The Tokugawa period (16031867) in Japan serves as a laboratory for or

Question

The Tokugawa period (1603–1867) in Japan serves as a laboratory for organizational behavior historians for the same reason that Iceland works for geneticists—isolation removes extraneous variables. The Tokugawa shoguns brought peace to a land of warring feudal lords. To preserve that tranquility, the Tokugawa shogunate forbade contact with the outside world, allowing only a few Dutch trading ships to dock at one restricted port. Domestically, in pursuit of the same goal, the social order was fixed; there were four classes—warriors  , artisans, merchants, and farmers or peasants—and social mobility was prohibited. The ensuing stability and peace brought a commercial prosperity that lasted nearly two hundred years.

However, as psychologists, social historians, and Biblical prophets have all observed, in varying ways, humans inevitably fail to anticipate unintended consequences. In the Tokugawa period, the fixed social hierarchy placed the samurai on top; they and the government were essentially supported by levies on the peasantry, as the other two classes were demographically and economically inconsequential. However, prosperity brought riches to the commercial classes and their numbers burgeoned. Eventually, their economic power dwarfed that of their supposed superiors, the samurai. Simultaneously, the increasing impoverishment of the samurai adversely affected the finances of the peasantry and the government. By the early 19th century, this imbalance between social structure and economic reality eroded the stability of the society. This condition, in conjunction with increasing pressure for access from foreigners, such as Admiral Perry in 1853, led to the collapse of the shogunate in 1867. In short, the success of this imposed order led to its undoing through consequences that were beyond the ken of the founders.    1 
 1. The primary objective of the passage is to

(A) compare the Tokugawa period to modern Iceland
(B) demonstrate the folly of imposing a social order
(C) show how American naval power ended Japan’s isolation
(D) illustrate how a society can model a common human failing
(E) argue that commerce is more successful than militarization

2  
 2. Which of the following would provide further support for the main reason cited for the decline of the Tokugawa period?

(A) A samurai becomes a successful merchant.
(B) A successful artisan becomes a samurai.
(C) A samurai must work as a bodyguard for an artisan.
(D) A severe drought causes widespread famine.
(E) A military invasion by American marines occurs.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

OE

1. The primary objective of the passage is to

The author states that the Tokugawa period in Japan was a model for patterns of organization, but  “as psychologists, social historians, and Biblical prophets have all observed, in varying ways, humans inevitably fail to anticipate unintended consequences.”  This qualifies as a  “common failing,”  which matches  choice (D) .

Choice (A)  is incorrect, as Iceland is only mentioned briefly as an analogy.

Choice (B)  is wrong both because the author does not express a point of view and because the issue is the result of rather than the imposition of a fixed order.

Choice (C)  addresses a very minor detail, not the purpose.

Choice (E)  is a comparison that the passage does not address and therefore cannot be inferred.

Answer: D

Sajjad1994 · Answer

OE

2. Which of the following would provide further support for the main reason cited for the decline of the Tokugawa period?

The author states that the inversion of the financial and social rankings led to the decline of Tokugawa society.

Choices (A)  and  (B)  are both incorrect because the passage states that social mobility was prohibited.

Choice (D)  is incorrect because the main reason cited for the decline has to do with specific decisions made by the ruling clan, decisions that had unforeseen consequences. A drought is an act of nature.

Choice (E)  is also incorrect; while the author does mention foreign pressure as leading to the collapse of the government, the question concerns the decline of the society, which began long before Admiral Perry’s arrival. 
  
  Answer: C

The Tokugawa period (16031867) in Japan serves as a laboratory for or

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