The philosophical doctrine of Incompatibility posits an inherent irrec

There are no 2 elements thus the usage of between is incorrect - B, D and E out

In C "in the doctrine of Determinism, which holds the idea" we need "that" after holds as doctrine of Determinism doesn't hold the idea by itself. It needs a definition of what it holds i.e. holds that blah blah blah..

Answer - A

D is the best answer.

Meaning: The doctrine posits an irreconcilability between: X: the doctrine of determinism and Y: the existence of free will.

Split #1: between and among
The sentence talks about irreconcilability between/among two thing, X: the doctrine of determinism and Y: the existence of free will. When reference is made to two things, between is appropriate and among is inappropriate. Based on this, A can be eliminated.

Split #2: Parallelism: the doctrine of Determinism and the existence of free will vs the doctrine of Determinism and free will existing
If my understanding of the structure is right, then in free will existing, the modifier is free will and the noun is existing, forming an appositive phrase. If strict parallelism rules are applied, then free will existing is not parallel to the doctrine of Determination. However, the doctrine and the existence are parallel. The noun form existence is superior to the gerund existing. In addition, the simple gerund can only be made parallel to another simple gerund. Based on this B and E can be eliminated.

Between C and D, C states that the doctrine of Determinism holds the idea that each state of affairs is necessitated by the states of affairs preceding. First of all, it is illogical for a doctrine to hold an idea. A person can hold an idea in a doctrine but it makes no sense to say a doctrine holds an idea. Second, the pronoun it is omitted in C after preceding, hence C creates a sense of an incomplete though in the which clause.

The philosophical doctrine of Incompatibility posits an inherent irreconcilability among the doctrine of Determinism, which holds that each state of affairs is necessitated by the states of affairs that preceded it, and the existence of free will.

A) among the doctrine of Determinism, which holds that each state of affairs is necessitated by the states of affairs that preceded it, and the existence of free will

B) between the doctrine of Determinism, holding each state of affairs as necessitated by the states of affairs that preceded it, and free will existing

C) in the doctrine of Determinism, which holds the idea that each state of affairs is necessitated by the states of affairs preceding [it], and the existence of free will

D) between the doctrine of Determinism, which holds that each state of affairs is necessitated by the states of affairs preceding it, and the existence of free will

E) between the doctrine of Determinism, which holds that each state of affairs may be necessitated by the states of affairs preceding it, and free will existing

among is used more than 2 items VS between is used 2 items, items that are the doctrine of Determinism and the existence of free will. So A is out. C is also out, taking preposition changes the meaning.
free will existing sounds awkward. mean noun is existing and free will is modifies the noun existing. existence of free will is better and correct. relationship between existence and free will is correctly stated. So B and E are out.
D corrects all of the above misses, hence D is right.

The official explanation is here.

Dear Friends,

Here is a detailed explanation to this question-



A: This answer choice incorrectly uses the word "among" to compare two nouns, "doctrine" and "existence"; "among" is only used when comparing three or more elements. Thus, this answer choice is incorrect.

B: This answer choice is awkward, as it compares the dedicated noun "doctrine" with the gerund "existing". Additionally, B is redundant due to its use of the needlessly wordy phrase "holding each state of affairs as necessitated by the states of affairs that preceded it". Thus, this answer choice is incorrect.

C: This answer choice fails to maintain the proper idiom construction "between...and" when comparing two elements. Additionally, C suffers from a subtle error in meaning because it uses the phrase "which holds the idea"; this phrasing implies that the doctrine has an idea, and is thus capable of conscious thought. Thus, this answer choice is incorrect.

D: This answer choice is concise, maintains proper comparison and idiom construction, and conveys the intended meaning of the sentence; namely, according to the philosophical doctrine of Incompatibility, the doctrine of Determinism and the existence of free will are irreconcilable. Thus, this answer choice is correct.

E: This answer choice changes the meaning of the sentence by using the phrase "may be", which conveys a sense of ambiguity. E also repeats the comparison error seen in Option B. Thus, this answer choice is incorrect.

Hence, D is the best answer choice.

To understand the concept of "Between v/s Among on GMAT", you may want to watch the following video (~1 minute):



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