Writing Feedback / GRE: Knowledge and Rejection of Authority [5]

Question:

"Great advances in knowledge always require rejection of authority."

Answer:

The statement asserts that advancement of knowledge always requires a rejection of authority. I agree with the statement for most part of it. However, one should also sense disquiet with the word "always". The statement seem to suggest that every single "great advances", without exclusion, will "always involve" a rejection of authority. This is unrealistic and inaccurate.

In most great advancements of knowledge, often the individuals involved first began by questioning old doctrines. Galileo questioned the Roman Catholic's dogmatic view of a flat Earth, consequently, leading to the discovery that the Earth is round. Copernicus rejected the Roman Catholic's Geocentric model leading to the discovery of Heliocentricism. Former bodies of knowledge, often authoritatively held, have tendancies of being impedances to advancements. It would thus, in many cases, be useful to first reject these authorities to free up one's mind for new possibilities.

However, many great advancements were made without even a single existing authority to be questioned. Adventitious discoveries are good examples. Also, consider archeological expeditions where new fossils are being discovered and great knowledge being advanced. Clearly, none of these would have involved having to reject any authorities. They were simply, new additions to our understanding.

In conclusion, although many new advances to our knowledge were made after rejection of authorities, there exist a considerable number of advancements that certainly did not involve any such rejections. A more accurate statement would therefore be to say that most great advances of knowledge require rejection of authority.

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Hi guys, this is my first ever attempt at a GRE essay question. I don't know what is really expected and would appreciate any comments. Thanks a lot guys.

Writing Feedback / GRE: Corporate executives' responsibility [4]

Question:

"The only responsibility of corporate executives, provided they stay within the law, is to make as much money as possible for their companies."

My answer:

The statement proposes that, so long as it is legal, corporate executives simply need to be responsible for the profitability of the company for which they serve. This perspective is only partially accurate, but mostly flawed. Corporate executives certainly have more responsibilities than that.

It is easy to understand that corporate executives serve companies that, in turn, are usually owned by shareholders. Most shareholders demand profits from companies that they have invested in. Consequently, corporate executives indirectly serve these shareholders and must therefore work towards fulfilling the shareholders' primary demand - profitability. A failure to do so often results in monetary disincentives that are unbearable to many. Hence, making as much money as possible for the company becomes an imperative for these corporate executives.

However, it is becoming extremely obvious that the shareholders of today are becoming increasingly sophisticated. No longer is short-term profitability the only concern; other concerns are becoming important as well. Shareholders today understand the virtues of sustainability and environmentalism. "Corporate social responsibility" is becoming a catch-phrase that certainly demands corporate executives' attention. Aspiring solely for profitability is, hence, an anachronistic management philosophy.

It is also disquieting to see the use of the words "only responsibility" in the statement. It is as if to suggest that these corporate executives live lives that solely revolved around work; nothing else. If one gives a cursory thought about the statement, one quickly realizes that clearly there must exist some degree of personal responsibilities in these individuals' personal lives. Hence, the existence of other personal responsibilities automatically nullifies the accuracy of this statement.

Finally, one should also challenge the usefulness of such money-centred paradigm. The statement seems to exude an impression that focusing on money is the right and only way for corporate executives to behave. However, such mentally has often been argued as one of the main causes of the recent financial crisis. To divest oneself of all other responsibilities, other than to make as much money as possible, is likely to lead to a greedy society. That would certainly be undesirable.

In conclusion, it is easy to empathize what is being expressed by the statement. However, focusing primarily on money-making is a wayward mentality that has since made way for other more well-rounded paradigms. Additionally, shareholders certainly do not have only one responsibility in life; they normally have many more. Lastly, one should also question the validity of such mentality and think about the likely impact it would have on society.

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Guys, thank you so much for taking the time to read my essay. Please give me your most honest and constructive feedback. Thanks once again.