Scientific and Ethical Passages

Some of the most intellectually demanding LNAT passages sit at the intersection of science and ethics. These passages ask questions such as: Should we permit genetic editing of human embryos? Is animal experimentation justified? How should governments respond to climate change? They require you to interpret scientific arguments presented for a general audience and to evaluate ethical reasoning — without any specialist knowledge.

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What Makes These Passages Distinctive

Scientific and ethical passages combine two types of reasoning:

Reasoning Type	What It Involves	Example
Empirical reasoning	Claims about what is the case, based on evidence and observation	"Studies show that vaccine hesitancy is correlated with exposure to misinformation on social media."
Ethical reasoning	Claims about what ought to be the case, based on values and principles	"Governments have a duty to protect public health, even if this means restricting individual choice."