CAT 2022 Slot 1 – VARC

Stories concerning the Undead have always been with us. From out of the primal darkness of Mankind’s earliest years, come whispers of eerie creatures, not quite alive (or alive in a way which we can understand), yet not quite dead either. These may have been ancient and primitive deities who dwelt deep in the surrounding forests and in remote places, or simply those deceased who refused to remain in their tombs and who wandered about the countryside, physically tormenting and frightening those who were still alive. Mostly they were ill-defined-strange sounds in the night beyond the comforting glow of the fire, or a shape, half-glimpsed in the twilight along the edge of an encampment. They were vague and indistinct, but they were always there with the power to terrify and disturb. They had the power to touch the minds of our early ancestors and to fill them with dread. Such fear formed the basis of the earliest tales although the source and exact nature of such terrors still remained very vague.

And as Mankind became more sophisticated, leaving the gloom of their caves and forming themselves into recognizable communities-towns, cities, whole cultures-so the Undead travelled with them, inhabiting their folklore just as they had in former times. Now they began to take on more definite shapes. They became walking cadavers; the physical embodiment of former deities and things which had existed alongside Man since the Creation. Some still remained vague and ill-defined but, as Mankind strove to explain the horror which it felt towards them, such creatures emerged more readily into the light.

In order to confirm their abnormal status, many of the Undead were often accorded attributes, which defied the natural order of things-the power to transform themselves into other shapes, the ability to sustain themselves by drinking human blood, and the ability to influence human minds across a distance. Such powers-described as supernatural-only [lent] an added dimension to the terror that humans felt regarding them.

And it was only natural, too, that the Undead should become connected with the practice of magic. From very early times, Shamans and witchdoctors had claimed at least some power and control over the spirits of departed ancestors, and this has continued down into more ” civilized” times. Formerly, the invisible spirits and forces that thronged around men’s earliest encampments, had spoken ” through” the tribal Shamans but now, as entities in their own right, they were subject to magical control and could be physically summoned by a competent sorcerer. However, the relationship between the magician and an Undead creature was often a very tenuous and uncertain one. Some sorcerers might have even become Undead entities once they died, but they might also have been susceptible to the powers of other magicians when they did.

From the Middle Ages and into the Age of Enlightenment, theories of the Undead continued to grow and develop. Their names became more familiar-werewolf, vampire, ghoul-each one certain to strike fear into the hearts of ordinary humans.

All of the following statements, if false, could be seen as being in accordance with the passage, EXCEPT:

[A] the transition from the Middle Ages to the Age of Enlightenment saw new theories of the Undead.

[B] the Undead remained vague and ill-defined, even as Mankind strove to understand the horror they inspired.

[C] the relationship between Shamans and the Undead was believed to be a strong and stable one.

[D] the growing sophistication of Mankind meant that humans stopped believing in the Undead.

Which one of the following observations is a valid conclusion to draw from the statement, ” From out of the primal darkness of Mankind’s earliest years, come whispers of eerie creatures, not quite alive (or alive in a way which we can understand), yet not quite dead either.” ?

[A] Mankind’s primal years were marked by creatures alive with eerie whispers, but seen only in the darkness.

[B] We can understand the lives of the eerie creatures in Mankind’s early years through their whispers in the darkness.

[C] Mankind’s early years were marked by a belief in the existence of eerie creatures that were neither quite alive nor dead.

[D] Long ago, eerie creatures used to whisper in the primal darkness that they were not quite dead.

Which one of the following statements best describes what the passage is about?

[A] The passage describes the failure of human beings to fully comprehend their environment.

[B] The writer discusses the transition from primitive thinking to the Age of Enlightenment.

[C] The passage discusses the evolution of theories of the Undead from primitive thinking to the Age of Enlightenment.

[D] The writer describes the ways in which the Undead come to be associated with Shamans and the practice of magic.

“In order to confirm their abnormal status, many of the Undead were often accorded attributes, which defied the natural order of things . . .”

Which one of the following best expresses the claim made in this statement?

[A] The Undead are deified in nature’s order by giving them divine attributes.

[B] Human beings conceptualise the Undead as possessing abnormal features.

[C] According the Undead an abnormal status is to reject the natural order of things.

