PYQ Vault · Paper 1 · Indian Political Thought

Manabendra Nath Roy’s political thought highlighted the humanistic aspects of Marxism. Discuss.

How the answer moves

The flow snapshot — the routes in, the body, the counter-view and the routes out.

Flow snapshot — how the answer moves
Intro routes

Route 1 not a break with Marx humanism drawn out from within Marxism individual freed

Route 2 Roy’s aim = human liberation, not class power release from exploitation, dogma, authority

Body flow

Marxist start (anti-imperialism, class analysis, India in Transition) Marx himself a humanist Capital as social ethics / protest against servitude Comintern exposes what smothers humanism rejects proletarian dictatorship, party absolutism, economic determinism Radical Humanism: protest against exploitation kept + sovereign individual reason, morality, education, consent over class struggle and violence

Counter-view

sharp rupture from orthodox Marxism vs Kaviraj’s “substratum of philosophic continuity” / Bipan Chandra’s Marxism–liberal-humanism bridge

Conclusion routes

Route 1 every social order judged by the freedom it gives the individual

Route 2 humanism of Marxism = social justice joined to individual liberty

Model answer

Handwritten, in the form it would be written in the examination hall.

Handwritten model answer — UPSC PSIR 2024, Indian Political Thought