correct answer D) is the correct answer.

Thanks in advance.

[Atlas LSAT Teacher]

#19 - I think the most important thing on this one is to avoid getting tangled up in the choices. That begins with a clear analysis of the argument. Here's what we have:

if something's intrinsically valuable --> happiness

Some philosophers (just by this setup "Some ___," we can anticipate that the author will disagree somehow):
b/c we don't like it when bad ppl are happy, if we value happiness --> it's deserved

BUT (here comes the author's counter): deserved happiness is determined by happiness brought to others!

Therefore _________.

Before going to the choices, we should anticipate that whatever follows will be a summation of the author's position as counter to the philosophers'. So the correct answer could say something so simple as "The philosophers are mistaken," or could state that what the philosophers said is incorrect: "We do not only value happiness when it's deserved".... or something along those lines.

(A) "ultimately incoherent?" Not even close. Too extreme, plus incorrect. The author says that deserved happiness is determined by happiness brought to others. This doesn't make it "incoherent."

(B) "as much as they think they do?" Nothing about what is vs what ppl think is mentioned.

(C) Yes. "understood in terms of happiness" -- specifically, the happiness brought to others. This refers to the "but" statement at the end: deserved happiness "=" happiness brought to others

(D) "Only way?" "bring happiness to *those who deserve it*?" No.

(E) Out of scope."Truly bad?" Furthermore, we know nothing about how happy bad ppl can be.

Here's a write-up of #21 - http://www.atlaslsat.com/forums/pt38-s1 ... -t443.html

[edit for typo]