[D] The natural attributes of the Undead are rendered abnormal by changing their status.

The Chinese have two different concepts of a copy. Fangzhipin . . . are imitations where the difference from the original is obvious. These are small models or copies that can be purchased in a museum shop, for example. The second concept for a copy is fuzhipin . . . They are exact reproductions of the original, which, for the Chinese, are of equal value to the original. It has absolutely no negative connotations. The discrepancy with regard to the understanding of what a copy is has often led to misunderstandings and arguments between China and Western museums. The Chinese often send copies abroad instead of originals, in the firm belief that they are not essentially different from the originals. The rejection that then comes from the Western museums is perceived by the Chinese as an insult. . . .

The Far Eastern notion of identity is also very confusing to the Western observer. The Ise Grand Shrine [in Japan] is 1,300 years old for the millions of Japanese people who go there on pilgrimage every year. But in reality this temple complex is completely rebuilt from scratch every 20 years. . . .

The cathedral of Freiburg Minster in southwest Germany is covered in scaffolding almost all year round. The sandstone from which it is built is a very soft, porous material that does not withstand natural erosion by rain and wind. After a while, it crumbles. As a result, the cathedral is continually being examined for damage, and eroded stones are replaced. And in the cathedral’s dedicated workshop, copies of the damaged sandstone figures are constantly being produced. Of course, attempts are made to preserve the stones from the Middle Ages for as long as possible. But at some point they, too, are removed and replaced with new stones.

Fundamentally, this is the same operation as with the Japanese shrine, except in this case the production of a replica takes place very slowly and over long periods of time. . . . In the field of art as well, the idea of an unassailable original developed historically in the Western world. Back in the 17th century [in the West], excavated artworks from antiquity were treated quite differently from today. They were not restored in a way that was faithful to the original. Instead, there was massive intervention in these works, changing their appearance. . . .

It is probably this intellectual position that explains why Asians have far fewer scruples about cloning than Europeans. The South Korean cloning researcher Hwang Woo-suk, who attracted worldwide attention with his cloning experiments in 2004, is a Buddhist. He found a great deal of support and followers among Buddhists, while Christians called for a ban on human cloning. . . . Hwang legitimised his cloning experiments with his religious affiliation: ‘I am Buddhist, and I have no philosophical problem with cloning. And as you know, the basis of Buddhism is that life is recycled through reincarnation. In some ways, I think, therapeutic cloning restarts the circle of life.’

Which one of the following scenarios is unlikely to follow from the arguments in the passage?

[A] A 21st century Christian scientist is likely to oppose cloning because of his philosophical orientation.

[B] A 17th century British painter would have no problem adding personal touches when restoring an ancient Roman painting.

[C] A 17th century French artist who adhered to a Christian worldview would need to be completely true to the original intent of a painting when restoring it.

[D] A 20th century Japanese Buddhist monk would value a reconstructed shrine as the original.

The value that the modern West assigns to ” an unassailable original” has resulted in all of the following EXCEPT:

[A] it allows regular employment for certain craftsmen.

[B] it discourages them from carrying out human cloning.

[C] it discourages them from making interventions in ancient art.

[D] it discourages them from simultaneous displays of multiple copies of a painting.

Which one of the following statements does not correctly express the similarity between the Ise Grand Shrine and the cathedral of Freiburg Minster?

[A] Both can be regarded as very old structures.

[B] Both are continually undergoing restoration.

[C] Both were built as places of worship.

[D] Both will one day be completely rebuilt.

Based on the passage, which one of the following copies would a Chinese museum be unlikely to consider as having less value than the original?

[A] Pablo Picasso’s painting of Vincent van Gogh’s original painting, bearing Picasso’s signature.

[B] Pablo Picasso’s miniaturised, but otherwise faithful and accurate painting of Vincent van Gogh’s original painting.

[C] Pablo Picasso’s photograph of Vincent van Gogh’s original painting, printed to exactly the same scale.

[D] Pablo Picasso’s painting of Vincent van Gogh’s original painting, identical in every respect.

