June 1991 LSAT Section 3 Question 22

The 1980s have been characterized as a period of selfish individualism that threatens the cohesion of society. But th...

Lizzie-Annerino on July 11, 2019

Hard time understanding two uses

Hi, I'm having a hard time understanding how this passage uses selfish differently? I seem to have a hard time identifying this type of flaw, is there any trick/tip you can give me to help me get better? Thank you!

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Irina on July 13, 2019

@Lizzie The different uses of the term "selfish" here are selfish individualism versus selfish concern for the human species, i.e. concern for one's own species well-being rather than a pursuit of one's self-interest. The author uses an example of this "species selfishness" to argue that every period of human history is characterized by "selfish individualism," even though these are two distinct behaviors. Let me know if this makes sense and if you have any more questions.

Amar-Chauhan on October 17, 2019

hello,
I understand your explanation. could you please also suggest why A is incorrect?

Emil-Kunkin on August 26 at 01:48AM

A is incorrect because the claims that selfishness has always been present is relevant to the argument. However, the claim fails to distinguish between selfishness always being present, and the present era having a greater degree of selfishness than in the past.