Passage on 19th-century theories of social evolution, inspired by belief in growing improvement of social institutions rather than by biology; social scientists took progress for granted and sought its laws and phases. Which inference follows with greatest accuracy? Social scientists:
Options:
(A) did not question that progress was a fact.
(B) did not approve of Biology.
(C) framed the laws of progress.
(D) emphasized Biology over Social Sciences.
Official Answer Key:
A
Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation
• **Textual Analysis:** The passage emphasizes that 19th-century theories of social evolution were grounded in an unshakeable faith in continuous societal progress, where social scientists took progress for granted as an axiom rather than an empirical hypothesis to be validated.
• **Option Evaluation:**
- (A) *did not question that progress was a fact*: Directly aligns with taking progress for granted.
- (B) *did not approve of Biology*: Inaccurate; they borrowed inspiration from evolutionary concepts, even though their primary motive was sociological belief.
- (C) *framed the laws of progress*: They attempted to search for them, but taking progress for granted is the foundational premise.
• **Conclusion:** Option (A) is the most rigorous and direct inference. **Correct Answer: A**.
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