In this passage about truth and morality, choose the correct word to complete the sentence "But almost always it can be justified as a moral principle on the basis of ______."

Introduction / Context:
This cloze question comes from a philosophical passage about truth as a moral principle. The author states that truth is controversial but can usually be justified as a moral value "on the basis of ______." We must pick the noun that explains the ethical foundation for telling the truth, especially when it affects other people.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The passage discusses truth, morality, and the impact of truth on others.
The sentence is "But almost always it can be justified as a moral principle on the basis of ______."
The context emphasises caring about the impact on other people and feeling for them.
We assume this is a typical moral science or ethics style passage used in competitive exams.

Concept / Approach:
In moral philosophy, telling the truth is often linked to compassion, empathy, or concern for others because withholding truth can harm them. The word "compassion" exactly expresses the idea of feeling with others and wanting to avoid harm to them. Therefore, the correct approach is to select the ethical term that motivates truthful communication in order to protect others, which is "compassion".

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the sentence: "But almost always it can be justified as a moral principle on the basis of ______." Step 2: Review the surrounding lines, which mention speaking the truth in order not to hide what might prove damaging to others and the ability to feel for others. Step 3: Check the meanings of the options: "aggression", "compassion", "progression", "intercession", "kindness". Step 4: Notice that "compassion" directly connects to feeling for others and wanting to prevent harm, which is the central argument of the passage. Step 5: Insert "compassion": "justified as a moral principle on the basis of compassion." This reads smoothly and matches the ethical theme.

Verification / Alternative check:
We can verify our answer by considering an equivalent expression: telling the truth can be justified on the basis of our compassionate concern for others. This is exactly what the passage explains. The text also refers to the ability to feel for others, which is essentially compassion. None of the other options integrate so naturally into this moral reasoning. Thus, "compassion" is confirmed as the correct filler.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

"aggression": Aggression means hostile or violent behaviour. It is opposite to the caring sensitivity discussed in the passage.
"progression": This refers to advancement or movement forward and does not link to moral motivation for telling the truth.
"intercession": Intercession is intervention on behalf of another person, often in prayer or negotiation. While it involves concern, it is not the broad emotional foundation the passage describes.
"kindness": Although kindness is close to compassion, the passage specifically points to the ability to feel for others, which is technically better captured by "compassion". In many exam keys, compassion is preferred for discussions of moral sensitivity to others pain.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may choose "kindness" because it is a simple and positive moral word. However, cloze passages in higher level exams often use more precise terms like "compassion" when describing emotional identification with the suffering of others. Another mistake is to select a word without checking the entire paragraph. Reading only the single sentence can hide the strong cue provided by the phrase "feel for others" earlier in the passage.

Final Answer:
The correct word to complete the sentence is "compassion".