Comprehension

Among those who call themselves socialists, two kinds of persons may be distinguishe(d) There are, in the first place, those whose plans for a new order of society, in which private property and individual competition are to be superseded and other motives to action substituted, are on the scale of a village community or township, and would be applied to an entire country by the multiplication of such self-acting units; of this character are the systems of Owen, of Fourier, and the more thoughtful and philosophic socialists generally. The other class, which is more a product of the continent than of Great Britain and may be called the revolutionary socialists, has people who propose to themselves a much bolder stroke. Their scheme is the management of the whole productive resources of the country by one central authority, the general government. And with this view some of them avow as their purpose that the working classes, or somebody on their behalf, should take possession of all the property of the country, and administer it for the general benefit.
Whatever may be the difficulties of the first of these two forms of socialism, the second must evidently involve the same difficulties and many more. The former, too, has the great advantage that it can be brought into operation progressively, and can prove its capabilities by trial. It can be tried first on a select population and extended to others as their education and cultivation permit. It need not, and in the natural order of things would not, become an engine of subversion until it had shown itself capable of being also a means of reconstruction. It is not so with the other; the aim of that is to substitute the new rule for the old at a single stroke, and to exchange the amount of good realised under the present system, and its large possibilities of improvement, for a plunge without any preparation into the most extreme form of the problem of carrying on the whole round of the operations of social life without the motive power which has always hitherto worked the social machinery. It must be acknowledged that those who would play this game on the strength of their own private opinion, unconfirmed as yet by any experimental verification — who would forcibly deprive all who have now a comfortable physical existence of their only present means of preserving it, and would brave the frightful bloodshed and misery that would ensue if the attempt was resisted — must have a serene confidence in their own wisdom on the one hand and the recklessness of other people’s sufferings on the other, surpassing even that of the Danton and St. Just, hitherto the typical instances of those united attributes, scarcely came up to.
Nevertheless this scheme has great elements of popularity because the nature and reasonable form of socialism has not; because what it professes to do, it promises to do quickly, and holds out hope to the enthusiastic of seeing the whole of their aspirations realised in their own time and at a blow.

Question: 1

Who among the following is not a socialist?

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When answering “Who is not” type questions, identify whether each option is explicitly included in the category in the passage. Even a prominent historical figure may be excluded if not mentioned in the relevant group.
Updated On: Aug 6, 2025
  • Robespierre
  • Fourier
  • Owen
  • All are socialists
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

From the passage, Owen and Fourier are explicitly mentioned as examples of the first category of socialists — the thoughtful and philosophic socialists. Robespierre, however, is not categorized as a socialist; rather, he was a revolutionary leader during the French Revolution and is cited here indirectly only as a figure with certain characteristics (like unconcern for others’ suffering and confidence in his own wisdom) to draw a parallel with St. Just. Thus, Robespierre does not fall into the socialist classification in the author’s explanation, making him the one who is not a socialist.
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Question: 2

Which of the following, according to the author, is true?

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Pay close attention to comparative language in the passage such as “and many more” or “less than,” as these provide direct clues for comparison-based questions.
Updated On: Aug 6, 2025
  • The second form of socialism has more difficulties than the first.
  • The second form of socialism has the same difficulties as the first.
  • The second form of socialism has less difficulties than the first.
  • The author has not compared the difficulties of the two.
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

The author states clearly that “Whatever may be the difficulties of the first of these two forms of socialism, the second must evidently involve the same difficulties and many more.” This indicates that the second form inherits all of the first’s challenges and adds extra complications due to its abrupt, large-scale implementation without progressive trial. Hence, the statement that it has “more difficulties than the first” is correct.
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Question: 3

According to the author, the difference between the two kinds of socialists is that

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Look for contrast words like “in contrast,” “on the other hand,” or “it is not so with” to identify key differences between compared items in a passage.
Updated On: Aug 6, 2025
  • one consists of thinkers and the others are active people.
  • the first have a definite philosophy and the second don’t have any definite philosophy.
  • the first believe in gradual change while the others believe in revolutionary change.
  • the first are the products of Britain, while the others are products of Russi(a)
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

The first category of socialists proposes gradual, progressive implementation — starting small and expanding as education and culture permit. The second category, however, plans a “bold stroke” — an immediate, nationwide implementation by central authority. This is essentially a revolutionary approach. Therefore, the key distinguishing factor is the gradualism of the first versus the revolutionary immediacy of the secon(d)
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Question: 4

Which of the following were characteristics of St. Just and Robespierre?

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When two traits are explicitly linked to a person or group in a passage, both must be selected if the question asks for “which of the following” includes all correct traits.
Updated On: Aug 6, 2025
  • Unconcern for other’s suffering
  • Full confidence in their own wisdom
  • Both (a) and (b)
  • Neither (a) nor (b)
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

The author mentions that those who adopt the second form of socialism without verification “must have… the recklessness of other people’s sufferings… and a serene confidence in their own wisdom… surpassing even that of Danton and St. Just.” This directly attributes both traits — unconcern for suffering and overconfidence — to St. Just (and similarly to Robespierre), making option (c) correct.
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Question: 5

Which of the following according to the author, may not be the result of not verifying the desirability of socialism experimentally first?

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Exclude answers that are not directly supported by explicit statements in the passage, even if they seem logically possible in real life.
Updated On: Aug 6, 2025
  • Bloodshed
  • Deprivation of current comfortable existence
  • Corruption in high places
  • Misery caused by resisting the change
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

The passage lists possible consequences of attempting to implement the second form of socialism without trial: forcible deprivation of current comfort, bloodshed, and misery if resiste(d) Corruption in high places, however, is not mentioned as a direct result of such an attempt, making it the correct choice here.
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Question: 6

According to the philosophy of revolutionary socialism,

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Focus on the defining action in the philosophy describe(d) Revolutionary socialism is characterized by sudden, complete takeover rather than gradual change.
Updated On: Aug 6, 2025
  • the government takes over the villages first, and then gradually the whole country.
  • the government takes over all productive resources of the country at one stroke.
  • the government declares a police state and rules by decree.
  • there is no government as such: the people rule themselves by the socialist doctrine.
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

Revolutionary socialism, as described in the passage, involves the management of all productive resources by one central authority, with the aim of replacing the old system in one swift move. This matches option (b) precisely.
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Question: 7

The word ‘avow’ in the context of the passage means

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Context is key in vocabulary questions — check surrounding words and the tone of the statement to choose the closest meaning.
Updated On: Aug 6, 2025
  • proclaim
  • vow
  • affirm
  • deny
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

In the sentence, “some of them avow as their purpose…”, the word ‘avow’ means to openly state or declare something publicly and confidently. In this context, “proclaim” is the closest synonym.
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Question: 8

It may be inferred from the passage that the author’s sympathies are for

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When inferring author’s sympathies, look for positive adjectives, favorable descriptions, and constructive suggestions linked to a particular side.
Updated On: Aug 6, 2025
  • neither side.
  • the side of the socialist doctrine.
  • the second type of socialism.
  • the first type of socialism.
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

The author favors the first type of socialism, noting its gradual, testable approach and its ability to be expanded progressively. The second type is criticized for being reckless and unverified, potentially leading to great harm. This shows clear sympathy for the first type.
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