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RC Passage
Direction for the questions 13 to 16: The passage below is accompanied by a set of four questions. Choose the best answer to each question.
Over the past four centuries liberalism has been so successful that it has driven all its opponents off the battlefield. Now it is disintegrating, destroyed by a mix of hubris and internal contradictions, according to Patrick Deneen, a professor of politics at the University of Notre Dame. . . . Equality of opportunity has produced a new meritocratic aristocracy that has all the aloofness of the old aristocracy with none of its sense of noblesse oblige. Democracy has degenerated into a theatre of the absurd. And technological advances are reducing ever more areas of work into meaningless drudgery. âThe gap between liberalismâs claims about itself and the lived reality of the citizenryâ is now so wide that âthe lie can no longer be accepted,â Mr Deneen writes. What better proof of this than the vision of 1,000 private planes whisking their occupants to Davos to discuss the question of âcreating a shared future in a fragmented worldâ? .
Deneen does an impressive job of capturing the current mood of disillusionment, echoing leftwing complaints about rampant commercialism, right-wing complaints about narcissistic and bullying students, and general worries about atomisation and selfishness. But when he concludes that all this adds up to a failure of liberalism, is his argument convincing? . . . He argues that the essence of liberalism lies in freeing individuals from constraints. In fact, liberalism contains a wide range of intellectual traditions which provide different answers to the question of how to trade off the relative claims of rights and responsibilities, individual expression and social ties. . . . liberals experimented with a range of ideas from devolving power from the centre to creating national education systems.
Mr Deneenâs fixation on the essence of liberalism leads to the second big problem of his book: his failure to recognise liberalismâs ability to reform itself and address its internal problems. The late 19th century saw America suffering from many of the problems that are reappearing today, including the creation of a business aristocracy, the rise of vast companies, the corruption of politics and the sense that society was dividing into winners and losers. But a wide variety of reformers, working within the liberal tradition, tackled these problems head on. Theodore Roosevelt took on the trusts. Progressives cleaned up government corruption. University reformers modernised academic syllabuses and built ladders of opportunity. Rather than dying, liberalism reformed itself.
Mr Deneen is right to point out that the record of liberalism in recent years has been dismal. He is also right to assert that the world has much to learn from the premodern notions of liberty as self-mastery and self-denial. The biggest enemy of liberalism is not so much atomisation but old-fashioned greed, as members of the Davos elite pile their plates ever higher with perks and share options. But he is wrong to argue that the only way for people to liberate themselves from the contradictions of liberalism is âliberation from liberalism itselfâ. The best way to read âWhy Liberalism Failedâ is not as a funeral oration but as a call to action: up your game, or else.
RC Line-wise Explanation
Paragraph 1
Original: Over the past four centuries liberalism has been so successful that it has driven all its opponents off the battlefield.
Explanation: Liberalism has been dominant in political and social thought for hundreds of years, defeating rival ideologies.
Original: Now it is disintegrating, destroyed by a mix of hubris and internal contradictions, according to Patrick Deneen, a professor of politics at the University of Notre Dame.
Explanation: Patrick Deneen argues that liberalism is now collapsing due to arrogance and inconsistencies within its own structure.
Original: Equality of opportunity has produced a new meritocratic aristocracy that has all the aloofness of the old aristocracy with none of its sense of noblesse oblige.
Explanation: Liberal ideals led to a new elite that is distant and lacks the sense of duty that old elites had.
Original: Democracy has degenerated into a theatre of the absurd.
Explanation: Deneen believes modern democracy has become chaotic and farcical.
Original: And technological advances are reducing ever more areas of work into meaningless drudgery.
Explanation: He criticizes technology for making work less fulfilling and more monotonous.
Original: âThe gap between liberalismâs claims about itself and the lived reality of the citizenryâ is now so wide that âthe lie can no longer be accepted,â Mr Deneen writes.
Explanation: Deneen asserts that the promises of liberalism are so disconnected from peopleâs real experiences that they are no longer believable.
Original: What better proof of this than the vision of 1,000 private planes whisking their occupants to Davos to discuss the question of âcreating a shared future in a fragmented worldâ?
Explanation: He points out the hypocrisy of elites discussing global unity while living extravagantly, exemplified by their private flights to Davos.
Paragraph 2
Original: Deneen does an impressive job of capturing the current mood of disillusionment, echoing leftwing complaints about rampant commercialism, right-wing complaints about narcissistic and bullying students, and general worries about atomisation and selfishness.
Explanation: Deneen effectively summarizes concerns from across the political spectrum, including commercialization, cultural issues in education, and societal fragmentation.
Original: But when he concludes that all this adds up to a failure of liberalism, is his argument convincing?
