Mains Practice Questions

1. Civilization advances when man masters nature, but regresses when he forgets his own nature

Quotes to Enrich Your Essay:

• Albert Einstein: "Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."
• Mahatma Gandhi: "The world has enough for everyone's needs, but not enough for everyone's greed."
• Rachel Carson: "Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts."

Theoretical and Philosophical Dimensions:

• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: Civilization’s mastery over nature secures the base of the pyramid (physiological, safety). 
  • However, regression occurs when this pursuit undermines higher-level needs like belonging, community, and self-actualization, the core of "our own nature."
• Environmental Ethics: Mastery over nature must be guided by ethical responsibility; exploiting nature without understanding its limits leads to regression.
• Human Nature and Existentialism: Forgetting one’s own nature, empathy, restraint, and self-awareness, causes social and moral decline, despite technological advancement.

Policy and Historical Examples:

• Mastering Nature: The Indus Valley Civilization harnessed river systems for agriculture and urban planning, enabling societal advancement.
• Forgetting Human Nature: The collapse of Easter Island society due to over-exploitation of resources shows regression when human greed overrides natural limits.
  • Industrial pollution leads to public health crises, demonstrating the cost of ignoring human responsibility.
• The Green Revolution in India: This was a monumental achievement in mastering nature to ensure food security. 
  • However, the accompanying regression included depleted water tables, soil degradation from chemical overuse, and the erosion of biodiversity, creating long-term ecological vulnerabilities

Moral and Strategic Implications:

• Responsible stewardship of natural resources balances progress with ethical conduct.
• Ignoring human nature, like empathy and social responsibility, undermines civilization despite material mastery.

Contemporary Examples:

• Urban Planning: Smart cities in India integrate technology with human-centric design to balance mastery of nature with quality of life.
• Corporate Sustainability: Companies like Infosys and Tata Group demonstrate that technological mastery must align with social and environmental conscience.
• Artificial Intelligence and Automation: We are mastering the nature of intelligence itself. 
  • The potential regression lies in mass job displacement, algorithmic bias, and the erosion of human connection and critical thinking, forcing a debate on what aspects of our own nature we must preserve.

2. Power today lies not in weapons, but in narratives

Quotes to Enrich Your Essay:

• Yuval Noah Harari: "You could never convince a monkey to give you a banana by promising him limitless bananas after death in monkey heaven. Only Sapiens can believe such stories."
• Joseph Goebbels: "A lie told once remains a lie, but a lie told a thousand times becomes truth."
• Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: "The problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story."
• Noam Chomsky: "Propaganda is to a democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state."

Theoretical and Philosophical Dimensions:

• Constructivism (International Relations): Power in the modern world is socially constructed, narratives shape perceptions and influence global order.
• Media and Communication Theory: Control over information and narrative frames can shift public opinion more effectively than military force (Russia’s interference in US State Elections 2016).
• Psychology of Influence: Stories create identity, legitimacy, and trust, emotional engagement often trumps brute strength.

Policy and Historical Examples:

• Narratives in Nation-Building:
  • Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent resistance framed India’s struggle for independence as morally righteous, attracting global support.
  • The United States’ use of “American Dream” narratives fostered national cohesion and international influence during the Cold War.
• Weapons vs. Narrative:
  • Cyber warfare and propaganda campaigns demonstrate that controlling information and perception can be more decisive than physical confrontation.

Moral and Strategic Implications:

• Ethical storytelling can guide social change, while manipulative narratives can destabilize societies.
• Nations and leaders must balance narrative influence with truth and transparency to maintain legitimacy.

Contemporary Examples:

• Social Media Movements: Hashtags like #MeToo and #ClimateStrike shows the global power of narrative in shaping public discourse and policy.
• Corporate Branding and "Woke Capitalism": Companies like Nike and Apple wield immense power not just through their products but through the narratives they sell about identity, rebellion, and creativity. 
  • By aligning with social movements, they shape culture and public discourse to a degree once reserved for states.
• Geopolitics: India’s “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” narrative reinforces soft power in international forums, shaping alliances and cooperation without force.