Q2 of 12 Page 188

How is the message of the Gita generally understood and portrayed? What change in interpretation does Sen suggest?

The Gita is usually understood as a one-sided wisdom given by Krishna. However, Sen argues that Arjuna’s consequential analysis should also be considered in light of the contemporary world. He suggests that the interpretation of the Gita requires supplementation by the broader argumentative wisdom of the Mahabharata.


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4

How, according to Sen, has the tradition of public discussion and interactive reasoning helped the success of democracy in India?

 1

Does Amartya Sen see argumentation as a positive or a negative value?

 1

This essay is an example of argumentative writing. Supporting statements with evidence is a feature of this kind of writing.

For each of the statements given below state the supportive evidence provided in the essay:


(i) Prolixity is not alien to India –


(ii) The arguments are also, often enough, substantive –


(iii) This admiration for the Gita, and Krishna’s arguments, in particular has been a lasting phenomenon in parts of European culture –


(iv) There remains a powerful case for ‘faring well’, and not just ‘forward’ –

 1

Examine the noun phrases in these sentences from the text

• The second woman head of the Indian National Congress, Nellie Sengupta, was elected in 1933.


• This concerns the relation—and the distance—between income and achievement.


• This may be particularly significant in understanding the class basis of the rapid spread of Buddhism, in particular, in India.