Logical Reasoning · Principle

PrepTest 130 · Section 1 · Question 21

Phase 1 (your first ~400 questions): read the guidance, then answer. No clock.

Step 1 · Pre-Question Guidance · read this first

Question type

Principle (apply)

The one idea it tests

Being allowed to do something does not make it a good thing to do.

The basic logic

The principle has two halves. Half one: people should be free to do X. Half two: that freedom does not make every use of it okay, especially using it to cash in on bad tastes. The right judgment keeps BOTH halves: no rule against it, but still not right.

Tiny words that decide it

“although”
“does not mean”
“complete”

Playground logic

Ms. Rivera says kids are free to trade cards however they like, but that freedom doesn't make it okay to trick little kids out of their best cards for profit. The boss idea has two parts: allowed, yet not okay. A matching judgment must keep both parts.

Step 2 · The kid story

The Card Trading Rule

Card trading is a big deal at Tommy's school. Ms. Rivera made a rule: 'No grown-up will ban trades. You can trade any card for any card.' Tommy grins. Then he starts a business. He hunts for second graders who love shiny cards and trades them a shiny but worthless card for their rare ones. He collects a pile. Lulu marches up with her clipboard. 'Tommy, that's mean.' 'It's allowed!' says Tommy. 'Ms. Rivera said so!' Ms. Rivera appears, as teachers do. 'I did say trades are free, Tommy. And they still are. But free to do it is not the same as right to do it. Getting rich off little kids' love of shiny stuff is still wrong.' Tommy gives the rare cards back. Mostly.

Step 3 · Try the model question

Ms. Rivera: Kids should be totally free to trade any cards they want. But that freedom does not make it okay to profit by taking advantage of kids' silly tastes.

Which judgment best fits Ms. Rivera's principle?

Step 4 · The courtroom tale

The Tattoo Parlor Hearing

A town council lawyer stands up. 'Your Honor, the shop sells silly fake tattoos that make kids act rude. Can we ban it?' The judge shakes her head. 'People are free to sell legal things. No ban.' The shop owner cheers. 'So I did nothing wrong!' The judge raises a finger. 'I did not say that. You are free to sell them. That does not make it right to get rich off kids' worst habits. The law protects your choice. It does not praise it.' The shop owner sits down, much less cheerful.

Step 5 · Work the real question

Open PrepTest 130, Section 1, Question 21 in your official copy from LSAC (for example in LawHub) and read it there.

Your answer

How to apply it

Write the principle as two halves: what should be permitted, and what that permission does not excuse. Read each choice and check both halves. The match will say the activity should not be restricted while still calling the exploitative version wrong. Drop choices that add a restriction, that say freedom excuses everything, or that only talk about the freedom half.