Question

Read this passage. What reasons does he give to support this claim? "Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself. Our labour tills the soil, our dung fertilises it, and yet there is not one of us that owns more than his bare skin." a) Man isn't able to produce anything but takes everything from the animals' labor. b) Man takes care of animals in exchange for the animals' work, so they need to rely on each other. c) Our bodies are here to work for Man so it's right that we don't own anything. d) We should listen to Man as the lord of all the animals to avoid misery.

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Answer 1

The passage claims that man consumes without producing, supported by the fact that man does not naturally produce resources, lacks physical capability for manual labor, yet exploits animals' labor while offering minimal sustenance in return. The correct answer is option: a) Man isn't able to produce anything but takes everything from the animals' labor.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the passage provided, the speaker makes the claim that man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He supports this claim with several reasons. First, man does not produce any resources naturally, like milk or eggs, nor does he have the physical capabilities to contribute to labor-intensive tasks, such as pulling the plough or catching rabbits fast enough.

Despite these limitations, man is depicted as the ruler over the animals, exploiting their labor while offering them only the bare minimum to survive. Essentially, the animals' hard work enriches man without them owning anything beyond their "bare skin." Therefore, the answer to the question is "a) Man isn't able to produce anything but takes everything from the animals' labor."

This statement reflects broader themes of exploitation and the imbalance of power in relationships between humans and animals, which can be linked to historical instances of similar dynamics, such as slavery or the tragedy of the commons.