Critical theory of technology is a political theory of modernity with a normative dimension. It belongs to a tradition extending from Marx to Foucault and Habermas according to which advances in the formal claims of human rights take center stage while in the background centralization of ever more powerful public institutions and private organizations imposes an authoritarian social order.

Marx attributed this trajectory to the capitalist rationalization of production. Today it marks many institutions besides the factory and every modern political system, including so-called socialist systems. This trajectory arose from the problems of command over a disempowered and deskilled labour force; but everywhere [that] masses are organized – whether it be Foucault’s prisons or Habermas’s public sphere – the same pattern prevails. Technological design and development is shaped by this pattern as the material base of a distinctive social order. Marcuse would later point to a “project” as the basis of what he called rather confusingly “technological rationality.” Releasing technology from this project is a democratic political task.

In accordance with this general line of thought, critical theory of technology regards technologies as an environment rather than as a collection of tools. We live today with and even within technologies that determine our way of life. Along with the constant pressures to build centers of power, many other social values and meanings are inscribed in technological design. A hermeneutics of technology must make explicit the meanings implicit in the devices we use and the rituals they script. Social histories of technologies such as the bicycle, artificial lighting or firearms have made important contributions to this type of analysis. Critical theory of technology attempts to build a methodological approach on the lessons of these histories.

As an environment, technologies shape their inhabitants. In this respect, they are comparable to laws and customs. Each of these institutions can be said to represent those who live under their sway through privileging certain dimensions of their human nature. Laws of property represent the interest in ownership and control. Customs such as parental authority represent the interest of childhood in safety and growth. Similarly, the automobile represents its users in so far as they are interested in mobility. Interests such as these constitute the version of human nature sanctioned by society.

This notion of representation does not imply an eternal human nature. The concept of nature as non-identity in the Frankfurt School suggests an alternative. On these terms, nature is what lies at the limit of history, at the point at which society loses the capacity to imprint its meanings on things and control them effectively. The reference here is, of course, not to the nature of natural science, but to the lived nature in which we find ourselves and which we are. This nature reveals itself as that which cannot be totally encompassed by the machinery of society. For the Frankfurt School, human nature, in all its transcending force, emerges out of a historical context as that context is [depicted] in illicit joys, struggles and pathologies. We can perhaps admit a less romantic . . . conception in which those dimensions of human nature recognized by society are also granted theoretical legitimacy.

Which one of the following statements contradicts the arguments of the passage?

[A] The problems of command over a disempowered and deskilled labour force gave rise to similar patterns of the capitalist rationalisation of production wherever masses were organised.

[B] Marx’s understanding of the capitalist rationalisation of production and Marcuse’s understanding of a ” project” of ” technological rationality” share theoretical inclinations.

[C] Paradoxically, the capitalist rationalisation of production is a mark of so-called socialist systems as well.

[D] Masses are organised in patterns set by Foucault’s prisons and Habermas’ public sphere.

Which one of the following statements could be inferred as supporting the arguments of the passage?

[A] Technologies form the environmental context and shape the contours of human society.

[B] Nature decides the point at which society loses its capacity to control history.

[C] The romantic conception of nature referred to by the passage is the one that requires theoretical legitimacy.

[D] It is not human nature, but human culture that is represented by institutions such as law and custom.

Which one of the following statements best reflects the main argument of the fourth paragraph of the passage?

[A] Technology, laws, and customs are not unlike each other if considered as institutions.

[B] Technology, laws, and customs are comparable, but dissimilar phenomena.

[C] Automobiles represent the interest in mobility present in human nature.

[D] Technological environments privilege certain dimensions of human nature as effectively as laws and customs.

All of the following claims can be inferred from the passage, EXCEPT:

[A] analyses of technologies must engage with their social histories to be able to reveal their implicit and explicit meanings for us.

[B] the significance of parental authority to children’s safety does not therefore imply that parental authority is a permanent aspect of human nature.

[C] the critical theory of technology argues that, as issues of human rights become more prominent, we lose sight of the ways in which the social order becomes more authoritarian.

[D] technologies seek to privilege certain dimensions of human nature at a high cost to lived nature.

