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Master LSAT principle questions that ask you to identify, apply, or justify broad rules with clarity and confidence.
Principle questions are found in the Logical Reasoning section of the LSAT. They ask you to identify or apply a general rule or moral guideline that either justifies an argument or conforms to a specific situation. These questions test your ability to reason abstractly and match patterns of logic across different contexts.
To approach principle questions with confidence and score high on the LSAT, start by recognizing key phrases in the question stem. Common wording includes:
Once you've identified the question as a principle type, break down the stimulus to uncover its core structure. Ask yourself:
Next, abstract the rule. Imagine what general principle would either justify the reasoning in the argument or apply to the specific case. This requires moving beyond the details and thinking in broader terms.
Finally, match the logic; don’t stretch it. The correct answer will:
Principle questions reward clear thinking and pattern recognition. With practice, you'll start to see the underlying structures faster and with more confidence.
Here are five sample Principle questions with a detailed explanation for each answer.
“Ethicist: The most advanced kind of moral motivation is based solely on abstract principles. This form of motivation is in contrast with calculated self-interest or the desire to adhere to societal norms and conventions.”
The actions of which one of the following individuals exhibit the most advanced kind of moral motivation, as described by the ethicist?
(A) Bobby contributed money to a local charity during a charity drive at work because he
worried that not doing so would make him look stingy.
(B) Wes contributed money to a local charity during a charity drive at work because he believed that doing so would improve his employer’s opinion of him.
(C) Donna’s employers engaged in an illegal but profitable practice that caused serious damage to the environment. Donna did not report this practice to the authorities, out of fear that her employers would retaliate against her.
(D) Jadine’s employers engaged in an illegal but profitable practice that caused serious damage to the environment. Jadine reported this practice to the authorities out of a belief that protecting the environment is always more important than monetary profit.
(E) Leigh’s employers engaged in an illegal but profitable practice that caused serious damage to the environment. Leigh reported this practice to the authorities only because several colleagues had been pressuring her to do so.
Answer:
A. Bobby acted out of a desire to follow social norms.
B. Wes’s actions were driven by self-interest. He aimed to gain favor with his employer.
C. Donna was motivated by self-preservation; she wanted to avoid negative consequences.
D. Correct. Jadine acted on a moral principle. She was guided by a commitment to environmental protection, not by personal gain or social conformity.
E. Leigh made the right choice, but her motive wasn’t ideal. She acted due to social pressure rather than personal conviction.
“Car companies solicit consumer information on such human factors as whether a seat is comfortable or whether a set of controls is easy to use. However, designer interaction with consumers is superior to survey data; the data may tell the designer why a feature on last year’s model was given a low rating, but data will not explain how that feature needs to be changed in order to receive a higher rating.”
The reasoning above conforms most closely to which one of the following propositions?
(A) Getting consumer input for design modifications can contribute to successful product design.
(B) Car companies traditionally conduct extensive postmarket surveys.
(C) Designers aim to create features that will appeal to specific market niches.
(D) A car will have unappealing features if consumers are not consulted during its design stage.
(E) Consumer input affects external rather than internal design components of cars.
Answer:
A. Correct. This choice supports the idea that design interaction, where consumers provide input on potential changes, leads to better products. Unlike surveys, which only reveal what consumers disliked after the fact, design interaction allows consumers to actively shape the design alongside the designer.
B. This option merely states what companies typically do, not what they should do. The argument is about the effectiveness of different approaches, and current practices might not be the best ones.
C. While this describes what designers aim to achieve, the stimulus is concerned with how to help designers reach those goals. This option doesn’t address the practical methods discussed.
D. This answer goes too far by claiming that consumer input is always necessary to avoid unappealing cars. The stimulus only shows that some features were poorly rated without consumer involvement, not that appealing results are impossible without it. The evidence doesn’t justify such an absolute statement.
E. The distinction between internal and external consumers isn’t mentioned in the stimulus and isn’t relevant to the argument. This choice introduces an unnecessary distinction.
“Principle: The executive in a given company whose compensation package is determined by advice of an external consultant is likely to be overcompensated if the consultant also has business interests with the company the executive manages.”
Which one of the following judgments conforms most closely to the principle stated above?
(A) The president of the Troskco Corporation is definitely overpaid, since he receives in salary and benefits almost 40 times more than the average employee of Troskco receives.
