I don't understand how B is the solution. I don't understand how the evidence led logically to requiring that a nations survival depends it's citizens having false beliefs. I think that's way too far reaching, and I don't understand how a belief can be false

A quick explanation of why the correct answer choice is correct.

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B) does not suggest that the belief is false, but "sometimes" false in the "literal" sense. E) is incorrect because it implies that the nation must "always" be seen in metaphorical terms, which is a condition never implied by the philosopher. Am I understanding this correctly?

Hey Mike,

Happy new year.

Choice (B) doesn't say that people must "sometimes" hold a false belief in order for a nation to survive.
It says that "many people" must hold a literately false belief in order for a nation to survive.

Your interpretation of choice (E) is correct. The passage does not support the statement that a nation should "always" be thought of in metaphorical terms.

Ok....Ive read this one over and oveer, and watched the explanation, but for the life of me I cannot see why A is incorrect. In fact, it says the same thing as B, just more specific to the passage....

Jorge, please follow the discussion thread before your post. This was explained already.

Zoe,
Thanks but I have read through the posts and video, but my question has still not been answered. I dont understand why A is incorrect. it is a lot more specific to the passage. The correct answer, B, "a nation cant survive without beliefs that are literally false" is way too broad...from that answer I could say that a nation cant survive unless its citizens believe in the Easter Bunny (a literally false belief)...Answer choice A reads correct to me "a nation cant survive unless its citizens have the false belief that it has moral obligations"....I cant see why A is incorrect.

Jorge, I originally put A as well (though my first impulse was B). The reasoning lies not in the accuracy of choice A, but on how well it answers the question itself, in that, does it "most logically COMPLETE" the philosopher's argument. Choice B completes the argument most logically, while choice A is an accurate elaboration on the argument, albeit not from the philosopher's perspective. Hope that helps.

Kareem, thanks for the post.