The parts P, Q, R, and S of the following sentence have been jumbled. Choose the order that forms a coherent sentence: R: the sense of inferiority in others Q: without this indirect appeal to our self love S: is a painful feeling P: and not an exalting one.

Introduction / Context:
This philosophical sentence reflects on how the sense of inferiority can affect people. The idea is that when a sense of inferiority arises in others, and when it is not softened by an indirect appeal to our self love, it becomes a painful feeling rather than an uplifting one. The question requires you to put the fragments into a grammatically correct and logically flowing order.

Given Data / Assumptions:
The fragments are:
- R: the sense of inferiority in others
- Q: without this indirect appeal to our self love
- S: is a painful feeling
- P: and not an exalting one
There is no additional fixed text outside these four parts.

Concept / Approach:
The subject of the sentence is clearly "the sense of inferiority in others". After that subject, we can place a phrase that modifies or limits it: "without this indirect appeal to our self love". Then we require the main verb "is a painful feeling" and finally the closing contrast "and not an exalting one". This gives a sentence that reads smoothly and expresses the contrast between pain and exaltation.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Start with R, the subject: "The sense of inferiority in others". Step 2: Attach Q: "without this indirect appeal to our self love", which provides a condition modifying the subject. Step 3: Add S: "is a painful feeling", supplying the main verb and complement. Step 4: Conclude with P: "and not an exalting one", presenting the contrast that this feeling does not elevate but rather hurts. Step 5: The full sentence reads "The sense of inferiority in others, without this indirect appeal to our self love, is a painful feeling and not an exalting one."

Verification / Alternative check:
We derived the sequence R Q S P, which corresponds to option D. Examine other possible sequences: R S P Q would read "The sense of inferiority in others is a painful feeling and not an exalting one without this indirect appeal to our self love", which is understandable but makes the conditional phrase appear at the very end, less clearly modifying the subject. The option R Q S P places the condition immediately after the subject, which is considered better style and more precise.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- "P R S Q": begins with "and not an exalting one", which cannot stand at the start of a sentence because "and" implies a previous clause.
- "R S P Q": postpones the condition so much that it may be misread as modifying the entire clause instead of mainly the subject.
- "S R Q P": starts with the verb "is a painful feeling", leaving the reader momentarily puzzled about the subject.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to ignore the function of conjunctions like "and" and prepositions like "without". "And" usually joins two similar grammatical units and rarely begins a sentence in formal writing. Prepositional phrases like "without this indirect appeal to our self love" are often placed close to the words they describe. Keeping these small signals in mind helps greatly in solving sentence arrangement questions.

Final Answer:
The correct sequence is R Q S P, forming the meaningful sentence "The sense of inferiority in others, without this indirect appeal to our self love, is a painful feeling and not an exalting one."