Comprehension
Read the following passage and answer the THREE questions that follow.
What I call fast political thinking is driven by simplified moral frames. These moral frames give us the sense that those who agree with us have the right answer, while those who disagree are unreasonable, or worse.
Each moral frame sets up an axis of favorable and unfavorable. Progressives use the oppressoroppressed axis. Progressives view most favorably those groups that can be regarded as oppressed or standing with the oppressed, and they view most unfavorably those groups that can be regarded as oppressors. Conservatives use the civilization-barbarism axis. Conservatives view most favorably the institutions that they believe constrain and guide people toward civilized behavior, and they view most unfavorably those people who they see as trying to tear down such institutions. Libertarians use the liberty-coercion axis. Libertarians view most favorably those people who defer to decisions that are made on the basis of personal choice and voluntary agreement, and they view most unfavorably those people who favor government interventions that restrict personal choice.
If you have a dominant axis, I suggest that you try to learn the languages spoken by those who use the other axes. Don’t worry—learning other languages won’t make it easy for others to convert you to their point of view. By the same token, it will not make it easy to convert others to your point of view. However, you may become aware of assumptions your side makes that others might legitimately question.
What learning the other languages can do is enable you to understand how others think about political issues. Instead of resorting to the theory that people with other views are crazy or stupid or evil, you may concede that they have a coherent point of view. In fact, their point of view could be just as coherent as yours. The problem is that those people apply their point of view in circumstances where you are fairly sure that it is not really appropriate. Consider that there may be situations in which one frame describes the problem much better than the others. For example, I believe that the civil rights movement in the United States is best described using the progressive heuristic of the oppressed and the oppressor. In the 1950s and the early 1960s, the people who had the right model were the people who were fighting for black Americans to have true voting rights, equal access to housing, and an end to the Jim Crow laws. The civilization-barbarism axis and the liberty-coercion axis did not provide the best insight into the issue….
What I call fast political thinking is driven by simplified moral frames. These moral frames give us the sense that those who agree with us have the right answer, while those who disagree are unreasonable, or worse.
Each moral frame sets up an axis of favorable and unfavorable. Progressives use the oppressoroppressed axis. Progressives view most favorably those groups that can be regarded as oppressed or standing with the oppressed, and they view most unfavorably those groups that can be regarded as oppressors. Conservatives use the civilization-barbarism axis. Conservatives view most favorably the institutions that they believe constrain and guide people toward civilized behavior, and they view most unfavorably those people who they see as trying to tear down such institutions. Libertarians use the liberty-coercion axis. Libertarians view most favorably those people who defer to decisions that are made on the basis of personal choice and voluntary agreement, and they view most unfavorably those people who favor government interventions that restrict personal choice.
If you have a dominant axis, I suggest that you try to learn the languages spoken by those who use the other axes. Don’t worry—learning other languages won’t make it easy for others to convert you to their point of view. By the same token, it will not make it easy to convert others to your point of view. However, you may become aware of assumptions your side makes that others might legitimately question.
What learning the other languages can do is enable you to understand how others think about political issues. Instead of resorting to the theory that people with other views are crazy or stupid or evil, you may concede that they have a coherent point of view. In fact, their point of view could be just as coherent as yours. The problem is that those people apply their point of view in circumstances where you are fairly sure that it is not really appropriate. Consider that there may be situations in which one frame describes the problem much better than the others. For example, I believe that the civil rights movement in the United States is best described using the progressive heuristic of the oppressed and the oppressor. In the 1950s and the early 1960s, the people who had the right model were the people who were fighting for black Americans to have true voting rights, equal access to housing, and an end to the Jim Crow laws. The civilization-barbarism axis and the liberty-coercion axis did not provide the best insight into the issue….
Question: 1
Which of the following BEST describes the civilization-barbarism axis?
Which of the following BEST describes the civilization-barbarism axis?
Updated On: Dec 5, 2024
- The way we are trained to behave affects our peace in life.
- Some people are barbaric and should be restrained from public life.
- It is how you behave, not who you are, that makes you acceptable.
- Government should play a very heavy role in maintaining law and order.
- Every society has to have a harmonious mix of civilized and the barbaric for it to survive.
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The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understand the concept of the civilization-barbarism axis.
This axis focuses on the behavior and guidance provided by institutions that constrain individuals and ensure civilized conduct, which is distinct from barbarism.
Step 2: Evaluate the options.
- Option 1: Training impacts peace but doesn't capture the essence of the axis.
- Option 2: Restraining barbaric behavior is important but doesn't fully explain the framework.
- Option 3: Correctly emphasizes behavior over identity, which aligns with the axis's principle.
- Option 4: Highlights law and order but doesn't fully define the civilization-barbarism framework.
- Option 5: While harmony is significant, it doesn't address the key aspect of behavior.
Final Answer: (3)
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Question: 2
Which of the following BEST explains the author’s usage of the term moral frames?
Which of the following BEST explains the author’s usage of the term moral frames?
Updated On: Dec 5, 2024
- The frames give those who believe in them the right to question others’ behaviours.
- The frames define what the believer believes as right or wrong.
- A frame is a belief and cannot be rationally explained.
- What is right to the believer is wrong to those who do not share that belief.
- It makes easy for the believer to declare others as wrong.
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understand moral frames.
Moral frames define a set of beliefs that guide an individual's understanding of right and wrong.
Step 2: Evaluate the options.
- Option 1: Frames provide guidance but do not focus on questioning others.
- Option 2: Correctly identifies frames as defining right and wrong for the believer.
- Option 3: Frames can be rationalized, contrary to the statement.
- Option 4: Addresses conflicts but doesn't fully define moral frames.
- Option 5: Frames simplify judgment but are not limited to declaring others wrong.
Final Answer: (2)
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Question: 3
Which of the following can BEST be concluded from the above passage?
Which of the following can BEST be concluded from the above passage?
Updated On: Dec 5, 2024
- Knowing why you think the way you think, enables you to understand others’ perspectives.
- Most controversial issues in the world can be simplified into three axes.
- The assumptions we hold leads to our dominant axis.
- Issues can be solved by looking at them from the right axis and questioning the assumptions.
- Most problems in the world are because of applying the wrong axis to a particular problem.
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The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Analyze the author's argument.
The author emphasizes understanding different moral frames to comprehend how others perceive political issues and make decisions.
Step 2: Evaluate the options.
- Option 1: Correctly captures the core message of understanding others' perspectives.
- Option 2: Axes simplify issues but aren't the passage's main conclusion.
- Option 3: Highlights assumptions but doesn't provide the best conclusion.
- Option 4: Reflects the application of axes but misses the broader understanding.
- Option 5: Overemphasizes the role of axes in causing problems.
Final Answer: (1)
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