LSAT (Law School Admission Test)Logical ReasoningHard
A philosopher argues: 'True happiness is found not in the pursuit of pleasure, but in the pursuit of meaning. This is because pleasure is fleeting and superficial, whereas meaning provides lasting fulfillment.'\n\nWhich of the following is an unstated assumption required by the philosopher's argument?
- ALasting fulfillment is a necessary component of true happiness.
- BAll individuals define happiness in the same way.
- CThe pursuit of pleasure and the pursuit of meaning are mutually exclusive.
- DMeaningful experiences are inherently more difficult to achieve than pleasurable ones.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Lasting fulfillment is a necessary component of true happiness.
The philosopher concludes that true happiness is found in meaning, *because* meaning provides lasting fulfillment, while pleasure is fleeting. For this to be a valid reason, the argument must assume that 'lasting fulfillment' is an essential characteristic of 'true happiness.' If true happiness could be fleeting, the argument wouldn't hold.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. The argument defines 'true happiness' for everyone, but doesn't need to assume everyone *already* agrees with this definition.
- C. While the argument contrasts them, it doesn't explicitly assume they cannot coexist to some degree, only that one is preferable for 'true' happiness.
- D. Difficulty of achievement is not a premise in the argument for what constitutes true happiness.
Necessary Assumption
An unstated premise that *must* be true for an argument's conclusion to follow logically from its stated premises. If the necessary assumption is false, the conclusion cannot be true.
- Crucial for the argument's validity.
- Often links premises to the conclusion.
- Can be identified by negating the assumption and seeing if it destroys the argument.
Memory trick: Find the missing piece that holds the argument together.