Stoicism was founded in 300 BC by the Greek philosopher Zeno and survived into the Roman era until about AD 300. According to the Stoics, emotions consist of two movements. The first movement is the immediate feeling and other reactions (e.g., physiological response) that occur when a stimulus or event occurs. For instance, consider what could have happened if an army general accused Marcus Aurelius of treason in front of other officers. The first movement for Marcus may have been (internal) surprise and anger in response to this insult, accompanied perhaps by some involuntary physiological and expressive responses such as face flushing and a movement of the eyebrows. The second movement is what one does next about the emotion. Second movement behaviours occur after thinking and are under one’s control. Examples of second movements for Marcus might have included a plot to seek revenge, actions signifying deference and appeasement, or perhaps proceeding as he would have proceeded whether or not this event occurred: continuing to lead the Romans in a way that Marcus Aurelius believed best benefited them. In the Stoic view, choosing a reasoned, unemotional response as the second movement is the only appropriate response.

The Stoics believed that to live the good life and be a good person, we need to free ourselves of nearly all desires such as too much desire for money, power, or sexual gratification. Prior to second movements, we can consider what is important in life. Money, power, and excessive sexual gratification are not important. Character, rationality, and kindness are important. The Epicureans, first associated with the Greek philosopher Epicurus . . . held a similar view, believing that people should enjoy simple pleasures, such as good conversation, friendship, food, and wine, but not be indulgent in these pursuits and not follow passion for those things that hold no real value like power and money. As Oatley (2004) states, ” the Epicureans articulated a view-enjoyment of relationship with friends, of things that are real rather than illusory, simple rather than artificially inflated, possible rather than vanishingly unlikely-that is certainly relevant today” . . . In sum, these ancient Greek and Roman philosophers saw emotions, especially strong ones, as potentially dangerous. They viewed emotions as experiences that needed to be [reined] in and controlled.

As Oatley (2004) points out, the Stoic idea bears some similarity to Buddhism. Buddha, living in India in the 6th century BC, argued for cultivating a certain attitude that decreases the probability of (in Stoic terms) destructive second movements. Through meditation and the right attitude, one allows emotions to happen to oneself (it is impossible to prevent this), but one is advised to observe the emotions without necessarily acting on them; one achieves some distance and decides what has value and what does not have value. Additionally, the Stoic idea of developing virtue in oneself, of becoming a good person, which the Stoics believed we could do because we have a touch of the divine, laid the foundation for the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam . . . As with Stoicism, tenets of these religions include controlling our emotions lest we engage in sinful behaviour.

Which one of the following statements, if false, could be seen as contradicting the facts/arguments in the passage?

[A] Despite practising meditation and cultivating the right attitude, emotions cannot ever be controlled.

[B] The Greek philosopher Zeno survived into the Roman era until about AD 300.

[C] In the Stoic view, choosing a reasoned, unemotional response as the first movement is an appropriate response to emotional situations.

[D] In the Epicurean view, indulging in simple pleasures is not desirable.

“Through meditation and the right attitude, one allows emotions to happen to oneself (it is impossible to prevent this), but one is advised to observe the emotions without necessarily acting on them; one achieves some distance and decides what has value and what does not have value.” In the context of the passage, which one of the following is not a possible implication of the quoted statement?

[A] Emotional responses can make it difficult to distinguish valuable experiences from valueless experiences.

[B] ” Meditation and the right attitude” , in this instance, implies an initially passive reception of all experiences.

[C] Meditation allows certain out-of-body experiences that permit us to gain the distance necessary to control our emotions.

[D] The observation of emotions in a distant manner corresponds to the second movement referred to earlier in the passage.

On the basis of the passage, which one of the following statements can be regarded as true?

[A] There were no Stoics in India at the time of the Roman civilisation.

[B] The Epicureans believed in controlling all emotions.

[C] The Stoic influences can be seen in multiple religions.

[D] The Stoics valorised the pursuit of money, power, and sexual gratification.

Which one of the following statements would be an accurate inference from the example of Marcus Aurelius?

[A] Marcus Aurelius was one of the leaders of the Roman army.

[B] Marcus Aurelius was humiliated by the accusation of treason in front of the other officers.

[C] Marcus Aurelius was a Stoic whose philosophy survived into the Roman era.

[D] Marcus Aurelius plotted revenge in his quest for justice.