Question

"There is nothing so stupid as an educated man, if you can get him off the thing he was educated in."
Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the author's contention?

• A. True education implies a well-rounded exposure to major subjects.
• B. An educated man will not discuss things which he does not understand.
• C. The cost of a general education has led to the unfortunate fact that a person's education is confined to one field.
• D. Stupidity, like intelligence, is relative and therefore depends on the intelligence of the person's peers.

Hint:

Find the assumption behind the quote (education is narrow) and pick the option that denies it outright.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

First pin down what has to be true for the quote to hold: education must, in practice, be narrow enough that a person knows almost nothing outside it. Any option that shows education is not narrow will weaken the claim.

1. Option A: States that genuine education covers many major subjects, not just one. If that is how education actually works, an educated person would not turn "stupid" outside a narrow area, since there is no narrow area to begin with. This knocks out the author's core assumption.
2. Option B: Describes a discreet person, someone who avoids talking about what they do not know. This is about behaviour, not about whether the person actually knows things outside their field, so it leaves the author's point untouched.
3. Option C: Explains the narrowness with a cause (cost of general education), but this backs the author's claim rather than weakening it, since it agrees education has become confined to one field.
4. Option D: Talks about "stupid" being a relative term based on peers' intelligence. This shifts focus to definitions rather than disputing that education narrows people.

Since option A removes the very premise the quote depends on (that education is narrow), it is the strongest challenge to the author's contention.

Let's summarize:

• The quote depends on education being narrow in scope.
• Option A denies this by describing education as broad and well-rounded, which undermines the whole claim.
• Option C agrees with the author instead of opposing, and B and D miss the core assumption.

The answer is option A.