Explanation: The writer questions whether Deneen's conclusionâthat liberalism has failedâis truly persuasive.
Original: He argues that the essence of liberalism lies in freeing individuals from constraints.
Explanation: Deneen claims liberalismâs core is individual freedom from societal or moral constraints.
Original: In fact, liberalism contains a wide range of intellectual traditions which provide different answers to the question of how to trade off the relative claims of rights and responsibilities, individual expression and social ties.
Explanation: However, liberalism is more complex than Deneen suggests, encompassing varied approaches to balancing freedom and responsibility.
Original: liberals experimented with a range of ideas from devolving power from the centre to creating national education systems.
Explanation: Historically, liberals have adapted and tried different reforms, such as decentralizing authority and promoting public education.
Paragraph 3
Original: Mr Deneenâs fixation on the essence of liberalism leads to the second big problem of his book: his failure to recognise liberalismâs ability to reform itself and address its internal problems.
Explanation: The writer highlights that Deneen overlooks liberalism's historical capacity for self-reform.
Original: The late 19th century saw America suffering from many of the problems that are reappearing today, including the creation of a business aristocracy, the rise of vast companies, the corruption of politics and the sense that society was dividing into winners and losers.
Explanation: America previously faced similar issues to those todayâeconomic inequality, corporate dominance, and political decay.
Original: But a wide variety of reformers, working within the liberal tradition, tackled these problems head on.
Explanation: Yet, reformers within the liberal framework effectively responded to those problems.
Original: Theodore Roosevelt took on the trusts. Progressives cleaned up government corruption. University reformers modernised academic syllabuses and built ladders of opportunity.
Explanation: Examples include Roosevelt fighting monopolies, progressives reforming politics, and educators promoting equal opportunity.
Original: Rather than dying, liberalism reformed itself.
Explanation: Liberalism did not collapse under pressureâit adapted and evolved.
Paragraph 4
Original: Mr Deneen is right to point out that the record of liberalism in recent years has been dismal.
Explanation: The author agrees that liberalism has recently failed in several areas.
Original: He is also right to assert that the world has much to learn from the premodern notions of liberty as self-mastery and self-denial.
Explanation: The piece supports Deneenâs view that earlier ideas of freedomâbased on discipline and restraintâare valuable.
Original: The biggest enemy of liberalism is not so much atomisation but old-fashioned greed, as members of the Davos elite pile their plates ever higher with perks and share options.
Explanation: The real problem is not social isolation, but unchecked greed among the wealthy and powerful.
Original: But he is wrong to argue that the only way for people to liberate themselves from the contradictions of liberalism is âliberation from liberalism itself.â
Explanation: However, the author rejects Deneenâs solution of abandoning liberalism altogether.
Original: The best way to read âWhy Liberalism Failedâ is not as a funeral oration but as a call to action: up your game, or else.
Explanation: Instead, the book should be taken as a warning and a challenge to improve liberalism, not discard it.
RC Paragraph Explanation
Paragraph 1 Summary
Patrick Deneen argues that liberalism is collapsing due to arrogance and contradictions. He claims it has created a new elite, turned democracy into farce, and made work meaningless, all while its promises no longer align with people's realities.
Paragraph 2 Summary
Though Deneen highlights widespread discontent, the author questions whether this proves liberalismâs failure. Liberalism, he argues, includes many traditions and has historically experimented with reform and balancing individual freedom with social good.
Paragraph 3 Summary
The author criticizes Deneen for ignoring liberalismâs proven ability to adapt. Past crises, such as those in the 19th century, led to major liberal reforms that tackled inequality, corporate power, and corruption.
Paragraph 4 Summary
While acknowledging liberalismâs modern shortcomings and agreeing with some of Deneenâs insights, the writer opposes abandoning liberalism entirely. Instead, he sees Deneenâs critique as a motivating call to improve it.
RC Quick Table Summary
| Paragraph Number | Main Idea |
|---|---|
| Paragraph 1 | Deneen argues liberalism is collapsing due to contradictions and hypocrisy. |
| Paragraph 2 | The author challenges Deneenâs view, noting liberalismâs diversity and reform efforts. |
| Paragraph 3 | Liberalism has historically reformed itself in times of crisis. |
| Paragraph 4 | Deneen's critique is valuable but should inspire reform, not rejection of liberalism. |
RC Questions
Ques 13. The author of the passage faults Deneenâs conclusions for all of the following reasons, EXCEPT:
Ques 14. The author of the passage refers to âthe Davos eliteâ to illustrate his views on:
Ques 15. The author of the passage is likely to disagree with all of the following statements, EXCEPT:
Ques 16. All of the following statements are evidence of the decline of liberalism today, EXCEPT:
