Question

this brief essay by author and college professor charles augustus eggert was published in california in 1913 as part of the collection why i am opposed to socialism: original papers by leading men and women. socialism was a popular and controversial theory at that time, four years before the russian revolution. no government had yet tried to put the theory of socialism into practice.
why i am opposed to socialism
by charles augustus eggert
i am opposed to socialism, first, because it is not an inductively obtained system, but an ism that postulates qualities in the individuality of a nation which no nation, or community even, has yet developed to a sufficiently high state to make this ism fit to be seriously tried.
in passage 1, which criticism does eggert apply to socialist reasoning?
it treats people as motivated primarily by financial considerations.
it is based on abstract ideas rather than history and experience.
it assumes that all nations are alike and without distinctive cultures.
it places more value on strong management than on cooperation.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the passage and options. The passage says socialism is "not an inductively obtained system, but an 'ism' that postulates qualities..." Inductive reasoning is based on history/experience (observing specific cases to form generalizations). So the criticism is that socialism is based on abstract ideas (postulated) rather than history/experience. Let's check options:

• Option 1: No mention of financial motivations in the passage. Eliminate.
• Option 2: Matches the passage's point about socialism being based on postulated (abstract) ideas instead of inductive (history/experience - based) reasoning.
• Option 3: The passage talks about a nation's individuality, not all nations being alike. Eliminate.
• Option 4: The passage doesn't discuss management vs. cooperation. Eliminate.

Answer:

It is based on abstract ideas rather than history and experience.