LNAT MCQ 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passage argues that legalising a previously illegal activity will reduce its associated harms. The author is implicitly assuming that:
- All illegal activities cause identical harms
- Prohibition is the primary driver of the activity's harms (Correct answer)
- Legalisation always increases participation in the activity
- Criminal penalties are an effective deterrent
Correct answer: Prohibition is the primary driver of the activity's harms
The argument only makes sense if the illegal status itself (not the activity) is the main source of harm.
Question 2: Which of the following would be the STRONGEST evidence that a criminal justice system is failing its rehabilitative purpose?
- High initial conviction rates for first-time offenders
- High recidivism rates among released prisoners (Correct answer)
- Long average sentences for violent crimes
- Low rates of plea bargaining
Correct answer: High recidivism rates among released prisoners
High recidivism — reoffending after release — directly indicates that rehabilitation has not been achieved.
Question 3: A slippery slope argument claims that permitting euthanasia will inevitably lead to the forced killing of the elderly. For this argument to be logically sound, it must establish that:
- Euthanasia is morally wrong in all circumstances
- Each step in the alleged chain of events will necessarily follow from the previous (Correct answer)
- Public opinion opposes euthanasia
- The elderly are a protected class under the law
Correct answer: Each step in the alleged chain of events will necessarily follow from the previous
A slippery slope argument is only valid if a causal chain connecting each step can be demonstrated.
Question 4: An LNAT passage discusses judicial review. The author argues courts should not strike down democratically passed legislation. Which principle does this position most closely align with?
- Parliamentary sovereignty (Correct answer)
- Separation of powers exclusively
- Natural law theory
- Strict legal positivism only
Correct answer: Parliamentary sovereignty
The view that courts should not override democratically enacted laws reflects the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty.
Question 5: A student reads the following: 'If a law is unjust, citizens have a moral right to disobey it.' Which philosopher is most closely associated with this type of civil disobedience argument?
- Jeremy Bentham
- Martin Luther King Jr. / Henry David Thoreau (Correct answer)
- John Austin
- H.L.A. Hart
Correct answer: Martin Luther King Jr. / Henry David Thoreau
Civil disobedience as a moral response to unjust laws was classically articulated by Thoreau and famously practised by Martin Luther King Jr.
Question 6: An essay question prompt asks: 'Should capital punishment be abolished?' The LNAT essay is best approached by:
- Presenting only one side to show commitment
- Demonstrating analytical reasoning with structured argument and acknowledgment of counterpoints (Correct answer)
- Listing as many historical facts as possible
- Writing the longest possible essay to maximise marks
Correct answer: Demonstrating analytical reasoning with structured argument and acknowledgment of counterpoints
LNAT essays reward coherent reasoning, structured argument, and engagement with opposing views.
Question 7: A passage concludes: 'Because Country A has a low crime rate and strict gun control, strict gun control causes low crime rates.' What is the primary weakness of this reasoning?
- The sample size of one country is insufficient to establish causation (Correct answer)
- Gun control laws are always ineffective
- The crime rate data is probably fabricated
- The conclusion is stated too cautiously
Correct answer: The sample size of one country is insufficient to establish causation
Drawing a universal causal conclusion from a single case ignores confounding variables and lacks statistical validity.
LNAT MCQ 4
A passage argues that legalising a previously illegal activity will reduce its associated harms.
The author is implicitly assuming that: