Passage

Aristocratic government ruins itself by limiting too narrowly the circle within which power is confined; oligarchic government ruins itself by the incautious scramble for immediate wealth. But even democracy ruins itself by excess of democracy. Its basic principle is the equal right of all to hold office and determine public policy. This is, at first glance, a delightful arrangement; it becomes disastrous because the people are not properly equipped by education to select the best rulers and the wisest courses. The people have no understanding and only repeat what their rulers are pleased to tell them. Such a democracy is tyranny or autocracy. – Plato

QUESTION

CSAT

Easy

Comprehension

Prelims 2021

Which one of the following statements best reflects the crux of the passage given above?

Select an option to attempt

Explanation

Option A is incorrect: Although this is reflected in the passage, it is not the most important or decisive point or issue.

Option B is correct because two forms of government-oligarchies and democracy have been discussed and it has been shown how they can turn into tyrannies due to their excesses.

Option C is incorrect because the author is not advocating that democracy is more desirable and not providing any recommendations to achieve it. Although the author gives lack of proper education as one of the reasons as to why democracy does not serve its intended purpose, it is not the crux of the passage. The reason being that such a conclusion would ignore the first part of the discussion on oligarchy.

Option D is incorrect because although it has been posited that any form of government can be tyrannical, the author does not support the existence of any form of government.

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