Comprehension
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
Steven Pinker's new book, "Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters," offers a pragmatic dose of measured optimism, presenting rationality as a fragile but achievable ideal in personal and civic life. ... Pinker's ambition to illuminate such a crucial topic offers the welcome prospect of a return to sanity. ... It's no small achievement to make formal logic, game theory, statistics and Bayesian reasoning delightful topics full of charm and relevance.
It's also plausible to believe that a wider application of the rational tools he analyzes would improve the world in important ways. His primer on statistics and scientific uncertainty is particularly timely and should be required reading before consuming any news about the [COVID] pandemic. More broadly, he argues that less media coverage of shocking but vanishingly rare events, from shark attacks to adverse vaccine reactions, would help prevent dangerous overreactions, fatalism and the diversion of finite resources away from solvable but less-dramatic issues, like malnutrition in the developing world.
It's a reasonable critique, and Pinker is not the first to make it. But analyzing the political economy of journalism - its funding structures, ownership concentration and increasing reliance on social media shares - would have given a fuller picture of why so much coverage is so misguided and what we might do about it.
Pinker's main focus is the sort of conscious, sequential reasoning that can track the steps in a geometric proof or an argument in formal logic. Skill in this domain maps directly onto the navigation of many real-world problems, and Pinker shows how greater mastery of the tools of rationality can improve decision-making in medical, legal, financial and many other contexts in which we must act on uncertain and shifting information. ..
Despite the undeniable power of the sort of rationality he describes, many of the deepest insights in the history of science, math, music and art strike their originators in moments of epiphany. From the th 19 -century chemist Friedrich August Kekulés discovery of the structure of benzene to any of Mozart's symphonies, much extraordinary human achievement is not a product of conscious, sequential reasoning. Even Plato's Socrates - who anticipated many of Pinker's points by nearly 2,500 years, showing the virtue of knowing what you do not know and examining all premises in arguments, not simply trusting speakers' authority or charisma - attributed many of his most profound insights to dreams and visions. Conscious reasoning is helpful in sorting the wheat from the chaff, but it would be interesting to consider the hidden aquifers that make much of the grain grow in the first place.
The role of moral and ethical education in promoting rational behavior is also underexplored. Pinker recognizes that rationality "is not just a cognitive virtue but a moral one." But this profoundly important point, one subtly explor
Question: 1

The author refers to the ancient Greek philosophers to:

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • highlight the influence of their thinking on the development of Pinker's arguments.
  • show how dreams and visions have for centuries influenced subconscious behaviour and pathbreaking inventions.
  • reveal gaps in Pinker's discussion of the importance of ethical considerations in rational behaviour.
  • indicate the various similarities between their thinking and Pinker's conclusions.
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

The author cites ancient Greek philosophers to identify omissions in Steven Pinker's thesis on rationality. Pinker defines rationality as a cognitive and moral virtue, but the author contends he neglects the influence of moral and ethical education on rational conduct.

The author references figures such as Plato’s Socrates, who acknowledged the significance of dreams and visions alongside logic, to underscore that ethical and non-rational elements were fundamental to their conception of rationality—elements that Pinker largely disregards.

Consequently, the correct assertion is: Highlight deficiencies in Pinker's exploration of the role of ethical factors in rational behavior.

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Question: 2

The author mentions Kekules discovery of the structure of benzene and Mozart's symphonies to illustrate the point that:

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • Pinker's conclusions on sequential reasoning are belied by European achievements which, in the past, were more rooted in unconscious bursts of genius.
  • unlike the sciences, human achievements in other fields are a mix of logical reasoning and spontaneous epiphanies.
  • it is not just the creative arts, but also scientific fields that have benefitted from flashes of creativity.
  • great innovations across various fields can stem from flashes of intuition and are not always propelled by logical thinking.
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Steven Pinker's perspective on rationality emphasizes its significance in individual and public spheres. Although Pinker champions deliberate, step-by-step reasoning, the text notes that substantial accomplishments often originate from creative intuition or immediate understanding.

The discoveries of Kekulé (benzene structure) and Mozart (symphonies) serve as instances where profound ideas surface from intuitive leaps rather than rigid logical deduction.

Consequently, the accurate conclusion is: Major breakthroughs in diverse domains can originate from intuitive insights, not solely from the propulsion of logical thought.

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Question: 3

The author endorses Pinker's views on the importance of logical reasoning as it:

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • provides a moral compass for resolving important ethical dilemmas.
  • equips people with the ability to tackle challenging practical problems.
  • focuses public attention on real issues like development rather than sensational events.
  • helps people to gain expertise in statistics and other scientific disciplines.
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

The text highlights Pinker's focus on sequential reasoning and rational tools, indicating that proficiency in these areas improves decision-making in practical situations involving "uncertain and shifting information." The author supports Pinker's work by agreeing that logical reasoning "equips people with the ability to tackle challenging practical problems" [Option B].

Option A is incorrect; while the author concedes Pinker views rationality as a moral virtue, they observe Pinker inadequately explores moral and ethical education.Option C is too narrow, concentrating on a specific application of Pinker's ideas rather than the overall message.Option D similarly limits the scope to the general usefulness of rationality in decision-making.

Therefore, the correct option is (B): equips people with the ability to tackle challenging practical problems.

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Question: 4

According to the author, for Pinker as well as the ancient Greek philosophers, rational thinking involves all of the following EXCEPT:

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • arriving at independent conclusions irrespective of who is presenting the argument.
  • the belief that the ability to reason logically encompasses an ethical and moral dimension.
  • the primacy of conscious sequential reasoning as the basis for seminal human achievements.
  • an awareness of underlying assumptions in an argument and gaps in one's own knowledge.
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

Option C is the choice that contradicts Pinker's viewpoint on rational thought, aligning with ancient Greek philosophers. The text indicates that while sequential reasoning is valuable, significant human advancements often stem from sudden insights or epiphanies, not exclusively from methodical, step-by-step processes.

Pinker and Plato's Socrates highlight that rational thinking entails acknowledging one's knowledge limitations (Option D) and formulating independent conclusions (Option A), rather than relying on the influence of others.

Furthermore, the text notes a moral and ethical component to rationality (Option B), a concept addressed by Pinker, albeit briefly.

Therefore, Option C is the correct answer, as it deviates from Pinker's defined method of rational thinking.

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Top Questions on Reading Comprehension

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The passage given below is followed by four summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
In the dynamic realm of creativity, artists often find themselves at the crossroads between drawing inspiration from diverse cultures and inadvertently crossing into the territory of cultural appropriation. Inspiration is the lifeblood of creativity, driving artists to create works that resonate across borders. In a globalized era of the modern world, artists draw from a vast array of cultural influences. When approached respectfully, inspiration becomes a bridge, fostering understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity. However, the line between inspiration and cultural appropriation can be thin and easily blurred.
Cultural appropriation occurs when elements from a particular culture are borrowed without proper understanding, respect, or acknowledgment. This leads to the commodification of sacred symbols, the reinforcement of stereotypes, and the erasure of the cultural context from which these elements originated. It is essential to recognize that the impact of cultural appropriation extends beyond the realm of artistic expression, influencing societal perceptions and perpetuating power imbalances.
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