The Foundations of a Just Society
A truly progressive society is not built overnight; it is an edifice of values, justice, and thoughtful leadership. While the illusion of being invincible may cloud the judgment of some powerful nations or leaders, history has shown that even the strongest systems can crumble when they ignore the voice of dissent.
Dissent, when expressed constructively, is not a threat but a tool that helps reconcile differing opinions and bring about meaningful reforms. However, when governance turns vindictive, punishing those who disagree, it erodes the very base that underpins democracy and freedom.
True leaders are not those who seek only plaudits and approval but those who can make nuanced decisions—understanding the fine details, embracing criticism, and acting in the larger interest. Their actions are sagacious, reflecting wisdom and foresight, even when their choices are not the most popular.
Only by nurturing such ideals can a nation truly grow—not just in power, but in purpose.
Vocabulary words from the passage with their contextual explanation
(1) Edifice
- Meaning: A large, important structure or system—either physical (like a building) or abstract (like a system of beliefs or institutions).
- Contextual Explanation: In this sentence, edifice is used metaphorically to describe society as a strong and complex structure that is carefully built over time on foundational elements like values, justice, and leadership.
- Example Sentence: Education forms the edifice of a well-functioning democracy.
(2) Invincible
- Meaning: Invincible means too powerful to be defeated or overcome, often used when talking about physical strength, emotional resilience, or dominance in power.
- Contextual Explanation: Here, invincible refers to the idea that a nation may appear so powerful that it cannot be defeated—but the sentence highlights that this is not truly the case. Even the strongest nations can fail if they ignore internal issues like disagreement and lack of unity.
- Example Sentence: At their peak, the Roman Empire seemed invincible, but it eventually crumbled from within.
(3) Cloud the judgement of
- Meaning: The phrase “cloud the judgment of someone” means to affect someone’s ability to think clearly or make good decisions, usually because of emotions, bias, or misleading information.
- When your judgment is “clouded,” it’s like a fog is covering your thinking — you can’t see or think clearly, and as a result, you might make poor or irrational choices.
- Example Sentence:
Her deep fear of failure clouded her judgment, and she turned down a great opportunity.
Don’t let frustration cloud your judgment during the negotiation.
(4) Dissent
- Meaning: Dissent means to disagree, especially with a commonly accepted opinion, belief, or decision — often in a political, social, or institutional context.
- Contextual Explanation: In the passage, “dissent” is used in the context of challenges to a dominant belief system or structure (like an edifice of ideas or political systems). So here, “dissent” means the act of expressing or holding opinions that go against the official or majority viewpoint.
- Example Sentence: The journalist faced backlash for her dissent against government policies.
(5) Reconcile
- Meaning: Reconcile means to bring two opposing ideas, people, or situations into agreement — or to restore friendly relations after a conflict or disagreement.
- Contextual Explanation: In your passage, “reconcile” is used in the context of bridging the gap between opposing beliefs or perspectives, especially when people are on different sides of an issue. The text likely discusses the difficulty of reconciling dissenting voices with a larger, perhaps rigid structure (referred to as the “edifice” of beliefs or institutions).
- Example Sentence: The company tried to reconcile the differing opinions of its stakeholders.
(6) Vindictive
- Meaning: Vindictive means having or showing a strong desire for revenge — someone who doesn’t easily let go of a grudge and might act out of a need to get back at others.
- Contextual Explanation: In the passage, the word vindictive appears in contrast to reconciliation and wisdom. It refers to people or actions driven by bitterness or revenge, especially in situations where opposing views are involved.
So here, “vindictive” describes a mindset or behavior that is vengeful, which stands in the way of peaceful or constructive dialogue.
- Example Sentence: Her vindictive response to the criticism only worsened the conflict.
(7) Unperpin
- Meaning: Underpin means to support, justify, or form the basis for something — like a foundation that holds an idea, argument, or system together.
- Contextual Explanation: In your passage, underpins is used in the context of the core values or beliefs that support democratic systems and balanced thinking.
So, in short: “Underpins” refers to the principles or values that hold something important together — like the moral or intellectual foundation beneath complex ideas.
- Example Sentence: Trust underpins every successful relationship.
(8) Plaudits
- Meaning: Plaudits means strong praise, approval, or applause — especially from the public or audience for someone’s actions, ideas, or achievements.
- Contextual Explanation: In your passage, plaudits refers to the public praise or recognition given to those who bravely challenge authority or express dissenting opinions in a constructive way. These individuals are applauded for their courage and thoughtful approach, even if they go against popular belief or government narrative.
- Example Sentence: The scientist received plaudits for her groundbreaking research.
(9) Nuanced
- Meaning: Nuanced means showing subtle differences, fine details, or deep understanding of complex ideas, situations, or arguments.
- Contextual Explanation: In your passage, nuanced thinking is described as something that should underpin debates and discourse, especially in societies that allow dissent. This means discussions should not be overly simplistic or black-and-white — instead, they should consider multiple layers, perspectives, and complexities.
- Example Sentence: Her argument was nuanced, addressing both the strengths and weaknesses of the proposal.
(10) Sagacious
- Meaning: Sagacious means having or showing deep wisdom, good judgment, and keen insight, especially in practical matters or complex situations.
- Contextual Explanation: In the passage, sagacious is used to describe individuals whose careful, wise, and insightful thinking helps bridge differences and build mutual understanding. In the context of ideological or political conflicts, where emotions and opinions run high, sagacious people are the ones who look beyond surface-level arguments and suggest thoughtful ways to move forward.
- Example Sentence: Only a sagacious leader could navigate such a complicated issue with grace and clarity.
