The explanations of essay-type entrance examinations for 2006 applicants are as following.

I. Purpose
The purpose of Seoul National University Essay-type Examination is to test the ability of the students in
(1) understanding of the core argument of the given discussion topic,
(2) analyzing the topic in the way which is required by the problem and, in
(3) developing the given arguments as their own in the necessary order. In the process,
(4) the assessment of whether the students are able to give their arguments logically and with consistency and
(5) whether they were able to discretely harmonize creative thinking and expression is to be made

In order to assess the above abilities of the applying students, the following essay-type examination has provided metaphorical examples of the diverse forms of competition in our society and also several articles which evince the freedom and limits of humans in a competitive environment to the students and induce them to use such materials to lay out their own arguments accordingly.

II. Organization of Questions

This exam is divided into two sections: examples and articles.

The three examples show the different aspects of competition among competitors each with a different level of ability respectively. The articles consist of writings from Humanities and Social Sciences department which hold different viewpoints of the meaning of competition and freedom which is supposedly the other side of the coin to the concept of competition.

The students are required to analyze the three given examples, understand the diverse patterns of competition that may appear and furthermore to analyze and discuss the meaning of freedom and competition, and the conditions that are necessary for justifying the limitations on freedom and competition.

On such basis, students should strengthen their argument on the fairness of competition and the justice of the competition results. Those students who are able to synthesize the various factors and from there on carry out their own creative argument will receive high scores on this exam.

【Example A】 is a summary of"The Hedgehog and the Hare", a story from the"Grimm's Fairy Tales". In this story, there is only the actual competition between the two competitors without the interruption of a third person. The reader may understand the hedgehog's actions as an unfair act of competition that may appear in the free market system or it can also be interpreted as a metaphoric description of an innovative act on the hedgehog's part in order to survive within a comparatively disadvantageous competition situation. It may be said that in real economic situations, competition is as intense as such. As their competition is based on a bet on food, this story may be interpreted as a metaphor of the competition in the economics area, but it can also be analyzed in the matter of fairness of the competition in different areas other than the economic area 

【Example B】 is a simulative situation of a soccer match between the elementary school soccer team and an amateur adult soccer team. Generally, we consider a sports match to be proceeded under the same conditions for each side and the outcome is accepted by both sides as the result of the game. However, in the case of this example, it is a special case in which there is a clear difference in the ability of the two teams and such a situation may induce the reader to think in the aspect of the conditions of a fair competition. This case is different 【Example A】in that there are game rules and also a referee. However, the referee simply has the job of changing the game rules so that they may compete against each other under the same conditions and does not submit himself further into the game which differentiates this case from 【Example C】. The distinguishing feature of this case is that the only interruption of the game is to set a form of rules for the game and otherwise the rest is left for the competitors themselves to freely show off their abilities. This example shows a specific case of competition within a sports match, but an analysis of similar competitive processes in other areas may also be considered.

【Example C】 is a case where the cat owner intervenes into the competition between the litter of kittens and therefore eliminating the source for actual competition. This can be seen as an example of social rules and regulations which are made to protect the weak, and in other words, put limitations on the competition for social welfare policies. This example deals with the matter of life and death, but this could also felicitate problematic issues of whether it is indeed appropriate for such interventions in different areas such as the economics area. A critical perspective could be adopted upon the evidence that such intervention could cause damage to the other kittens in the litter.

【Article 1】 is an example from Hardin's"The Tragedy of the Commons" which is also cited in the high school text book. This example shows that the sum of the individual's act of rationality does not always add up as the rational act of the society. Therefore, it can be induced that there is indeed a need for limitations of freedom, in other words, limitations on competition. Yet, no clear solution is given as to how much and in what ways such freedom of the individuals will be limited.

【Article 2】 is a part of Adam Smith's"The Theory of Moral Sentiments". Along with"The Wealth of Nations," this book is one of Smith's representative work on his system of thought. Smith argues that humans' egoistic mind can be moderated by sympathy and compassion. The given article may be used to support 【Example B】 and 【Example C】 in arguing upon the basis of sympathy and compassion as part of the humans' natural instincts

【Article 3】 is a part of Joseph A. Schumpeter's"Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy". In this part, Schumpeter presents the industrialist's innovative abilities as the motive power of economic development. Especially, he makes amendments to the traditional theory of monopoly and argues that the monopolizing companies are also competing against potential innovators and henceforth contributed to the development of social economics in the process of creative destruction. Such argument can be used to argue against the theory that asserts that there must be restrictions on the competition rules in order to prevent monopolization

【Article 4】 is cited from Friedrich. A. Hayek's"Law, Legislation and Liberty" which is known to have provided the theoretical foundations for the ideology of Neo-liberalism. This article can be used as an argument for thoroughly protecting the freedom on competition. For example, in the example of the kittens, it may be though that in the nearer perspective, it is indeed necessary to intervene and care for the protection of the little kitten. However, in a longer perspective, this may bring on heavy side effects. Especially, the problem of whether the result from such altered version of competition may be considered as a justifiable result may also be questionable

