The sentences given below are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on. They form a coherent paragraph when sequenced properly. Choose the option that gives the proper sequence.
1. Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those not regarded as members of the herd.
2. And for this reason poltroons are more prone to cruelty and superstition than brave men.
3. Fear generates impulses of cruelty, and therefore promotes such superstitious beliefs that seem to justify cruelty.
4. So it was in the French Revolution, when fear of foreign armies produced the reign of terror.
5. Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be expected to act humanely or think sanely when under the influence of a great fear.

Correct option is A

Option (a) is the correct order of the given sentences.
· First sentence (1) introduces the idea that collective fear leads to herd instinct and aggression towards outsiders.
· Next (4) provides a historical example — the French Revolution — to illustrate the consequences of collective fear leading to ferocity (thus following naturally after sentence 1).
· Then (3) gives a broader explanation about fear: fear leads to cruelty and superstition, linking back to the general phenomenon.
· After that (5) further generalizes the idea: under the influence of great fear, no individual or group behaves rationally or humanely.
· Finally (2) concludes by stating that cowards (poltroons) are even more prone to cruelty and superstition compared to the brave — a logical end point for the argument.
Thus, the correct order is 1-4-3-5-2, and the answer is option (a).