Comprehension:
Read the given passage and answer the five questions that follow :-
Humans are deluded creatures who always think they are born to rule and dictate. This human delusion has assumed dangerous proportions in these times when humans are on a rampage, destroying and devouring all those they fallaciously perceive as inferior. The religio-scriptural belief humans are the best of all creations has made us believe we are the monarchs of all we survey.
The misconception that nature has made us the undisputed supreme species who can eliminate others at will, underscores speciesism. The great Persian mystic Hakim Sanai wrote centuries ago, "Humans must learn to coexist with all creatures,” and the poet Anvari said "Hubristic humans are threats to all creatures and non-human animals."
All mystics believe the very concept of equality and egalitarianism could be fully understood and realized only when humans could accept the most exalted truth- that even a leaf, an ant, and a branch of tree has a pure essence and spirit, is as sacred as the human spirit.
In other words, it is not enough to establish equality and egalitarianism among humans; there should be seamless equality and a spirit of relatable empathy among all. How can we be condescending or disparaging to any other species on Earth? Never forget every particle glitters with effulgence of divinity. The problem with us is our ingrained condescension. Even in our so-called love for animals and other species, there is always an element of pontification that can be equated with Rudyard Kipling's downright pejorative phrase, “The White Man’s Burden.” Who has given us the right to treat animals the way we have been treating them right from the dawn of human civilization?
The mantra of Speciesism is:-
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Man is the most supreme creation of God.
Speciesism is the belief that one species, humans, is superior to all others. The passage says the belief that humans are "the best of all creations" and "the undisputed supreme species" underscores speciesism, so its mantra is that man is the most supreme creation of God.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: Man is not born to rule. — Incorrect. Contradicted: the passage says humans "always think they are born to rule and dictate".
Option 3: Peaceful co-existence. — Incorrect. Wrong link: it is the answer to speciesism, not its mantra; Hakim Sanai says "Humans must learn to coexist with all creatures".
Option 4: Human element of pontification. — Incorrect. Wrong focus: it is a symptom, not the mantra; pontification means speaking in a pompous, superior way, and the passage finds "an element of pontification" even in our love for animals.
Example: Nobody enjoyed his endless pontification on good manners.
Note: "An element of pontification" is a phrase from the passage, but it describes the way humans speak of their love for animals; it is not the belief on which speciesism rests.