Q25 - The argument uses which one

[martintp]

Can someone help me go through this problem and help me understand why C is correct? are the two institution talking about servitude vs taxation?

Also on problem 26. I was able to get A by successfully eliminating the other ones but I am still have a tough time understanding what the answer really means.

[timmydoeslsat]

Can someone help me go through this problem and help me understand why C is correct? are the two institution talking about servitude vs taxation?

Also on problem 26. I was able to get A by successfully eliminating the other ones but I am still have a tough time understanding what the answer really means.

I will first go over #25. Good job by the way on using process of elimination on #26, that can be a valid way of answering a question!

I would say that the two institutions are government and involuntary servitude. Each forces a laborer to work for another's purpose.

The author then concludes that since involuntary servitude is pernicious (harming), so is taxing earnings from laborers.

So the core of this argument can be seen:

Practice A has a similar characteristic of Practice B
+
Practice B is harmful, therefore Practice A is harmful too.
-------> Therefore....
Government has no right to tax earning from labor.

(This also includes #26)

I would argue that most of the time on the LSAT, the flaw is found from premises to the conclusion only, while this one has that aspect, but also an error in reasoning within a premise!

Just because something is similar to another does NOT give you the right to conclude what the action is overall compared to another action overall.

Two acts may have a common bad component like burning of fossil fuels lets say. But one act may be just joyriding in a Hummer while the other one is a space mission to find other resources for human consumption on others planets. You see how we cannot simply isolate common factors and conclude something about the action overall from another?