Conspiracy Theories and Hidden Order
XAT 2011 · VALR · Hard · Critical Reasoning
Passage / data set
Answer questions on the basis of the paragraph below
We are not only afraid of being in the dark; we are also suspicious of being kept in the dark. We often feel that the universe has a hidden order that we cannot quite comprehend. In ancient times, this order was attributed to the gods – omnipotent beings who controlled humans' fates. Greek myths in particular portrayed humans as pawns in the great games played by the gods. More recently, there are suspicions of global conspiracies. These conspiracies are cited for events that are too important to be random. We no longer describe them as "Acts of God," so they must be the work of other people - people who are hiding their influence over us, covering up their involvement. They are keeping the rest of us in the dark. Among the events attributed to these people are political assassinations and UFO sightings.
Examining these events in minute detail results in a long list of "coincidences" which, in the minds of the conspiracy buffs, are too numerous to be truly random. There must be a central planner who is at the hub of a sinister form of order. No one admits to the conspiracy, so there must be a cover - up. Better to think that we are all being kept in the dark by sinister forces than to admit that there is no order.
Question 1 of 2
Which of the following statements, if true, would weaken the underlying logic of the above passage? i. The human need for order is a highly exaggerated notion. It more often than not leads to creation of theories about the universe. The more sensational the theory, the more prevalent it becomes. ii. The universe is less guided by pure randomness than by well - defined natural processes which are subjected to randomness at varying intervals of time and space. iii. To strengthen their case for a variety of conspiracies the conspiracy buffs are extrapolating from a very small set of observed "coincidences". iv. The persons propounding the different conspiracy theories are usually novelists who use these theories as a backdrop during the construction of the plots of the novels. v. The human fear of being kept in the dark is much stronger than the fear of lack of order in the working of the universe.
- A.
i, ii, and iii
- B.
i, ii and iv
- C.
i, iii and iv
- D.
i, iv and v
- E.
ii, iv and v
Question 2 of 2
Which of the following statements would, if true, strengthen the case for belief in sinister forces and conspiracies being at work in the above paragraph? i. Though science has progressed a lot in the last two centuries or so, it is still unable to explain/account for more than 80% of the phenomena in the universe. ii. There is now the existence of photographic evidence of presence of UFOs and a growing number of parallel studies showing that the human mind can easily be manipulated to do someone else's will through various events that manipulate the 'perceived reality'. iii. The fear of our actions and thoughts being controlled by someone else has intensified with the widespread popularity of the depiction of its gory outcomes by different novelists and movie makers. iv. There is a strong movement to reintroduce the teachings of the biblical evolutionary process and the presence of God in schools around the world. v. The Darwinian study of evolution of species, the cornerstone of beliefs in fathomable randomness of the workings of the universe has come under a scathing attack for its inaccurate depiction of the causes and process of evolution.
- A.
i and iv
- B.
i and v
- C.
ii, iii and v
- D.
i, ii and v
- E.
ii, iii, and iv
Practise this under exam conditions
Sign in to solve it with a live timer, the on-screen CAT calculator, and streak and accuracy tracking across every question you attempt.
Solve in the workspace