You start analyzing things and seeing flaws EVERYWHERE!
I "suffer" from this, and so do my students.
After I recommended that above-linked law school guide to one student, he started analyzing a totally random statement in the guide's introduction!
What he wrote:
Here's what I read in the first paragraph of the introduction: "Information is not knowledge. Only organized and contextualized data can provide meaningful information."
At first glance, I wondered if it wouldn't have been better to start with "Knowledge is not information," and then go on to explain that the only way to get meaningful information is by finding organized and contextualized data. But now it occurs to me, maybe saying "Knowledge is not information" is structurally the same as saying "Information is not knowledge."
My response:
Their sentence and yours are structurally the same!
If it's information, then it's not knowledge.
( I ---> NOT K )
Contrapositive:
If it's knowledge, then it's not information.
( K ---> NOT I )
Therefore, the two are not equivalent.
However, these first two sentences suggest something slightly more complicated.
What the authors really mean (in context) is that information ALONE isn't sufficient to be "knowledge."
The authors suggest that data equals information - although they don't explicitly say this. Thus, it's an unstated, but required, assumption.
They say that data/information must be organized and contextualized in order to be meaningful.
The authors suggest meaningful information is equivalent to knowledge. This is another large missing assumption that must be true in order for the argument to work.
***
So, if this is the kinda thing you've started doing with completely random sentences...
That's what I like to see!
If you can dissect something even as dry as this, you're on your way to rocking the LSAT :)
For more on conditionals, contrapositives, etc., check out this article I wrote containing everything you need to know:
Conditional Reasoning: Contrapositive, Mistaken Reversal, Mistaken Negation
-Steve
Recommended Resources:
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2. Logical Reasoning Explanations
The explanations that should have come with the LSAT. These don't just fall back on "out of scope," but actually tell you why the wrong answers are wrong, why the right answers are right, and the easiest way to get the correct answer.
3. Logical Reasoning Cheat Sheet
Based on what I'd typically do in college: read what the professor emphasized and condense it all onto a single piece of paper. It gave me a quick reference, making things a lot less threatening and a lot more manageable.
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