Based on the above passage, which one of the following terms best expresses the ultimate goal of the state?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) Liberty
The passage says the end of the state is to free each man from fear, to let bodies and minds function safely, and to lead men to exercise a free reason. Every one of these aims is a form of freedom, so liberty is the term that covers them all.
- ✗ (a) Security 'without injury' is part of the aim, but it serves the larger end of freeing each man from fear — too narrow.
- ✗ (b) Bodies and minds functioning 'safely' is a means; the passage never names health as the end.
- ✗ (c) Not acting 'unfairly toward one another' is a result of free reason, not the ultimate goal.
- ✓ (d) 'To free each man from fear', to 'live by, and to exercise, a free reason' — the state's end is liberty.
Remember · For 'ultimate goal' questions, choose the single term that covers every aim the passage lists; partial aims are traps.
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·