(B) The president of the Troskco Corporation is probably overpaid, since his total annual
compensation package was determined five years ago, when the company’s profits were at an all-time high.
(C) The president of the Troskco Corporation is probably not overpaid, since his total
compensation package was determined by the Troskco board of directors without retaining the services of an external compensation consultant.
(D) The president of Troskco Corporation is probably overpaid, since the Troskco board of directors determined his compensation by following the advice of an external consultant who has many other contracts with Troskco.
(E) The president of Troskco Corporation is definitely not overpaid, since the external consultant the board of directors retained to advise on executive salaries has no other
contracts with Troskco.
Answer:
A. This option misapplies the principle. The principle doesn’t allow us to definitively conclude that an executive is overpaid, only that they are probably overpaid under certain conditions. So this answer starts off with a flawed conclusion.
B. While this answer begins correctly, it fails to include the key detail that triggers the principle: the salary must be set by a consultant with business ties to the company. Without that condition, the conclusion isn’t supported.
C. The principle does not support the conclusion that someone is “probably not overpaid.” It only tells us when someone is probably overpaid. This answer tries to infer the opposite, which isn’t warranted.
D. Correct. This choice applies the principle accurately. It includes the required condition (a consultant with business interests determining salary) and correctly concludes that the executive is probably overpaid.
E. Like C, this answer draws a stronger conclusion than the principle allows. We can’t say someone is not overpaid—only that they’re probably overpaid if certain conditions are met.
“Critic: The criticism of the popular film comedy Quirks for not being realistic is misguided. It is certainly true that the characters are too stylized to be real people. That could be problematic, but in this case the resulting film is funny. And that is the important thing for a comedy.”
Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the reasoning in the critic’s argument?
(A) Films should be judged on how well they accurately capture the world.
(B) Films are successful as long as they are popular.
(C) Film comedies should find their humor in their stylistic portrayals.
(D) Films are successful if they succeed within their genre.
(E) Films should try to stay entirely within a single genre.
Answer:
A. This weakens the argument by emphasizing that Quirks is unrealistic. Since the author defends the film despite its lack of realism, pointing this out undermines their position.
B. While the film’s popularity might make this answer tempting, it misses the point. The argument isn’t based on Quirks being popular, it’s based on it being funny. Popularity alone doesn’t support the reasoning the author used.
C. This also fails to support the author's reasoning. The argument hinges on humor being the film’s strength. If anything, the stylized characters might be seen as a flaw, made acceptable only because the film is genuinely funny.
D. Correct. This directly supports the author’s reasoning. Since Quirks is a comedy and it succeeds at being funny, that justifies not criticizing it for being unrealistic. It aligns perfectly with the argument's main point.
E. Although it claims Quirks was a successful comedy, it doesn't directly address the author's point about realism. Whether or not it stayed within a single genre doesn’t help strengthen the argument that its unrealistic elements are acceptable.
“Residents of a coastal community are resisting the efforts of one family to build a large house on the family’s land. Although the house would not violate any town codes, the land in question is depicted in a painting by a famous and beloved landscape painter who recently died. Residents argue that the house would alter the pristine landscape and hence damage the community’s artistic and historic heritage.”
Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the reasoning of the residents opposed to building the house?
(A) Every possible effort should be made to preserve historic buildings that are well known and well loved.
(B) Communities that seek to preserve undeveloped areas of landscape or historic neighborhoods should purchase those properties for the public trust.
(C) Artists who choose to represent actual landscapes in their paintings have the right to demand that the owners of the land represented do not significantly alter the landscape.
(D) The right to build on one’s own property is constrained by the artistic and historical interests of the community at large.
(E) In historic communities, the building and zoning regulations should prohibit construction that obstructs access to historic sites.
Answer:
A. The passage isn’t about preserving an existing historic building, it’s about stopping a new one from being constructed.
B. This option suggests the community should purchase the land, which misses the point. The argument is that the community should have influence over land use even without owning it.
C. This principle implies the artist could ask the owner not to build, but since the artist has passed away, it doesn’t apply here.
D. Correct. This supports the idea that the community’s historical and artistic interests can limit the property owner’s right to build, aligning with the argument.
E. This discusses what the law should be, but the passage notes that no law currently prohibits the construction. It doesn’t help justify why the owner shouldn’t build.
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Reviewed by:
Tamara Rogers-Gant, J.D., LL.M.
Senior Law School Admissions Advisor, Washington University School of Law
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