Read the following passage carefully and answer the question. If the reason in the region of thought is the aim of science, the rule of equality in the region of behaviour is the aim of democracy.…
Question and options
Read the following passage carefully and answer the question.
If the reason in the region of thought is the aim of science, the rule of equality in the region of behaviour is the aim of democracy. Democracy is not a political arrangement or a form of government. It is a pattern of life, an active conviction which informs and inspires every thought, word and deed. Our present Constitution induces in its more fortunate members far too great readiness to accept privilege as though it were inherent in the social order, as though it were normal and even proper and just.
If we are sincere in our professions of democracy we should not shut our eyes to the most obvious defects of the present social order. A system which does not offer security and decent employment to multitudes of trained young men suffers from fundamental vice. Society is in danger of splitting into pieces if the few who have the benefits of civilisation are not willing to share them with the rest. No state is stable unless it procures for all its members the essentials of a good life. We acknowledge that health is better than disease; sufficiency is better than poverty, shelter is better than cold and exposure, ease of mind better than racking anxiety. It is our duty to obtain these essentials of civilised life for the mass of the population, to work for basic economic justice for all, if necessary by the imposition of higher taxes on incomes, land, value and inheritance. Riches were created by the maker for being spent on social purpose. It was Blackstone not Lenin who wrote: "The law not only regards life and protects every man in enjoyment of it, but also furnishes him with everything necessary for its support. For there is no man so indecent or wretched but that he may demand a supply sufficient for all the necessities of life from the more opulent part of the community."
If the reason in the region of thought is the aim of science, the rule of equality in the region of behaviour is the aim of democracy. Democracy is not a political arrangement or a form of government. It is a pattern of life, an active conviction which informs and inspires every thought, word and deed. Our present Constitution induces in its more fortunate members far too great readiness to accept privilege as though it were inherent in the social order, as though it were normal and even proper and just.
If we are sincere in our professions of democracy we should not shut our eyes to the most obvious defects of the present social order. A system which does not offer security and decent employment to multitudes of trained young men suffers from fundamental vice. Society is in danger of splitting into pieces if the few who have the benefits of civilisation are not willing to share them with the rest. No state is stable unless it procures for all its members the essentials of a good life. We acknowledge that health is better than disease; sufficiency is better than poverty, shelter is better than cold and exposure, ease of mind better than racking anxiety. It is our duty to obtain these essentials of civilised life for the mass of the population, to work for basic economic justice for all, if necessary by the imposition of higher taxes on incomes, land, value and inheritance. Riches were created by the maker for being spent on social purpose. It was Blackstone not Lenin who wrote: "The law not only regards life and protects every man in enjoyment of it, but also furnishes him with everything necessary for its support. For there is no man so indecent or wretched but that he may demand a supply sufficient for all the necessities of life from the more opulent part of the community."
What is the fundamental tenet of democracy according to the author?
- Right to choose representatives
- Right to stand for public offices
- The presence of effective opposition
- The operation of the principle of equality
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D - The operation of the principle of equality
The passage opens by saying the rule of equality in behaviour is the aim of democracy, so the basic tenet is the operation of the principle of equality. The other options are not mentioned.
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