Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other is labelled as Reason (R).
Assertion (A) : Authority demands unconditional, unquestioning obedience and can therefore engender a climate of deference, and abdication of responsibility and an uncritical trust in the judgement of others.
Reason (R): Authority is a threat to reason and critical intellectual understanding.
In light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below.

Correct option is A

Both the Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A). Authority, by its very nature, often demands unquestioning obedience, which can lead to a lack of critical thinking and personal responsibility. This situation aligns with the idea that authority can indeed threaten reason and critical intellectual engagement, as (R) suggests. Therefore, the reason explains why authority can foster a climate of uncritical trust and abdication of responsibility.
Information Booster:
1. Authority can undermine individual critical thinking by enforcing a culture of obedience.
2. Intellectual freedom often conflicts with authority, especially when authority limits inquiry.
3. Blind deference to authority can stifle progress and innovation.
4. Reason and critical thinking are essential for democratic societies, where authority is challenged for accountability.