Question

The extent to which a society is really free can be gauged by its attitude towards artistic expression. Freedom of expression can easily be violated in even the most outwardly democratic of societies. When a government arts council withholds funding from a dance performance that its members deem “obscene”, the voices of a few bureaucrats have in fact censored the real obscenity of repression.
Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the argument above?

• A. Failing to provide financial support for a performance is not the same as actively preventing or inhibiting it.
• B. The term obscenity has several different definitions that should not be used interchangeably for rhetorical effect.
• C. Members of government arts councils are screened to ensure that their beliefs reflect those of the majority.
• D. The council’s decision could be reversed if the performance were altered to conform to public standards of appropriateness.

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

Failing to provide financial support for a performance is not the same as actively preventing or inhibiting it.

Answer 2

The correct option is (A): Failing to provide financial support for a performance is not the same as actively preventing or inhibiting it.