The nature of knowledge cannot survive unchanged within this context of general transformation. It can fit into the new channels, and become operational, only if learning is translated into quantities of information.We can predict that anything in the constituted body of knowledge that is not translatable in this way will be abandoned and that the direction of new research will be dictated by the possibility of its eventual results being translatable into computer language. The “producers” and users of knowledge must know, and will have to, possess the means of translating into these languages whatever they want to invent or learn. Research on translating machines is already well advanced. Along with the hegemony of computers comes a certain logic, and therefore a certain set of prescriptions determining which statements are accepted as “knowledge” statements.We may thus expect a thorough exteriorisation of knowledge with respect to the “knower,”at whatever point he or she may occupy in the knowledge process. The old principle that the acquisition of knowledge is indissociable from the training (Bildung) of minds, or even of individuals, is becoming obsolete and will become ever more so. The relationships of the suppliers and users of knowledge to the knowledge they supply and use is now tending, and will increasingly tend, to assume the form already taken by the relationship of commodity producers and consumers to the commodities they produce and consume - that is, the form of value. Knowledge is and will be produced in order to be sold, it is and will be consumed in order to be valorised in a new production: in both cases, the goal is exchange.
Knowledge ceases to be an end in itself, it loses its “use-value.”
Which of the following statements BEST captures the essence of the passage?
- Knowledge shall no longer be evaluated by its truth but its commercial value.
- Translation of knowledge into machine language exteriorises it.
- Suppliers and users of knowledge have become its producers and consumers.
- Knowledge shall be exclusively produced to be sold.
- Market forces have taken over the process of knowledge production.
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
- The adaptation of knowledge into computer-readable formats implies that parts of knowledge not adaptable will be neglected.
- The transformation of knowledge into machine languages indicates its externalization from the human knower.
- The relationship between producers and consumers of knowledge now mirrors that of commodities, emphasizing value-based exchange.
- Knowledge's worth is appraised based on its commercial value rather than its intrinsic truth.
- The ultimate goal of knowledge production becomes its exchange and commercialization.
Based on the passage, which of the following statements can be BEST inferred?
- For knowledge to acquire an exchange-value, it should cease to have a use-value.
- Acquisition of knowledge need no longer transform its recipient.
- The locus of creation and accumulation of knowledge has shifted.
- Knowledge as a transactional commodity is indispensable to productive power.
- Mental discipline is not necessary for learning anymore.
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
- The passage describes a shift towards the exteriorisation of knowledge, emphasizing its dissociation from the individual's training (Bildung).
- Translation into computer language is highlighted, indicating that knowledge must be operational and measurable rather than transformative or deeply personal.
- The commodification of knowledge into something to be sold and consumed like any other commodity further supports the idea of knowledge being less about personal transformation and more about exchange or value generation.
- The passage directly mentions that the old principle of knowledge acquisition, being tied to individual training, is becoming obsolete.
Which of the following options will the author agree the MOST with?
- A daughter of a lawyer must become a lawyer.
- A person with no passion for singing,if trained, will sing perfectly.
- To get promoted,an unempathetic manager can learn to display empathy.
- To teach poetry,one must not be a poet.
- MBA program has a high exchange-value but zero use-value.
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
The passage discusses the transformation of knowledge in the context of technological advancement and commodification. It highlights how knowledge that cannot be translated into informational quantities risks obsolescence. As a result, learning and research are increasingly dictated by their translatability into computer languages, emphasizing operational knowledge over traditional Bildung, or the cultivation of individuals. This change mirrors the relationship between commodity producers and consumers, where knowledge is produced and sold for exchange-value rather than for inherent use-value.
The passage indicates a shift away from intrinsic values traditionally associated with knowledge—such as personal growth or intellectual enrichment—towards its instrumental or exchange value. The focus is on the ability to adapt and operationalize knowledge within new technological frameworks.
Among the options, "To get promoted, an unempathetic manager can learn to display empathy." aligns most closely with the passage's theme. It exemplifies the notion of acquiring skills (or externalizing knowledge) for pragmatic, exchange-driven purposes (promotion), rather than for intrinsic development. This reflects the passage's depiction of knowledge as a commodity valued for its utility in advancing specific aims, resonating with the idea of adapting one's skills to meet external demands.
Top Questions on Reading Comprehension
As of 2009, there are 890 World Heritage Sites that are located in 148 countries (map). 689 of these sites are cultural and include places like the Sydney Opera House in Australia and the Historic Center of Vienna in Austria. 176 are natural and feature such locations as the U.S.’s Yellowstone and Grand Canyon National Parks. 25 of the World Heritage Sites are considered mixed i.e. natural and cultural Peru’s Machu Picchu is one of these. Italy has the highest number of World Heritage Sites with 44. India has 36 (28 cultural, 7 natural and 1 mixed) World Heritage Sites. The World Heritage Committee has divided the world’s countries into five geographic zones which include (1) Africa, (2) Arab States, (3) Asia Pacific (including Australia and Oceania), (4) Europe and North America and (5) Latin America and the Caribbean.
WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN DANGER
Like many natural, historic and cultural sites around the world, many World Heritage Sites are in danger of being destroyed or lost due to war, poaching, natural disasters like earthquakes, uncontrolled urbanization, heavy tourist traffic and environmental factors like air pollution and acid rain.- Maharashtra Class X Board - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
- I give the biggest credit of this honour to my movement’s Kaalu Kumar, Dhoom Das and Adarsh Kishore from India and Iqbal Masih from Pakistan who made the supreme sacrifice for protect ing the freedom and dignity of children. I humbly accept this award on behalf of all such martyrs, my fellow activists across the world and my countrymen. My journey from the great land of Lord Buddha, Guru Nanak and Mahatma Gandhi; India to Norway is a connect between the two centres of global peace and brotherhood, ancient and modern. Friends, the Nobel Committee has generously invited me to present a “lecture.” Respectfully, I am unable to do that. Because, I am representing here — the sound of silence. The cry of innocence. And, the face of invisibility. I represent millions of those children who are left behind and that’s why I have kept an empty chair here as a reminder. I have come here only to share the voices and dreams of our children– because they are all our children– (gesture to everyone in the audience). I have looked into their frightened and exhausted eyes. I have held their injured bodies and felt their broken spirits.
- Maharashtra Class X Board - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
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- Maharashtra Class X Board - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
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- Maharashtra Class X Board - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
- Complete the concluding sentence of the following paragraph with one of the options given below. In the 1960s, Jane Goodall observed chimpanzees removing termites from hides with stripped twigs. Initially, researchers were unable to determine whether the animals viewed a group of tasks as a single problem requiring a general tool set or used individual tools to solve specific tasks. The question was finally resolved when chimps were observed selecting tools to carry with them in anticipation of particular difficulties. Research, therefore, concluded that not only are chimpanzees capable of using tools in a sophisticated way, but they ________________
- CUET (PG) - 2025
- General Management
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