Comprehension : Comprehension

Q 447 / 466

UPSC CSE Prelims 2011

A moral act must be our own act; must spring from our own will. If we act mechanically, these is no moral content in our act. Such action would be moral, If we think it proper to act like a machine and do so. For, in doing so, we use our discrimination. We should bear in mind the distinction between acting mechanically and acting intentionally. It may be moral of a king to pardon a culprit. But the messenger carrying out the order of pardon plays only a mechanical part in the king’s moral act. But if the messenger were to carry out the king’s order considering it to be his duty, his action would be a moral one. How can a man understand morality who does not use his own intelligence and power of thought, but let’s himself be swept along like a log of wood by a current? Sometimes a. man defies convention and acts on his own with a view to absolute good.

The passage contains a statement ‘let’s himself be swept along like a log of wood by a current.’ Among the following statements, which is/are nearest in meaning to this?

  1. A person does not use his own reason.
  2. He is susceptible to influence/pressure.
  3. He cannot withstand difficulties/challenges.
  4. He is like a log of wood.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

EXPLANATION

Correct Option (b)

The phrase "let's himself be swept along like a log of wood by a current" is a metaphor employed in the passage to characterize an individual who fails to exercise independent thought and moral agency. This implies the following:

  • A person does not use his own reason (Statement 1): The passage explicitly contrasts being swept along with using one's own intelligence and power of thought, directly correlating the metaphor with a lack of independent reasoning.
  • He is susceptible to influence/pressure (Statement 2): A log carried by a current is passively moved by external forces, signifying an individual who lacks self-direction and is easily swayed or pressured by circumstances or others, rather than acting based on their own will or judgment.

Incorrect Options:

  • Statement 3: He cannot withstand difficulties/challenges. This interpretation is not aligned with the context of the passage. The metaphor primarily addresses the absence of independent judgment and moral deliberation, not an inability to endure hardship or face challenges.
  • Statement 4: He is like a log of wood. This statement offers a literal interpretation of a figurative expression. The phrase is used metaphorically to illustrate a state of passive acceptance and lack of self-direction, rather than a physical resemblance to a log.