Passage 1

Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud agreed that the roots of war were to be found in an elemental instinct for aggression and destruction. Einstein thought that ‘man has in him an active instinct for hatred and destruction‘, and Freud believed he had identified a ‘death instinct‘ which manifested itself in homicide and suicide. Edward Wilson in ‘On Human Nature‘ argued that “we tend to fear deeply the actions of strangers and to solve conflict by aggression”. On the other hand, peace is not a panacea in which all human antagonisms are resolved. Peace is simply the absence of war, not the absence of conflict. Though peace and war are usually regarded as opposites, there is a sense in which both are aspects of the conflict that is endemic in all social life.

As per the passage, "Elemental instinct for aggression and destruction" is accepted as having validity. What is the most challenging inference that the phrase can make?

(a)States are fairly incapable of cooperation, making alliances or international organizations seemingly impossible.

(b)Irrational, instinctual drives override purely rational calculations in decision-making, leading to conflict even when not in the state's interest.

(c)The only way to achieve peace is through global governance that suppresses these instincts in all national leaders.

(d)Social structures, laws, and institutions can channel, mediate and regulate conflict to prevent it from escalating into war.

Question

Passage 1

Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud agreed that the roots of war were to be found in an elemental instinct for aggression and destruction. Einstein thought that &lsquo;man has in him an active instinct for hatred and destruction&lsquo;, and Freud believed he had identified a &lsquo;death instinct&lsquo; which manifested itself in homicide and suicide. Edward Wilson in &lsquo;On Human Nature&lsquo; argued that &ldquo;we tend to fear deeply the actions of strangers and to solve conflict by aggression&rdquo;. On the other hand, peace is not a panacea in which all human antagonisms are resolved. Peace is simply the absence of war, not the absence of conflict. Though peace and war are usually regarded as opposites, there is a sense in which both are aspects of the conflict that is endemic in all social life.

As per the passage, "Elemental instinct for aggression and destruction" is accepted as having validity. What is the most challenging inference that the phrase can make?

(a)States are fairly incapable of cooperation, making alliances or international organizations seemingly impossible.

(b)Irrational, instinctual drives override purely rational calculations in decision-making, leading to conflict even when not in the state's interest. 

(c)The only way to achieve peace is through global governance that suppresses these instincts in all national leaders.

(d)Social structures, laws, and institutions can channel, mediate and regulate conflict to prevent it from escalating into war.

ONLiNE UPSC · Accepted Answer

Statement (a) is not correct: This statement is too strong: The existence of aggressive instincts for aggression and destruction does not automatically prevent all cooperation, alliances or international organizations. It just makes conflict more likely or harder to avoid.

Statement (b) is correct: Rational theories assume states make logical decisions based on interests like security or economic gain. However, if deep-seated &lsquo;human instincts for aggression and destruction&rsquo; exist (as suggested by Einstein, Freud and Wilson), this poses a challenge. These non-rational or irrational drives might bias or overpower purely logical calculations in statecraft. Consequently, states could engage in destructive conflicts that contradict a cool-headed decision-making of their self-interest, questioning ideals that rely solely on rationality.

Statement (c) is not correct: This statement proposes a solution, not an inference about theories. This option discusses how to achieve peace, rather than inferring the impact of the psychological views on existing international relations theories. This statement is not a challenging inference that can be made from the validation of the phrase "Elemental instinct for aggression and destruction".

Statement (d) is not correct: While the statement might be true regarding the positive implications of social structures, laws, and institutions, it does not infer the repercussions and challenges of "Elemental instinct for aggression and destruction" in humans.

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