In a discussion of intellectual history, the belief that power and its…
2011
In a discussion of intellectual history, the belief that power and its exercise are all that matter is called philistinism. What does the passage call the reverse claim that ideas with systematic expression or formal sophistication do not matter because they are held only by a minority?
Answer: D. the mirror-image of philistinism — ConceptIn passage-based comprehension, a claim should be classified by the explicit label and contrast used by the author. The surrounding sentence supplies…
- A.
to have a licensed political class
- B.
a political action
- C.
a philosophy of literature
- D.
the mirror-image of philistinism
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Concept
In passage-based comprehension, a claim should be classified by the explicit label and contrast used by the author. The surrounding sentence supplies the referent; outside assumptions should not replace that textual link.
Application
The passage first describes philistinism as the prejudice that only power and its exercise matter.
It then describes the opposite-looking prejudice: formally developed ideas are dismissed because only a minority holds them.
The author explicitly calls this second prejudice the mirror-image of philistinism.
Contrast
The phrase “to have a licensed political class” relates to requiring ideas to influence the political elite before receiving attention.
A political action is something historians may seek to explain through textual evidence.
A philosophy of literature is a theoretical framework for understanding literature and its principles.
The mirror-image of philistinism is the passage’s own label for dismissing sophisticated ideas because a minority holds them.
Therefore, the claim is the mirror-image of philistinism.