Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the question. PASSAGE: Until very recently, it was universally believed that men are congenitally more intelligent than women; even so enlightened a…
Question and options
Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the question.
PASSAGE: Until very recently, it was universally believed that men are congenitally more intelligent than women; even so enlightened a man as Spinoza decided against votes for women on this ground. Among white men, it is held that white men are by nature superior to black men; in Japan, on the contrary, it is thought that yellow is the best colour. In Haiti, when they make statues of Christ and Satan, they make Christ black and Satan white. Aristotle and Plato considered Greeks so innately superior to barbarians, slavery was justified as long as the master was Greek and the slave barbarian.
PASSAGE: Until very recently, it was universally believed that men are congenitally more intelligent than women; even so enlightened a man as Spinoza decided against votes for women on this ground. Among white men, it is held that white men are by nature superior to black men; in Japan, on the contrary, it is thought that yellow is the best colour. In Haiti, when they make statues of Christ and Satan, they make Christ black and Satan white. Aristotle and Plato considered Greeks so innately superior to barbarians, slavery was justified as long as the master was Greek and the slave barbarian.
Spinoza decided against votes for women because according to him
- they did not deserve to have votes
- they were generally unintelligent
- they were naturally less gifted with intelligence
- they were not trustworthy
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C - they were naturally less gifted with intelligence
Spinoza relied on the belief that men are "congenitally" more intelligent than women, that is, that women were by nature less gifted with intelligence. The passage speaks of an inborn difference, not of women being generally unintelligent, undeserving or untrustworthy.
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CUSAT Three-Year LL.B.
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