The novelist and social theorist Charlotte Perkins Gilman, whose writ

The novelist and social theorist Charlotte Perkins
Gilman, whose writings were widely read and
discussed in the early twentieth century, played an
important role in the debate about the theories of
(5) Charles Darwin and their application to society.
Darwin's theory of evolution did not directly apply to
social ideology, but various intellectuals translated his
ideas of natural selection into social language and
argued about their interpretation. Some of these
(10) Social Darwinist theorists held that the nature of
human social interactions is strictly determined by the
process of biological evolution, and that it is futile to
try to meddle with the competitive struggle for
existence and the survival of the fittest. Another, more
(15) activist group of Social Darwinists held that although
changes in human societies, like those that occur in
biological species, do constitute a sort of evolution,
this evolution at the level of a human society need not
be competitive, but can emerge through collective
(20) action within society.

Gilman identified herself with this latter
ideological camp and applied evolutionary theory in
the movement for social change. The central thesis of
this group of Social Darwinists was that although
(25) people, like all life, are the products of natural
evolutionary forces, the principles of change that
determine the development of organisms have brought
humans to the point where it is possible for us to
contribute consciously to the evolutionary process, to
(30) redesign and mold our societies in appropriate ways.
This, for Gilman, was not simply a descriptive
observation about humanity but was also a source of
ethical responsibility. She argued that since a prime
source of social evolution is human work, whether in
(30) crafts, trades, arts, or sciences, one of the primary
ethical responsibilities of a person is to identify and
engage in work that is societally relevant and that
makes the best use of that person's talents.

Gilman was not merely engaged in an intellectual
(40) debate. Motivated by her ethical vision and convinced
of the plasticity of human nature, Gilman vehemently
sought to break the molds into which people, especially
women, had been thrust. In both her fiction and her
social theory she urges women to further social
(45) evolution by collectively working toward a
reorganization of society. A central goal of the
reorganization she envisioned would be the abandonment
of gender-specific work roles and hierarchical
relationships. Gilman believed that at one time such arrange
(50) -ments had been necessary for evolution because
what she felt were male traits of assertiveness, combat,
and display were essential for the development of a
complex society. Future progress, she believed, now
required the restoration of a balance that would
(55) include what she saw as female qualities of
cooperation and nurturance.

1. Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage?

(A) Gilman's activist social theory, which called for the abolition of gender-specific work roles, contributed the central doctrine to one type of Social Darwinism that distinguished it from the other, more competitive-minded Social Darwinist camp.
(B) Although Gilman aligned herself with the activist group of Social Darwinists, she rejected some of its doctrines, calling instead for gender equality and the general recognition of traditionally female qualities.
(C) Unlike most Social Darwinists of her time, Gilman saw the issues involved in Social Darwinist debate as transcending abstract theoretical concerns and having important implications for human society, especially for women.
(D) Gilman's version of Social Darwinism held that people can and should contribute actively to the social evolution of humanity, and in her writings she advised women to do so through efforts to eliminate traditional gender roles.
(E) Gilman, whose important contributions to the debate over the application of Darwinism to social ideology were widely recognized in the early twentieth century, should also be recognized for her writings on women's social issues.


2. The passage most strongly suggests that which one of the following statements is true?

(A) Gilman's social theory was unlike other applications of evolutionary theory to the social realm because it was not closely allied with any of the major political movements of her time.
(B) One of Gilman's innovations was the introduction of social discourse into the debate about the theories of Charles Darwin, which prior to her work had focused purely on biological issues.
(C) Gilman worked in direct collaboration with other social activists toward the implementation of a set of social reforms that were based on her evolutionary doctrines.
(D) Charles Darwin's writings on the evolution of biological species influenced Gilman's work only indirectly through the writings of other Social Darwinists.
(E) Other evolutionary theorists contemporary with or prior to Gilman shared her view about whether or not evolutionary theory has implications for social practice.


3. Which one of the following sequences most accurately expresses the organization of the passage?

(A) The author identifies a particular individual as a proponent of one of two versions of a theory, and then describes how that individual drew practical implications from the theory and relates some of those implications.
(B) The author describes the relationship of a particular individual to an intellectual community, characterizes in general terms a theory held by that individual, contrasts that theory with another related theory, and then rejects one of those two competing theories.
(C) The author proposes an interpretation of a particular individual's writings, explains how those writings relate to a more general theoretical context, and then argues for the proposed interpretation of the individual's writings.
(D) The author describes some reasoning used by a group of theorists, evaluates that reasoning, attributes similar reasoning to a particular individual, and then shows how the proposed evaluation applies to specific arguments made by that individual.
(E) The author presents some historical facts about the development of a scientific theory, explains the role played by a particular individual in the formulation of that theory, and then summarizes the responses of critics to that individual's work.


4. The passage indicates that Gilman believed that which one of the following can be a significant factor in the evolution of society?

(A) reclamation of ancient social theories
(B) cross-cultural communication
(C) greater literacy
(D) skilled occupations
(E) future uses of dialectical methods in the social sciences


5. The passage gives evidence that Gilman valued which one of the following as an instrument of social progress in her time?

(A) industrialization
(B) fiction writing
(C) international travel
(D) religious training
(E) combative personality traits


6. The passage can most accurately be described as which one of the following?

(A) a defense of the principles of social theory that were promulgated by a particular group of writers and activists
(B) a description of the role played by a particular writer in an intellectual controversy over the consequences of a scientific theory
(C) an explication of the theoretical points of disagreement between two closely related social theories that have almost identical goals
(D) a defense of one interpretation of a particular writer's views, together with a rejection of a competing interpretation of those views
(E) an introduction to a general type of scientific theory, clarified by a detailed presentation of one writer's version of that theory


7. Which one of the following is implied by Gilman's views as described in the passage?

(A) Some social conditions on which social evolution depends at certain times in human history are detrimental to further social evolution at other times in history.
(B) The types of changes that constitute genuine social evolution can no longer be brought about except through coordinated efforts directed at consciously formulated goals.
(C) Gender-based hierarchical relationships, which predated, and led to the development of, gender-specific work roles, will probably be especially difficult to eradicate.
(D) While Social Darwinist theories are essentially descriptive and thus do not have ethical implications, they can be useful rhetorically in communicating ethical messages.
(E) Continuation of the process of social evolution will lead inevitably to the inclusion of more cooperation and nurturance in social arrangements