Last visit was: 18 Nov 2025, 07:37 It is currently 18 Nov 2025, 07:37

Close

GRE Prep Club Daily Prep

Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GRE score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.

Close

Request Expert Reply

Confirm Cancel
SORT BY:
Date
Verbal Expert
Joined: 18 Apr 2015
Posts: 33950
Own Kudos [?]: 40440 [7]
Given Kudos: 26617
Send PM
Verbal Expert
Joined: 18 Apr 2015
Posts: 33950
Own Kudos [?]: 40440 [0]
Given Kudos: 26617
Send PM
Verbal Expert
Joined: 18 Apr 2015
Posts: 33950
Own Kudos [?]: 40440 [0]
Given Kudos: 26617
Send PM
Verbal Expert
Joined: 18 Apr 2015
Posts: 33950
Own Kudos [?]: 40440 [0]
Given Kudos: 26617
Send PM
Re: The anti-foundationalist belief that there is no secure basis for know [#permalink]
Expert Reply
QUESTION 3


The author states that anti-foundationalists believe that there is no secure basis for knowledge.Therefore, choice (A) is correct.The author states that Derrida held the belief that any attempts to discuss universal features of human nature are merely products of local standards. In other words, meaning is understood within a cultural context, thus eliminate choice (B).Choice (C) misquotes the information in the passage.Though the passage talks about Darwin’s work, almost making Derrida’s inevitable, choice (D) is too extreme.Eliminate choice (E) because it does not address the question.
Manager
Manager
Joined: 13 Sep 2025
Posts: 82
Own Kudos [?]: 6 [0]
Given Kudos: 6
Send PM
Re: The anti-foundationalist belief that there is no secure basis for know [#permalink]
Why is E wrong in Q1 ?
Verbal Expert
Joined: 18 Apr 2015
Posts: 33950
Own Kudos [?]: 40440 [0]
Given Kudos: 26617
Send PM
Re: The anti-foundationalist belief that there is no secure basis for know [#permalink]
Expert Reply
Option E: Ideas that are a product of local standards cannot contain elements of a universal truth.

This option uses extreme language that goes beyond what the passage attributes to Derrida, making it an unjustifiable conclusion.
1. The Passage Says "Merely": Derrida states that attempts at universality are "merely products of local standards." This means that when you try to discuss human nature in a universal way, what you produce is only a local idea disguised as universal.
2. The Passage Doesn't Say "Cannot Contain": The passage critiques the claim of universality, but it does not claim that local ideas are entirely divorced from anything universal. It is possible for an idea that originated locally to still possess elements of truth that might resonate more broadly. Derrida is primarily interested in the fact that the idea's foundation is local and political, not that every sentence of it is false everywhere.
3. The Correct Conclusion (B): The more moderate and accurate conclusion, Option B, states that ideas from the status quo "do not necessarily represent a universally accepted truth." This aligns perfectly with Derrida's view that such ideas are merely products of local standards—meaning they lack the guaranteed universal status they claim.

Because Option E uses the absolute term "cannot contain elements of a universal truth," it states an idea that is too extreme and not supported by the nuance of Derrida's critique in the text.
Prep Club for GRE Bot
Re: The anti-foundationalist belief that there is no secure basis for know [#permalink]
Moderators:
GRE Forum Moderator
37 posts
GRE Instructor
234 posts
GRE Instructor
1106 posts

Powered by phpBB © phpBB Group | Emoji artwork provided by EmojiOne