UPSC Prelims 2021 CSAT Paper II · Q34 of 79 Comprehension medium

Passage

Passage - 4 Aristocratic government ruins itself by limiting too narrowly the circle within which power is confined; oligarchic government ruins itself by the incautious scramble for immediate wealth. But even democracy ruins itself by excess of democracy. Its basic principle is the equal right of all to hold office and determine public policy. This is, at first glance, a delightful arrangement; it becomes disastrous because the people are not properly equipped by education to select the best rulers and the wisest courses. The people have no understanding and only repeat what their rulers are pleased to tell them. Such a democracy is tyranny or autocracy. — Plato

Which one of the following statements best reflects the crux of the passage given above ?

  1. (a) Human societies experiment with different forms of governments.
  2. (b) Any form of government tends to deteriorate by excess of its basic principle. ✓ UPSC's answer
  3. (c) Education of all citizens ensures a perfect, functional and sustainable democracy.
  4. (d) Having a government is a necessary evil because tyranny is inherent in any form of government.

Why the answer is (b)

• The passage begins by stating that aristocratic government ruins itself by limiting power too narrowly, which is an excess of its defining characteristic.

• It continues by noting that oligarchic government ruins itself through an incautious scramble for wealth, which is an excess of its basic drive.

• The text then argues that democracy ruins itself by an 'excess of democracy' because the people lack the education to select the best rulers, leading to tyranny.

• By listing these three specific examples, the author illustrates a general pattern where each form of government fails due to the overextension or misuse of its fundamental principle.

• Therefore, the central argument is that any form of government tends to deteriorate when its basic principle is taken to an extreme or excess.

Why the other options are wrong

(a) Human societies experiment with different forms of governments.
The passage does not focus on the experimentation of societies with different forms but rather on the specific mechanisms of self-destruction for each form.
(c) Education of all citizens ensures a perfect, functional and sustainable democracy.
The passage states that the lack of education makes democracy disastrous, but it does not claim that education alone ensures a perfect, functional, and sustainable democracy.
(d) Having a government is a necessary evil because tyranny is inherent in any form of…
The passage argues that democracy can become tyranny due to a lack of education, not that tyranny is inherently present in all forms of government as a necessary evil.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2021, held on 10 October 2021. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

Reading the answer is not the same as getting it right under a clock. Practise this question with UPSC's negative marking, and anything you miss goes into an error notebook until you get it right twice.

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