Statement: “Honesty is the best policy.” Consider this proverb like statement and decide which of the given assumptions is or are implicit.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Neither assumption 1 nor assumption 2 is implicit.

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question is based on a famous proverb: Honesty is the best policy. You are asked to identify which assumptions lie behind this broad moral claim. The suggested assumptions refer to who makes policies and what those policies must contain. Your task is to see whether such details are actually required for the proverb to make sense.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Statement: Honesty is the best policy.
  • Assumption 1: Honest people are policy makers.
  • Assumption 2: Each policy must contain honesty.
  • Goal: Decide which of these assumptions is implicit in the statement.


Concept / Approach:
The proverb Honesty is the best policy is a general guideline for individual behaviour. It suggests that in life, acting honestly leads to the best long term results. It does not literally talk about written policies, policy makers, or any formal documents. Therefore, assumptions about who creates policies or what every policy must contain are likely not required. Instead, the proverb stands as a self contained moral recommendation.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Understand the natural meaning of the statement. It is advising people that being honest is a good way to live, often better than cheating or lying.Step 2: The term policy here is metaphorical, referring to a way or strategy of behaving, not to formal written policies created by committees or governments.Step 3: Assumption 1 says that honest people are policy makers. The proverb does not mention who makes policies at all; it simply says that honesty, as a principle, is superior.Step 4: Therefore, the statement does not require the assumption that honest people design official policies.Step 5: Assumption 2 claims that each policy must contain honesty. Again, the proverb does not state or imply a requirement about all formal policies.Step 6: One could accept the proverb as advice for personal behaviour even if many formal policies in organisations do not explicitly mention honesty.Step 7: Hence, the truth or falsity of Assumption 2 is not essential for understanding or accepting the statement.Step 8: Since neither assumption is necessary, we conclude that neither 1 nor 2 is implicit.


Verification / Alternative check:
Imagine a person telling a child, Always remember that honesty is the best policy. The focus is entirely on the child’s personal choices, not on any organisation’s written rules. Whether honest people create official policies or whether every policy document includes honesty has no effect on the meaning or validity of the advice. This confirms that the statement does not rest on Assumption 1 or Assumption 2.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • Option a is wrong because it adds two specific claims about policy making that are irrelevant to the proverb.
  • Option c and option d are wrong because they treat one of the assumptions as necessary when it clearly is not.
  • Option e mentions contradiction without addressing the real issue of logical dependence.


Common Pitfalls:

  • Taking the word policy too literally and thinking about organisational policies instead of personal conduct.
  • Trying to tie broad moral sayings to specific institutional structures that they were never meant to describe.
  • Looking for hidden complexity where the statement is simply offering straightforward life advice.


Final Answer:
Neither assumption 1 nor assumption 2 is implicit in the proverb Honesty is the best policy.

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