There is an anthropological theory that states that societies may be

Question

There is an anthropological theory that states that societies may be divided into one of two broad categories by their cultural motivators—shame or guilt. In a shame-based society, the ethical motivations are primarily external— one’s behavior is governed based on potential effects on the social group (such as dishonoring one’s family). By contrast, guilt-based societies rely more heavily on internal motivations—one’s behavior is governed based on a set of internal guidelines. There is no society where one or the other is entirely absent, but the distinction lies in that, based on the accepted values of the society, one will come to be dominant over the other. It would seem that early Medieval Europe was primarily a shame-based society; indeed, the forms of shame-based motivators in courtly society were extremely highly developed, with express social laws governing various behaviors. This sort of shame may be seen to be divided into many forms, such as positive and negative shame— that is, prospective and retrospective (knowledge of the honor one will accrue or the shame one will avoid through future actions, and humiliation or other punishment after the action has been done, respectively)—ethical and nonethical (dealing with higher, such as theological and abstract, concepts, and quotidian matters, respectively), and so on. These social structures may be also found in the contemporary tales of the chivalric world. An example of such may be seen in the frequent plot device of the knight committing adultery with the wife of his lord. Adultery with the wife of one’s lord is a matter of treason and an explicit moral wrong, and yet the condemnation in these stories seems to focus on the perpetrator’s violation of social norms (treason) rather than moral standards (adultery).    1 
 1. Based on the passage, what can we infer about a society that focuses primarily upon a code of moral right and wrong?

A. It would be shame based.
B. It would be guilt based.
C. It would tolerate adultery.
D. It would not have laws governing behavior.
E. It would have extremely draconian laws dealing with wrongdoing.

2 
 2. Which of the following CANNOT be inferred from the passage?

I. Early Medieval Europe was unconcerned with moral codes.
II. Some cultures are neither shame based nor guilt based.
III. Guilt-based societies have few laws.

A. I Only
B. III Only
C. I and III Only
D. II and III Only
E. I, II, and III

3 
 3. Based on the passage, a society that prizes the harmony of the social group would most likely be

A. shame based.
B. guilt based.
C. extremely permissive.
D. governed by a chivalric order.
E. bereft of citizens with an internal code of moral right and wrong.

RC Butler 2023  -  Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.   
Passage # 242 Date: 19 Jul-2023
 This question is part of RC Butler 2023 .  Click here for Details

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chanandler_bong · Answer

Could I ask just a technical question ? I got number 2 wrong, because I thought that if the the answer is said to be wrong by the text ( ex : that some cultures are neither shame based nor guilt based, while we know for sure that all societies are a mix of both ), it is still possible to infer the information from the text and therefore it can be inferred. 
But, judging from the true answer (E), those that are wrong cannot be said to be inferred from the text. Am I correct ? Please correct my reasoning. 
Thank you in advance

kryinkrumble · Answer

Hi  chanandler_bong ! I would say that "cannot be said to be inferred from the text" means (1)  what the passage says contradicts whatever statement that was given  AND (2)  whatever that was given in the statement wasn't mentioned in the passage . Hope it helps, that was how I inferred it and arrived at the answer E.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

1. Based on the passage, what can we infer about a society that focuses primarily upon a code of moral right and wrong?

Explanation

The difference between the two kinds of societies, according to the author, is a matter of internal (guilt) and external (shame) motivators. What you must consider, then, is where a moral code might be placed. You are given one particularly useful clue in the phrase  “internal guidelines,”  which even if it lacks the strength of a sense of moral right and wrong, still allows us to classify the society in the question as guilt-based. And furthermore, in the example at the end of the passage, it is suggested that  “moral standards”  are an example of a trait of a guilt-based society. The answer is  (B).

Choice (C)  is wrong; don’t be distracted by the description at the end of the passage that describes how medieval Europe, a shame-based society, dealt with adultery.

Choices (D)  and  (E)  both go beyond the scope of the passage.

Answer: B

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

2. Which of the following CANNOT be inferred from the passage?

Explanation

You are looking for statements that go beyond what can reasonably be inferred from the passage.

(I)  is a good choice, because while the passage mentions that it was  “primarily a shame-based society,”  there is no mention of a lack of concern with moral codes; furthermore, the passage notes that neither classification of societies is without some influence of the other.

(II)  also cannot be inferred from the sentence—in fact, it is contradicted in the fourth sentence. While the passage mentions the complexity of the social guidelines of shame-based societies, and it might be inferred that there are many laws in such societies, there is no way you can infer from this that  (III)  guilt-based societies have few laws.

Answer: E

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

3. Based on the passage, a society that prizes the harmony of the social group would most likely be

Explanation

For this question you must consider the description of the society in the question compared to what you are given in the passage. Early in the passage, you see mention of dishonoring one’s family as an example of a damaging effect on the social group. This indicates that the society in the question would be a shame-based society as in the example in the passage, and the correct answer is thus  (A) . This eliminates  choice (B).

Choice (C)  is wrong because there are certainly rules in a shame-based society. Similarly you can reject  (E) . It goes beyond the scope of the passage, which does not offer evidence to suggest that individuals within a society that emphasizes social cohesion do not have an internally regulated morality.

(D)  is wrong because there are insufficient data to support such an assertion.

Answer: A

There is an anthropological theory that states that societies may be

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There is an anthropological theory that states that societies may be

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