In the passage on learning and common life, what does the author imply about the nature of learning?

Introduction / Context:
This question asks about the main implication of a passage that contrasts learning with everyday practical knowledge. The passage presents a somewhat critical picture of the learned man who knows a great deal about remote and abstract subjects but very little about his neighbours or ordinary life. To answer correctly, you must identify what the author suggests about learning as a type of knowledge, rather than focusing on individual examples.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The passage defines learning as the knowledge of that which is not generally known to others and which we derive secondhand from books and artificial sources.
• It states that learning is the knowledge of that which none but the learned know.
• The learned man is described as knowing names, dates, and distant peoples but not knowing his next door neighbours.
• The options propose different possible implications drawn from these descriptions.

Concept / Approach:
The central implication is that learning, as the author uses the term, is a specialised and exclusive kind of knowledge. It consists of information that ordinary people do not possess and that relates to things far removed from everyday experience. The author explicitly states that learning is the knowledge of that which none but the learned know, which clearly suggests exclusivity. The other options contradict explicit details from the passage or misrepresent the author stance.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Revisit the key definition: Learning is the knowledge of that which is not generally known to others, and which we can only derive at secondhand from books or other artificial sources.Step 2: Note the line: Learning is the knowledge of that which none but the learned know, which directly emphasises exclusivity.Step 3: Compare this with option A: knowledge of the learned is exclusive to them. This is essentially a paraphrase of the passage statement.Step 4: Examine option B: a learned man cannot deliver lectures. The passage actually says he can pronounce a pompous lecture on all the principal characters in history, so this is false.Step 5: Examine options C and D: the passage states the learned man is deeply read in the tribes and castes of Hindoos and Calmuc Tartars and is a professed master of optics and perspective, so saying he is not interested or not aware contradicts the text.

Verification / Alternative check:
Look at how the passage contrasts learning with the knowledge that appeals to our experience, passions, and the businesses of men. It insists that such practical knowledge is not learning. Instead, it praises or at least highlights knowledge that is far from common life and which only learned people possess. This supports the interpretation that learning, in the author view, is exclusive, specialised, and somewhat disconnected from ordinary reality. Option A captures this implication clearly, while the others misuse isolated details or ignore direct statements.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B is directly contradicted by the passage line that the learned man can pronounce a pompous lecture on all the principal characters in history. Option C is wrong because the passage explicitly says he is deeply read in the tribes and castes of the Hindoos and Calmuc Tartars, showing strong interest. Option D is wrong because the passage says he is a professed master of the optics and the rules of perspective, even if he cannot judge simple objects in front of him. These options misread or invert the author criticisms.

Common Pitfalls:
Some readers may be distracted by the author irony and think the passage is saying that the learned man fails in the very subjects he studies, such as optics. However, the satire lies in the contrast between his abstract mastery and his practical ignorance, not in a denial of his theoretical knowledge. To avoid such misinterpretations, always separate what the author states as fact from what is criticised. The fact here is that learning concerns knowledge that others do not have, making it exclusive.

Final Answer:
The passage implies that knowledge of the learned is exclusive to them, so option A is correct.