In this tricky question on comparison, one needs to fix the two arms of comparison first.
Is it between theodicean societies and the non-theodicean societies? No
Is it between the traditions of theodicean societies and the traditions of non-theodicean societies? No again
Look at the wordings carefully.
“are more likely” to result in religious adherence “than are” those that non-theodicean societies develop”. Here
those stands for the traditions. The essence of the text is that the comparison lies between what the theodicean traditions are likely to result in with what the non theodicean are likely to result in. The phrase ‘
likely to result in’ is elliptical in the second arm. That is the reason we do require the verb ’
are’ in the second arm to make the comparison parallel. Hence A is the choice.
In B C D and E the comparisons are wrongly done between what the theodicean traditions are likely to result in on one side and various other dissimilar things such traditions themselves, and what the non-theodicean societies' development would etc on the other side.
Though disguised in ellipsis, the comparison remains logical in only A
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