CSS 1999 Solved Precis

• Contentious (Adjective): Marked by conflict, argument, or a tendency to provoke disagreement
  • Contextual Explanation: Describes a selfish and quarrelsome attitude that democracy rejects in favor of cooperation, goodwill, and mutual respect
• Cosmological temple (Noun Phrase): A grand, all-encompassing ideological framework used to explain the universe or human order
  • Contextual Explanation: Refers metaphorically to the old philosophical or religious structure in which democratic values were once formally grounded, a structure that can be abandoned without abandoning the values themselves

The passage emphasizes the core values of democracy, highlighting the inherent dignity of the individual and the importance of mutual respect and persuasion over coercion. The author conveys that democracy, despite its imperfections, gives rise to an environment conducive to rational and humane living, enabling individuals to pursue truth and collective well-being. Ultimately, it champions the belief in humanity's capacity for good through democratic principles.

Main Idea of the Passage

• The essence of a noble life lies in valuing individual dignity, truth, and the altruistic use of knowledge. And democracy serves as the most effective framework for these ideals because it prioritizes rational persuasion and voluntary consent over force.

Supporting Ideas Helping the Main Idea

• Upholding human worth, social harmony, and the pursuit of truth is superior to selfishness and conflict.
• Intelligence and authority should benefit the collective welfare rather than the privileged.
• These principles are at the core of the democratic framework.
• Democracy functions by treating humane goals as the ends and using the bare minimum force and maximum willingness as the means.
• This is why modern democratic values remain valid even if their original historical or metaphysical justifications are discarded.
• The system sustains as it relies on the belief that humans are rational enough to achieve a noble life through peaceful cooperation.

Confused About Main and Supporting Ideas?

Kindly make sure to revise all five lectures on Precis Writing that I have already delivered. In these sessions, we discussed in detail:

• What a precis is and its purpose.
• What the main idea means and how to extract it effectively.
• What supporting ideas are and how to identify them.
• How to coordinate the main and supporting ideas while writing a concise, coherent precis.

Additionally, go through the 20 examples I shared in the WhatsApp groups. These examples highlight the Dos and Don’ts of Precis Writing, and revising them will help you avoid common mistakes and refine your technique.

Precis 1

Personal worth, peace, the pursuit of truth, and the greater good should be prioritized over compulsion and the service of the advantaged. Certainly, these principles represent the core of democracy despite the evolution of its historical justifications as the system employs logical persuasion to attain humanitarian goals. Thus, democracy remains the most effective framework for the development of a virtuous life as it relies on the human potential for attaining progress in a reasonable manner.

• Original Words in the Passage: 238
• Precis Word Count: 75
• Title: The Philosophy of Democratic Governance

Precis 2

It is preferable to give precedence to the sanctity of individuals and choose reasoned conviction over force. Similarly, truth should be sought to help everyone, not just a few fortunate people. These principles are the heart of the democratic tradition: the system is important because it seeks to achieve fair goals through voluntary agreement, and even if historical circumstances change, democracy remains the best way for rational human beings to achieve collective happiness.

• Original Words in the Passage: 238
• Precis Word Count: 73
• Title: The Ethical Basis of Democracy

Precis 3

Individual worth and logical authority should be preferred to compulsion; similarly, the pursuit of truth and social altruism should be prioritized over selfishness or class interests. Indeed, these ideals define the democratic framework: pursuing humanitarian goals through consensus and limited force. Finally, its value persists independent of historical origins as democracy provides the most suitable environment for progress, relying on the human capacity for peaceful cooperation.

• Original Words in the Passage: 238
• Precis Word Count: 66
• Title: Humane Values and the Democratic Framework

Precis 4

The belief in individual sanctity, along with the superiority of dialogue over duress and collective welfare and objective truth over partisan advantage, defines the democratic philosophy. Thus, democratic ideals remain essential, regardless of their metaphysical justifications, as they employ logical means to achieve civilized ends, with the system affirming the human potential for virtue through peaceful means.

• Original Words in the Passage: 238
• Precis Word Count: 57
• Title: The Rational Ethics of Democracy