Q10

[skapur777]

was stuck between B and E here.

I thought personal names was different from family names, in that the former refers to first names and the latter refers to last names? That's why I ruled out E.

Regardless, why isn't B correct? The parents give the child a name in order to reflect their looks and personality. Aren't these social things?

[theaether]

I believe B signifies the alternative method, where names have much more meaning than just "social classification." The name in B would be like the tribes giving a name based on a child's "characteristics" (line 26). There is too much "semantic content" (line 3) in basing it on the child's individual traits to make this one of the original European thinkers' ways.

I got tripped up by the family names vs. personal names too actually. But the key word in the question stem is it's looking for the same function. So the function accorded to personal names in the original view is one of social classification. In E, the function accorded to family names is also social classification. The agent performing the function doesn't matter, the question is looking for the analogous function. I'm sure an answer choice (F) saying that "pet names are derived from what type of animal they are," would be a good answer too. As long as the function is the same.

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

But the key word in the question stem is it's looking for the same function. So the function accorded to personal names in the original view is one of social classification. In E, the function accorded to family names is also social classification. The agent performing the function doesn't matter, the question is looking for the analogous function.

Exactly. Great work theaether!

In case someone might be tempted by one of the other incorrect answers:

(A) presents an impersonal function, but not necessarily one that is social classification.
(B) presents one of the functions attributed to the Hopis. We're looking for the view attributed to Claude Levi-Strauss.
(C) presents a function of honoring someone else.
(D) presents a characteristic of names, rather than any sort of function.