Comprehension
[Fifty] years after its publication in English [in 1972], and just a year since [Marshall] Sahlins himself died—we may ask: why did [his essay] "Original Affluent Society" have such an impact, and how has it fared since? ... Sahlins's principal argument was simple but counterintuitive: before being driven into marginal environments by colonial powers, huntergatherers, or foragers, were not engaged in a desperate struggle for meager survival. Quite the contrary, they satisfied their needs with far less work than people in agricultural and industrial societies, leaving them more time to use as they wished. Hunters, he quipped, keep bankers' hours. Refusing to maximize, many were "more concerned with games of chance than with chances of game." . . . The so-called Neolithic Revolution, rather than improving life, imposed a harsher work regime and set in motion the long history of growing inequality ...
Moreover, foragers had other options. The contemporary Hadza of Tanzania, who had long been surrounded by farmers, knew they had alternatives and rejected them. To Sahlins, this showed that foragers are not simply examples of human diversity or victimhood but something more profound: they demonstrated that societies make real choices. Culture, a way of living oriented around a distinctive set of values, manifests a fundamental principle of collective self-determination. . .
But the point [of the essay] is not so much the empirical validity of the data-the real interest for most readers, after all, is not in foragers either today or in the Paleolithic-but rather its conceptual challenge to contemporary economic life and bourgeois individualism. The empirical served a philosophical and political project, a thought experiment and stimulus to the imagination of possibilities.
With its title's nod toward The Affluent Society (1958), economist John Kenneth Galbraith's famously skeptical portrait of America's postwar prosperity and inequality, and dripping with New Left contempt for consumerism, "The Original Affluent Society" brought this critical perspective to bear on the contemporary world. It did so through the classic anthropological move of showing that radical alternatives to the readers' lives really exist. If the capitalist world seeks wealth through ever greater material production to meet infinitely expansive desires, foraging societies follow "the Zen road to affluence": not by getting more, but by wanting less. If it seems that foragers have been left behind by "progress," this is due only to the ethnocentric self-congratulation of the West. Rather than accumulate material goods, these societies are guided by other values: leisure, mobility, and above all, freedom. . .
Viewed in today's context, of course, not every aspect of the essay has aged well. While acknowledging the violence of colonialism, racism, and dispossession, it does not thematize them as heavily as we might today. Rebuking evolutionary anthropologists for treating present-day foragers as "left behind" by progress, it too can succumb to the temptation to use them as proxies for the Paleolithic. Yet these characteristics should not distract us from appreciating Sahlins's effort to show that if we want to conjure new possibilities, we need to learn about actually inhabitable worlds.
Question: 1

We can infer that Sahlins's main goal in writing his essay was to:

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • hold a mirror to an acquisitive society, with examples of other communities that have chosen successfully to be non-materialistic.
  • highlight the fact that while we started off as a fairly contented egalitarian people, we have progressively degenerated into materialism.
  • counter Galbraith's pessimistic view of the inevitability of a capitalist trajectory for economic growth.
  • put forth the view that, despite egalitarian origins, economic progress brings greater inequality and social hierarchies.
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Marshall Sahlins's essay was intended to reflect the acquisitive nature of modern society, characterized by bourgeois individualism and current economic practices. This is achieved by presenting examples of foraging societies that valued autonomy, mobility, and ample free time over material accumulation.

Sahlins contrasts the capitalist drive for wealth via production and consumption with the Zen pursuit of abundance, achieved by minimizing desires. Consequently, Sahlins aimed to critique acquisitive societies by showcasing communities that opted for non-materialistic lifestyles. Therefore, Option A is the correct answer.

Option B: The primary emphasis is on illustrating the values and decisions of foraging societies, rather than asserting a societal decline.

Option C: While Sahlins's essay critiques certain modern economic theories, its core purpose is to demonstrate alternative models through non-materialistic societies, not to directly disprove Galbraith's bleak outlook.

Option D: Sahlins's essay primarily draws parallels between foraging societies and contemporary economic structures, despite acknowledging the increased inequality and social stratification resulting from the Neolithic Revolution.

Hence, the correct option is (A): to act as a reflection of acquisitive societies, featuring examples of other communities that have successfully adopted non-materialistic approaches.

