Answer:
D. hard, measurable facts are highly valued.
Step-by-step explanation:
The novel Hard Times can be seen as a critique of two important phenomenons that were taking place in England during this time period. The first one is the Industrial Revolution. This revolution placed an enormous value on efficiency. This led to the predominance of measurements and statistics as opposed to more humane values like imagination, creativity or freedom. The second phenomenon was the philosophy of utilitarianism, which believed that every human value (such as happiness) could be expressed as a mathematical equation of utility. Because of these two phenomena, the time period Dickens wrote about is one during which hard, measurable facts were highly valued.