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Hey folks! I've been seeing this gadfly of an answer pop up once in a while now, I have yet to fully understand what it means..

"It is compatible either with accepting the conclusion or with denying it."

What the heck does it mean! Any ideas?

Basically, that whatever this answer choice is referring to is irrelevant to the argument. So you can accept or reject the referenced point whether or not you accept the conclusion. So say one were to raise this point in order to debate the argument. You could simply reply "That doesn't matter." You wouldn't even have to give it any consideration, as it has no bearing on your argument. At least this is how I understand this type of answer choice. Anybody correct me if I'm wrong.

Otunga wrote:Basically, that whatever this answer choice is referring to is irrelevant to the argument. So you can accept or reject the referenced point whether or not you accept the conclusion. So say one were to raise this point in order to debate the argument. You could simply reply "That doesn't matter." You wouldn't even have to give it any consideration, as it has no bearing on your argument. At least this is how I understand this type of answer choice. Anybody correct me if I'm wrong.

Yeah, I think of it as something that the LSAT makers use to throw off our argument detection radars. You read the sentence and then end up rereading it to try to figure out how it fits into the logic of the stimulus.

Perfect! I now see the light - thanks a ton guys, that was crystal clear. It had been the answer choice in a couple Method of Reasoning questions where you decide the role a particular statement plays in the stimulus. I can envision how this answer could be correct, now. Keep up the good work!