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Question: 2

The author of the passage criticises Sahlins's essay for its:

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • cursory treatment of the effects of racism and colonialism on societies.
  • failure to supplement its thesis with robust empirical data.
  • outdated values regarding present-day foragers versus ancient foraging communities.
  • critique of anthropologists who disparage the choices of foragers in today's society.
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

This analysis scrutinizes Sahlins's essay, "Original Affluent Society," evaluating its content and lasting influence. The review commends Sahlins for questioning standard economic theories, recognizing hunter-gatherer societies as a contrast to modern materialistic aspirations.

Nevertheless, it identifies weaknesses, particularly the insufficient attention paid to the impacts of racism and colonialism. The passage's conclusion, "While acknowledging the violence of colonialism, racism, and dispossession, it does not thematize them as heavily as we might today," underscores the author's view of the essay's superficial engagement with these subjects.

Consequently, the criticism regarding Sahlins's handling of these matters corresponds to the first option: cursory treatment of the effects of racism and colonialism on societies. Therefore, this option is the correct selection.

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Question: 3

The author of the passage mentions Galbraith's "The Affluent Society" to:

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • document the influence of Galbraith's cynical views on modern consumerism on Sahlins's analysis of pre-historic societies.
  • show how Galbraith's theories refute Sahlins's thesis on the contentment of prehuntergatherer communities.
  • show how Sahlins's views complemented Galbraith's criticism of the consumerism and inequality of contemporary society.
  • contrast the materialist nature of contemporary growth paths with the pacifist content ways of living among the foragers.
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

The passage indicates that Sahlins's essay, "The Original Affluent Society," critiqued modern consumerism and inequality, aligning with themes in John Kenneth Galbraith's "The Affluent Society." Sahlins's work contrasts foraging societies' values with capitalism's pursuit of wealth, mirroring Galbraith's skeptical view of postwar affluence and its inherent inequality. Therefore, Option C accurately reflects the passage's explanation of how Sahlins's perspective supports Galbraith's critique of contemporary society.

Option B: The passage suggests compatibility between Galbraith's and Sahlins's theories, not contradiction.

Option D: The passage does not primarily compare forager lifestyles to Galbraith's views on modern development.

Option A: The passage emphasizes how Sahlins's essay supports Galbraith's critique of modern society, rather than detailing the influence of Galbraith's views on Sahlins's analysis.

Correct Option: (C) — Demonstrates how Sahlins's perspectives reinforced Galbraith's critique of contemporary society's consumerism and inequality.

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Question: 4

The author mentions Tanzania's Hadza community to illustrate:

Updated On: Jan 13, 2026
  • how two vastly different ways of living and working were able to coexist in proximity for centuries.
  • how pre-agrarian societies did not hamper the emergence of more advanced agrarian practices in contiguous communities
  • that forager communities' lifestyles derived not from ignorance about alternatives, but from their own choice.
  • that hunter-gatherer communities' subsistence-level techniques equipped them to survive well into contemporary times.
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

Option C is validated as the passage employs the Hadza community in Tanzania to illustrate that forager societies, exemplified by the Hadza, defy a simple dichotomy of human diversity or victimhood. Their lifestyle is a result of active decision-making. The text states that the Hadza, despite coexisting with agriculturalists, possessed knowledge of alternative lifestyles and consciously opted against them. This instance emphasizes that forager communities are not constrained by a lack of awareness regarding alternatives; their chosen way of life is a product of deliberate choices. Consequently, Option C precisely encapsulates the Hadza example presented in the text.

Option A: The passage's primary focus is not on the survival tactics of contemporary hunter-gatherer groups, but rather on their decision-making frameworks and rationale.

Option B: The passage does not link the Hadza community to the agricultural practices of neighboring populations, rendering this option extraneous to the provided example.

Option D: The passage does not suggest that the Hadza community coexisted with vastly dissimilar lifestyles and occupations over extended durations.

Correct Option: (C) — That forager communities' lifestyles derived not from ignorance about alternatives, but from their own choice.

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Top Questions on Reading Comprehension

Questions Asked in CAT exam

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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