PrepTest 120, Section 3, Question 12
Critics have argued that because Freudianism holds that(58 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(5 more words not shown)
- AFreudianism does not(12 more words not shown)
- BFreudianism holds that(7 more words not shown)
- CFreudianism may be(12 more words not shown)
- Dpsychoanalysis provides one(5 more words not shown)
- EFreudianism reflects the(15 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Why can't a theory recognize irrational desires and still leave room for rational choices?
The critics see a conflict. Freudianism says unconscious desires can interfere with rational plans, while the Western tradition emphasizes rational thought. But acknowledging an obstacle doesn't necessarily mean we're helpless against it. A person could have an irrational desire and still find a way to keep it from controlling a decision.
That's the response the author gives: Freudianism also says psychoanalysis can make those hidden desires conscious, allowing people to avoid being defeated by them. The theory doesn't merely describe something that can disrupt rational action. It also describes a way to overcome that disruption.
What we’re looking for
We need to finish the author's response to the critics. The natural direction is that Freudianism needn't conflict with the rationalistic tradition after all. Keep the conclusion about the compatibility of those ideas. We haven't suddenly established everything psychoanalysis can accomplish for a person's life.
Working the answers
- ACorrect
This answers the critics' claim of incompatibility. Their objection treats unconscious desires as a barrier to rational plans; the author's response points to the theory's own account of overcoming that barrier. Saying Freudianism doesn't run counter to the rationalistic mainstream brings those two parts together.
- B
Happiness is a new outcome, and “always” makes an especially broad guarantee. Avoiding defeat by an unconscious desire doesn't establish that someone will be happy. The passage doesn't even claim that happiness is psychoanalysis's objective.
- C
The author is responding to a claim that Freudianism conflicts with an existing tradition. Nothing predicts that it will start a new trend. A theory can be compatible with established ideas without becoming popular or changing the direction of a field.
- D
This is the tempting alternative, but overcoming an obstacle to a plan isn't the same as supplying the plan. Imagine someone who already has a rational plan but keeps being diverted by a desire they haven't recognized. Identifying that desire could help them follow the plan; it wouldn't mean psychoanalysis created the plan for them.
More broadly, the discussion is about what Freudianism says and whether those ideas conflict with rationalistic thought. D shifts to a direct promise about what psychoanalysis provides. A stays with the dispute the author is answering.
- E
We haven't compared Freudianism with other psychological theories. Showing that it fits a rationalistic tradition doesn't establish that it fits better than every alternative. The answer turns compatibility into a first-place ranking without evidence for that ranking.
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