Policy Adviser: Freedom of speech is not only a basic human right; it is also the only rational policy for this gover...

Julie-V July 25, 2019

Choice (C)

Hi LSAT Max, I was stumped with this question, so I chose choice (B). Could someone explain why we can eliminate (B)? Also, I read the explanations for why (C) is correct, but can someone double check to make sure I understood it right? Is the "moral ideas" from the first sentence ("... is not only a basic human right; it is also the only rational policy...")? And would the self-interest be in reference to the government (not the policy advisor) which is seen in the sentence about what happens when ideas are "openly aired"? Many thanks in advance for the help, it's greatly appreciated!

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Irina July 25, 2019

@Julie,

Let's briefly look at the stimulus.

Freedom of speech is not only a basic human right, but also a rational policy for this government to adopt. When ideas are openly aired, good ideas flourish, silly proposals are easily recognized, and dangerous ideas can be responded to by rational argument. Nothing is ever gained by forcing citizens to disseminate their thoughts in secret.

Before even looking at the answer choices, notice how the policy adviser structures his/ her argument by providing specific examples of how free speech policy is beneficial to the government.

Let's see if any of the answer choices reflect this:

(A) is wrong because his/her argument is not circular. He states that free speech policy makes rational sense for the government to adopt because of reasons a,b, and c, rather than arguing that free speech promotes free speech;

(B) is wrong because the policy advisor merely mentions that it is a basic human right, but at its core, his argument is about why this policy makes sense for this government. He is not saying that freedom of speech should be respected solely because it is a basic human right;

(C) is the correct answer choice because it accurately describes the policy adviser's strategy. He introduces a moral idea ("Freedom of speech ..a basic human right" ) followed by self-interest by giving concrete examples to demonstrate how it is in the government's self-interest to adopt the free speech policy;

(D) is wrong because it is out of scope. Truth is never even mentioned in the argument;

(E) is wrong because the advisor advocates for a specific policy for THIS government to adopt, not describing a hypothetical utopian scenario that is impossible to achieve.

Let me know if this helps and if you have any other questions.

Julie-V July 25, 2019

No further questions, this explanation did justice to my confusions. Thank you Irina!

Ravi August 7, 2019

@Julie-V, let us know if you have any more questions!