Choose the correct option in the light of the statement: 'The fact that I am a black working-class man shapes how I see the world more than anything I consciously learn.'

1. A. Human beings can freely choose intellectually and morally.
2. B. The unconscious determines thought and behaviour.
3. C. Man is condemned to be free.
4. D. We carry a kind of 'otherness' within ourselves.
5. E. We can no longer speak unequivocally of a writer's intention.

1. A(B), (D) and (E) only
2. B(A), (B) and (C) only
3. C(C), (D) and (E) only
4. D(A), (B) and (E) only

Pick an option to check yourself, or open the answer below.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A. (B), (D) and (E) only

Explanation

The statement makes identity a determining force beyond conscious choice, which agrees with the unconscious (B), an inner otherness (D) and the decentred author (E). It contradicts free choice (A) and Sartre's 'condemned to be free' (C).

Note: Statement paraphrased; the source does not identify the quotation.