LSAT-26-2-9【good action】

pocahontas

9. Every action has consequences and among the consequences of any action are other actions. And knowing whether an action is good requires knowing whether its consequences are good, but we cannot know the future, so good actions are impossible.

Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?

(A) Some actions have only other actions as consequences.

(B) We can know that past actions were good.

(C) To know that an action is good requires knowing that retaining from performing it is bad.

(D) Only actions can be the consequences of other actions.

(E) For an action to be good we must be able to know that it is good.

key's E.看不懂了。E怎么解决题中的gap的呢？第一句话Every action has consequences and among the consequences of any action are other actions.是什么意思呢？

lawyer_1

knowing whether an action is good requires knowing whether its consequences are good。因为不知道FUTURE（即不知道结果是好的），所以不知道whether an action is good requires 。所以作者推出good actions are impossible。后面两句所以之间的GAP就是E

pocahontas

For an action to be good we must be able to know that it is good.

前面的For。。。是要do an action that is good的意思吗？

Bensontuo

pocahontas 发表于 2004-8-26 19:49
9. Every action has consequences and among the consequences of any action are other actions. And kno ...

Spot the question type : Necessary assumptions

Wether an action is good requires knowing whether its consequences are good.

Apparently, consequences is also the " action " to bring up the other actions, and if don't know about the future, we must don't know the consequences. Meanwhile, Author said that " good actions are impossible "

So, author must assume that If wanting to know whether an action is good, we must know whether the consequences is good. So, If we do not know whether the consequences is good, we must not know whether an action is good, and If we do not know whether an action is good, then good action is impossible.

So, If a good action is possible, we must know whether an action is good ( E )

let's see the answers.

A. Negate it - " No actions have only other actions as consequences, which is to say, Actions must have not only other actions as consequences. but if we do not know about the future, we still can not determine if the action is good or not. ( Not necessary )

B. Negate it - We " can not " know that past actions were good. It does actually support the argument but not refute it.

C. Negate it - To know that an action is good does " not require " knowing that retaining from performing it is bad - ( Not necessary )

D. Negate it - Not only actions can be the consequences of other actions. it looked like the right one; however, if it is still consequences and if we still do know about the future, we can not know whether the good action is impossible or not. ( Not necessary )