Jacob lives in a closed society that restricts the free flow of information, but he believes that questioning the pros and cons of the government's decisions is essential for the society's progress

Question

How is the society likely to react to Jacob's beliefs? Give reasons to support your answer.

What will be an ideal response

Answer 1

In this society, Jacob's inclination to think critically is more likely to be curtailed and seen as a punishable offence by the government. A closed society does not permit the freedom to think, it fears and it suppresses learning critical thinking as a decision-making and problem-solving process. A closed society, whether it is a government, a corporation, or a religion, stifles independent critical thinkers, punishes those who do not adhere to the party line, denies access to full and accurate information, and buries scientific findings and policy recommendations that run counter to interests of those in power. The worst of these closed societies equate education with memorized orthodoxy, label dissenters as traitors, and, if needs be, use ridicule, bullying, disinformation, deceit, character assassination, and in the worst cases physical assassination-whatever it takes, including creating martyrs for the cause, faking enemy threats, lying to the media, destroying documents, etc.-to achieve its goals.