December 2017 LSAT Section 3 Question 4

Editorial: It is common to find essays offering arguments that seem to show that our nation is in decline. There is n...

Eliaspite7 on October 15, 2019

A vs E?

After getting the answer wrong I understand why the correct answer is A. I wanted to clarify the reasoning, though. Is A correct because the editorial dismisses the essays simply on the basis of their author's tone, rather than the essay's actual substance? I initially thought E was correct because the authors of the essays "being anxious" could actually indicate that the nation is in decline? Is this wrong because its too far of a jump to make? i.e, there's nothing in the stimulus to prove whether it actually is the authors psychological state or the actual condition of the nation? Thank you in advance.

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SamA on October 15, 2019

Hello @Eliaspite7,

You are correct, we generally want to evaluate the argument itself rather than the person making it. The editorial failed to address any arguments that claim the nation is in decline. Dismissing these arguments based on their authors' tone alone is the flaw here.

It is too big of a jump to assume that the anxious tone of some authors is legitimate evidence of the nation's decline. After you got this one wrong the first time, you figured it out without a problem.