Passage-B: A moral act must be our own act; must spring from our own will. If we act mechanically, these is no moral content in our act. Such action would be moral, If we think it proper to act like a machine and do so. For, in doing so, we use our discrimination. We should bear in mind the distinction between acting mechanically and acting intentionally. It may be moral of a king to pardon a culprit. But the messenger carrying out the order of pardon plays only a mechanical part in the king's moral act. But if the messenger were to carry out the king's order considering it to be his duty, his action would be a moral one. How can a man understand morality who does not use his own intelligence and power of thought, but lets himself be swept along like a log of wood by a current? Sometimes a man defies convention and acts on his own with a view to absolute good. Which of the following statements best describe/describes the thought of the writer? 1. A moral act calls for using our discretion. 2. Man should react to a situation immediately. 3. Man must do his duty. 4. Man should be able to defy convention in order to be moral. Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

The writer's core idea revolves around the importance of individual will, intelligence, and conscious choice in moral actions, as opposed to mechanical or thoughtless adherence.

Let's analyze each statement:

1. A moral act calls for using our discretion.

   • The passage states, "A moral act must be our own act; must spring from our own will." It also says, "Such action would be moral, If we think it proper to act like a machine and do so. For, in doing so, we use our discrimination." And, "How can a man understand morality who does not use his own intelligence and power of thought...?" These lines strongly support the idea that moral acts require discretion, intelligence, and conscious thought.

2. Man should react to a situation immediately.

   • The passage emphasizes deliberation, will, and thought. There is no mention or implication that immediacy is a moral virtue; in fact, the focus on using one's intelligence and power of thought suggests the opposite of impulsive reaction. This statement is not supported.

3. Man must do his duty.

   • The passage uses the example of a messenger carrying out an order. It says, "But the messenger carrying out the order of pardon plays only a mechanical part in the king's moral act. But if the messenger were to carry out the king's order considering it to be his duty, his action would be a moral one." This implies that merely doing one's duty mechanically is not moral. It becomes moral if done with conscious consideration and will. The passage prioritizes the process (will, thought, discrimination) over the act itself (doing duty). Therefore, "Man must do his duty" as a standalone moral imperative is not the writer's primary thought; rather, it's how one does duty that makes it moral. This statement is not the best description of the writer's thought.

4. Man should be able to defy convention in order to be moral.

   • The passage explicitly states, "Sometimes a man defies convention and acts on his own with a view to absolute good." This directly supports the idea that defying convention can be a moral act when done with conscious intent for a higher good.

Based on the analysis, statements 1 and 4 best describe the thought of the writer.

The final answer is D