Directions for the following 3 (Three) items:

Read the following passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers to these items should be based on the passage only.

Passage 1

Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud agreed that the roots of war were to be found in an elemental instinct for aggression and destruction. Einstein thought that ‘man has in him an active instinct for hatred and destruction‘, and Freud believed he had identified a ‘death instinct‘ which manifested itself in homicide and suicide. Edward Wilson in ‘On Human Nature‘ argued that “we tend to fear deeply the actions of strangers and to solve conflict by aggression”. On the other hand, peace is not a panacea in which all human antagonisms are resolved. Peace is simply the absence of war, not the absence of conflict. Though peace and war are usually regarded as opposites, there is a sense in which both are aspects of the conflict that is endemic in all social life.

11. Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

1. The varying perspectives of Einstein, Freud and Wilson assumed to point towards a fundamental, inherent human predisposition towards war.

2. Peace is an artificial state that temporarily suppresses the natural state of 'endemic conflict,' which always tends towards 'war.'

3. Eradication of all forms of conflict and antagonism, is an unattainable ideal.

Which of the assumptions given above are valid?

(a) 3 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 1, 2 and 3

(d) 1 and 3 only

Question

Directions for the following 3 (Three) items:

Read the following passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers to these items should be based on the passage only.

Passage 1

Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud agreed that the roots of war were to be found in an elemental instinct for aggression and destruction. Einstein thought that &lsquo;man has in him an active instinct for hatred and destruction&lsquo;, and Freud believed he had identified a &lsquo;death instinct&lsquo; which manifested itself in homicide and suicide. Edward Wilson in &lsquo;On Human Nature&lsquo; argued that &ldquo;we tend to fear deeply the actions of strangers and to solve conflict by aggression&rdquo;. On the other hand, peace is not a panacea in which all human antagonisms are resolved. Peace is simply the absence of war, not the absence of conflict. Though peace and war are usually regarded as opposites, there is a sense in which both are aspects of the conflict that is endemic in all social life.

11. Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

1. The varying perspectives of Einstein, Freud and Wilson assumed to point towards a fundamental, inherent human predisposition towards war.

2. Peace is an artificial state that temporarily suppresses the natural state of 'endemic conflict,' which always tends towards 'war.' 

3. Eradication of all forms of conflict and antagonism, is an unattainable ideal.

Which of the assumptions given above are valid?

(a) 3 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 1, 2 and 3

(d) 1 and 3 only

ONLiNE UPSC · Accepted Answer

Statement 1 is correct: The passage groups Einstein, Freud and Wilson to support the idea that war's roots lie in "elemental instinct." For their different theories, i.e. hate/destruction, death instinct and fear-driven aggression to all support this common thesis, it must be assumed that these various descriptions, despite their differences, all tap into or represent aspects of a fundamental, deep-seated human inclination towards aggression or destructive acts which can lead to war.

Statement 2 is not correct: This statement is too objective and frames peace negatively and conflict as always leading to war. The passage mentions, &ldquo;Though peace and war are usually regarded as opposites, there is a sense in which both are aspects of the conflict that is endemic in all social life&rdquo;, which suggests that peace and war are both part of conflict that is endemic. While conflict can lead to war, the passage implies conflict can exist even without war, during peace and nowhere suggests that conflict always leads to war. It can also be assumed that many conflicts may be a precursor to peace.

Statement 3 is correct: The passage's mentions, &ldquo;peace is not a panacea in which all human antagonisms are resolved. Peace is simply the absence of war, not the absence of conflict&rdquo;. It leads to this assumption that if conflict is "endemic" and peace is not its absence, then a state completely free of all conflict (true social harmony) seems impossible. However, peace as the absence of war is still distinct and achievable, even if conflict persists in other forms. Thus, efforts to prevent war remain valid, even if achieving a total absence of conflict is unrealistic according to the passage's premises.

Social Sciences

Human Nature and Conflict

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