LSAT (Law School Admission Test)Logical ReasoningMedium
A historian claims that the decline of the ancient empire was primarily due to its overreliance on slave labor, which stifled innovation and economic growth. However, archaeological evidence suggests that during the empire's peak, slave labor was widespread, yet the empire experienced significant innovation and economic expansion. This evidence most directly challenges the historian's claim by suggesting that:
- AOverreliance on slave labor was not the only factor contributing to the empire's decline.
- BThe historian's definition of 'overreliance' may be too broad or inaccurate.
- COverreliance on slave labor does not necessarily stifle innovation and economic growth.
- DThe empire's decline was a complex process with multiple contributing causes.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Overreliance on slave labor does not necessarily stifle innovation and economic growth.
The historian claims slave labor *stifled* innovation. The evidence shows slave labor was widespread *during innovation and expansion*. This directly contradicts the idea that slave labor *necessarily* stifles innovation, thus challenging the core causal link in the historian's argument.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. While plausible, the evidence specifically challenges the *primary cause* and the *mechanism* of stifling innovation, not just that it wasn't the *only* cause.
- B. The evidence does not discuss definitions; it presents empirical data that contradicts the claimed effect of the defined condition.
- D. This is a general statement about historical processes and doesn't pinpoint how the evidence specifically refutes the historian's *particular* claim about slave labor's effect.
Role of a Statement
Identifying the 'role' of a statement in an argument involves determining how it functions—whether it's a premise, conclusion, evidence, counter-premise, or an assumption—to support or challenge the main point.
- Requires understanding the argument's structure.
- Distinguishes between evidence and claims derived from evidence.
- Examines how a statement impacts the argument's validity.
Memory trick: Each word plays a part, building the argument's art.