Comprehension (A)
To understand how crucial the existence of strong family is to the civilization of free spirits, we might meditate on the odd fact that the first of the targets of tyrants and Utopians of the political right and left is always the family. From Plato to Marx to Mao, all those thinkers who want society organised so that individual will fit into some overarching five year plan for the ideal Republic, the ideal socialist or religious state, inevitably try to replace the family and place the education of the young in the hands of state- run institutions. Under the banner of freeing women for productive work, or liberating the young from the prejudices of the old, or instilling the values necessary for an ideal Commonwealth, parents and children are separated or allowed minimal contact. The motive behind this antipathy toward the family is not difficult to find. So long as men's and women's prime loyalty is to family and kin, they cannot be controlled by the state or any other institution. But if they can be convinced to switch their loyalty to some "higher" cause or institution, they will obey the dictates of their leaders.
For better or worse, the family is the first line of defence against dehumanization and misplaced loyalty. Within the privacy of home, we may think, speak, and worship as we please. We may educate our children in the value we cherish and teach them respect for the tradition we uphold. Because it is easiest to love our own children unconditionally, the family is the natural school of love. Loving our kin, we may gradually learn to extend kindness to strangers. And because children incarnate our hopes, they are our visceral evidence of wisdom of investing our time and care in the lives of others.
Almost without noticing it we, are voluntarily eroding the freedom and surrendering the loyalties that no tyrant could take from us without a fight. By our increasingly slavish devotion to the the economic order, we are destroying the cradle of freedom. The iron law of profit is best served by those who are willing to depersonalize themselves by valuing efficiency above compassion, and devotion to the competitive goals of the corporation over loyalty to family.
Questions:
i. Suggest a suitable title of the passage and also write a summary of the passage.
ii. Explain the meaning of the expressions "dehumanization" and "iron law of profit" in the context of the passage.
iii. Analyze the author's perspective on the role of the family in preserving individual freedom and resisting the influence of political ideologies.
iv. How does the passage explore the theme of loyalty and the impact of societal structures on individual freedom within the family?
v. What thematic insights can be gathered from the author's discussion on the erosion of freedom due to societal trends and economic priorities?
vi. How might the ideas presented in the passage be applied to real-life situations where individuals and societies make choices about the balance between family loyalty and external influences?
