Solved Precis from CSS Precis 2013 Past Paper

The following precis appeared in the CSS Precis 2013 exam:

Culture, in human societies, has two main aspects; an external, formal aspect and an inner, Ideological aspect, the external forms of culture, social or artistic, is merely organized. Expression of its inner ideological aspect and both are an inherent component of a given social structure. They are changed and modified when this structure is changed or modified and Because of this organic link they also help and influence such changes in their parent organism. Cultural Problems, therefore, cannot be studied or understood or solved in isolation from social problems, i.e. problems of political and economic relationships. The cultural problems of the underdeveloped countries, therefore, have to be understood and solved in the light of larger perspective, in the context of underlying social problems. Very broadly speaking, these problems are primarily the problems of arrested growth; they originate primarily from long years of imperialist-Colonialist domination and the remnants of a backward outmoded social structure. This should not require much elaboration European Imperialism caught up with the countries of Asia, Africa or Latin America between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. Some of them were fairly developed feudal societies with ancient traditions of the advanced feudal culture. Others had yet to progress beyond primitive pastoral tribalism. Social and cultural development of them all was frozen at the point of their political subjugation and remained frozen until the coming of political independence. The culture of these ancient feudal societies, in spite of much technical and intellectual excellence, was restricted to a small privileged class and rarely intermingled with the parallel unsophisticated folk culture of the general masses. Primitive tribal culture, in spite of its childlike beauty, had little intellectual content. Both feudal and tribal societies living contagiously in the same homelands were constantly engaged in tribal, racial and religious or other feuds with their tribal and feudal rivals. Colonialist – imperialist domination accentuated this dual fragmentation, the vertical division among different tribal and national groups, the horizontal division among different classes within the same tribal or national groups. This is the basic ground structure, social and cultural, bequeathed to the newly liberated countries by their former overlords.

Words: 364 Required limit: 121

There are two aspects of culture: external and inner. External aspect is mere, a formal version of inner, ideological aspect and so they are interlinked. Cultural problems for underdeveloped cities are linked with social issues that include issues of arrested growth due to long years of colonization and backward social structure. Asia, Africa, and America had feudal and pastoral societies with much room for social development. Europeans colonized them for three centuries and froze the cultural development until their independence. The cultures of these societies of tribal and feudal nature were in constant feuds based on religion, tribes, and race. Colonizers left this divide among national and tribal groups after the countries were liberated. One great defect of our civilization is that it does not know what to do with its knowledge. Science, as we have seen, has given us powers fit for the gods, yet we use them like small children. For example, we do not know how to manage our machines. Machines were made to be man’s servants; yet he has grown so dependent on them that they are in a fair way to become his masters. Already most men spend most of their lives looking after and waiting upon machines. And the machines are very stern masters. They must be fed with coal, and given petrol to drink, and oil to wash with, and must be kept at the right temperature. And if they do not get their meals when they expect them, they grow sulky and refuse to work, or burst with rage, and blow up, and spread ruin and destruction all around them. So we have to wait upon them very attentively and do all that we can to keep them in a good temper. Already we find it difficult either to work or play without the machines, and a time may come when they rule us altogether, just as we rule the animals.

Precis:

Title: “Dependency on Machines”

We don’t know what to do with knowledge. Science has given us powers, yet we don’t know how to use them. Machines require proper management or maintenance and to get fed up. If we don’t do they refuse to work and cause destruction. We became so dependent on the machine that we don’t feel comfortable doing anything without them. In the course of time, they may become our master and rule us. One great defect of our civilization is that it does not know what to do with its knowledge. Science, as we have seen, has given us powers fit for the gods, yet we use them like small children. For example, we do not know how to manage our machines. Machines were made to be man’s servants; yet he has grown so dependent on them that they are in a fair way to become his masters. Already most men spend most of their lives looking after and waiting upon machines. And the machines are very stern masters. They must be fed with coal, and given petrol to drink, and oil to wash with, and must be kept at the right temperature. And if they do not get their meals when they expect them, they grow sulky and refuse to work, or burst with rage, and blow up, and spread ruin and destruction all around them. So we have to wait upon them very attentively and do all that we can to keep them in a good temper. Already we find it difficult either to work or play without the machines, and a time may come when they rule us altogether, just as we rule the animals.