In the following question, a sentence with a blank is given, followed by five words labeled (1), (2), (3), (4), and (5).
Choose the word that fills the blank appropriately in the context of the passage.
The truth of the self-conscious individual lies not in its immediate certainty, but in the dialectical movement of its becoming. Consciousness, in its pursuit of knowledge, initially assumes that its object is something external and independent. Yet, through the labour of experience, it discovers that this object is not truly separate but ____ (1) by consciousness itself.
The apparent duality of subject and object is thus sublated in the dialectic, revealing that knowledge is not the passive reception of an external truth but an active process in which consciousness shapes and ____ (2) its own reality.
This movement unfolds through a series of contradictions, in which each stage of consciousness, believing itself to have attainedi certainty, encounters its own inadequacy. The master-slave dialectic exemplifies this: self-consciousness seeks recognition from another, yet in asserting its dominance over the other, it paradoxically ____ (3) its own freedom.
The master, in reducing the slave to a mere instrument, deprives himself of a fully realized recognition. Meanwhile, the slave, through labour and self-transformation, attains a deeper awareness of autonomy, demonstrating that freedom is not given but achieved through negation and ____ (4). Spirit (Geist) emerges as the reconciliation of these conflicts not a static substance but a dynamic process of self-realization. Spirit unfolds historically, manifesting itself ____ (5) in institutions, culture, and philosophy, gradually moving toward absolute knowing. This historical progression is not linear but dialectical, driven by the negation of old forms and the emergence of new ones.
Use the appropriate word according to the context of the passage.(4)
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The passage mentions that freedom is 'achieved through negation,' which aligns with the philosophical concept of distancing oneself from immediate biological or material constraints. This process is called ‘detachment’.
Therefore, the most appropriate word for blank (4) is ‘detachment’.