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On the LSAT, the single most important relationship is the one found in an argument.
That relationship is called support and the relata are called premise and conclusion.
When most people hear the word "argument," they think raised voices, popping veins, your typical election-year Thanksgiving family gathering. Fair enough! But, that’s not what "arguments" on the LSAT are. On the test, "arguments" are more intellectual than emotional. So, let's start with a clean slate: forget all that stuff you thought you knew about "arguments."
We’re going to define what "arguments" are and from now on, we’re going to use that definition every time we encounter the word "argument." Outside the test, "arguments" do take on various meanings. But, on this test, I'd like you to remember:
- Persuasion is the aim of an argument.
- Premise plus conclusion is the definition of an argument.
- Support is the internal structure of an argument.
Let’s take these in turn.
1. The aim: persuasion
Isn’t it germane that core to the LSAT are arguments? After all, you’re studying to be a lawyer and what do you think you'll be doing? You will be persuading. You will try to persuade your clients, your employers, your colleagues, the judge, the jury, the public, and even opposing counsel of your point of view, of your way of seeing things. To accomplish that, you’ll have to rely on arguments. (And if you’re reasonable, you’ll also be receptive to persuasion upon encountering a strong argument.) So, that's what arguments do. That's the aim, the objective, the goal: to persuade.
2. The definition: premise and conclusion
Next is the definition. It's simple: premise plus conclusion. Whenever anyone asks you—and I’m going to ask you a lot—"What is an argument?" I'd like you to respond, "premise plus conclusion." Just mechanically say "premise plus conclusion." That's the definition. In a later lesson, we'll further define "premise" and "conclusion" so as to flesh out the meaning of those words. But, for now, just remember "premise plus conclusion" is the definition of an argument.
3. The relationship: support
The internal structure of an argument is support. Support is the stuff that tells you how strong an argument is. The more the premises support the conclusion, the stronger the argument is. Note that there is a distinction between strength and persuasiveness, which arises from the fact that we are not perfect reasoning machines. Our psychology is riddled with cognitive biases. Some arguments can be incredibly persuasive yet deeply flawed. Persuasion, alas, is subjective and so some people can be persuaded by weak arguments. I was and still am one of those people, though I try not to be. You might be as well. So I want you to think of our training for this test as an attempt to bring into alignment strong arguments and persuasive arguments. Many questions on the test will try to persuade us with weak or, worse still, flawed arguments. But we will put up a good fight.