2018 GS Paper I, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2018 · GS Paper I

Question 40: Polity and Governance

Which one of the following reflects the most appropriate relationship between law and liberty ?

aIf there are more laws, there is less liberty.
bIf there are no laws, there is no liberty.
cIf there is liberty, laws have to be made by the people.
dIf laws are changed too often, liberty is in danger.

AnswerUPSC’s answer is (b).

Liberty is not the absence of rules. Without laws, the strong could dominate the weak and nobody's freedom would be secure; laws protect each person's freedom by restraining others. That is why thinkers such as Locke argued that where there is no law, there is no freedom. The best statement of the relationship is therefore that without laws there is no liberty. The other options either claim that more law always means less liberty or describe how laws should be made or changed, which is a different point.

Why each option is right or wrong
  • (a) More laws do not automatically mean less liberty; laws can protect it.
  • (b) Right: without laws, freedom has no protection from the strong.
  • (c) Laws made by the people may support liberty but do not define the relationship.
  • (d) Frequent change may harm stability, but this is not the core relationship.

Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2018, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.