【Article 5】 is cited from John Rawls'"A Theory of Justice". This article provides the conditions which justifies the limitations of freedom. This article presents a criterion which holds that the freedom of the minority may not be restricted for the benefit of the majority. Many diverse standards which fit various situations may be induced from this single criterion and henceforth use as evidence to further one's own argument in this line of thought

【Article 6】 is a part of Otto Schlecht's"Soziale Marktwirtschaft (Social Market Economy)". According to Schlecht's point of view, the competition must be kept in order to prevent the destruction of the market functions by the forming of monopolization. The goal of the restrictions for protecting competition is to enable competition to show off its ability. This article can be used to criticize 【Example A】 and justify

【Example B】

【Article 7】 is cited from"Limits to Competition" of The Group of Lisbon. This article emphasizes the negative aspects of competition. Therefore, this article may be used as an argument to support the idea that competition must be restricted. This article may agree with the methods of 【Example B】 in that it doesn't completely deny the right functions of competition, but there still remains the possibility of viewing this point of view as carrying a negative perspective of competition itself in seeing competition as a process of seizing profits. In such perspective, this may be used as evidence to justify

【Example C】

The articles mentioned above are not in one-to-one relations with the three given examples. As generalizations, they present diverse perspectives on freedom and competition. Therefore, the three examples may be analyzed using the different perspectives and concepts of the given articles. The perspectives from a single article could be used to explain all three examples.


Ⅲ. Questions

【Discussion Topic】
Examples A, B, C comparatively show several aspects of the competition that has become a problem in the realistic society. Explain the characteristics of the three different competitions and based on this, discuss the fairness of competition and the justice in the result of the competition. (Refer to Articles <1> ~ <7>)

【Example A】
A hedgehog and a hare wagered delicious food on a race. The hedgehog used a trick and sent his wife who looked just like him ahead to the goal line. As the hare arrived at the goal line, the hedgehog's wife said,"I have already arrived." In the end, the hedgehog won the wager and got all the delicious food.

【Example B】
There was a race between a elementary school soccer team and an amateur adult soccer team. The referee set up new rules which allowed 11 players on the elementary school team and 6 players on the amateur adult team and also which stated that the players in the amateur adult team were not allowed to tackle the opposing team. The referee made sure that the new rules were strictly abided by the players.

【Example C】
Among the batch of new-born kittens, the smallest and the weakest looked so feeble that it didn't seem as if it would survive among the bigger and stronger siblings. Therefore the master took special care of him by feeding him first and giving him more love, which enabled this little kitten to grow as strong and well as the others.


【Article 1】
Picture a pasture open to all. It is to be expected that each herdsman will try to keep as many cattle as possible on the commons. Such an arrangement may work reasonably satisfactorily for centuries because tribal wars, poaching, and disease keep the numbers of both man and beast well below the carrying capacity of the land. Finally, however, comes the day of reckoning, that is, the day when the long-desired goal of social stability becomes a reality. At this point, the inherent logic of the commons remorselessly generates tragedy. (Garrett Hardin,「The Tragedy of the Commons」)

【Article 2】
How selfish so ever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortune of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it except the pleasure of seeing it. Of this kind is pity or compassion, the emotion which we feel for the misery of others, when we either see it, or are made to conceive it in a very lively manner. That we often derive sorrow from the sorrow of others, is a matter of fact too obvious to require any instances to prove it; for this sentiment, like all the other original passions of human nature, is by no means confined to the virtuous and humane, though they perhaps may feel it with the most exquisite sensibility. The greatest ruffian, the most hardened violator of the laws of society, is not altogether without it. (Adam Smith, 『The Theory of Moral Sentiments』)

【Article 3】
But in capitalist reality as distinguished from its textbook picture, it is not that kind of competition which counts but the competition from the new commodity, the new technology, the new source of supply, the new type of organization (the largest-scale unit of control for instance) competition which commands a decisive cost or quality advantage and which strikes not at the margins of the profits and the outputs of the existing firms but at their foundations and their very lives. This kind of competition is as much more effective than the other.
The businessman feels himself to be in a competitive situation even if he is alone in his field or if, though not alone, he holds a position such that investigating government experts fail to see any effective competition between him and any other firms. In many cases, though not in all, this will in the long run enforce behavior very similar to the perfectly competitive pattern. In such perspective, we may say that the monopolized profits of a successive innovator are justifiable in the capitalism society.
(Joseph A. Schumpeter,『Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy』)

【Article 4】
What we today call today social or distributional justice only exists within man-made order and not within natural order.
The restriction of liberty is to achieve a certain goal; however the loss it brings along is often ignored. The direct effect of intervention into market order is viable and can be felt, but the negative, indirect effects can be easily ignored as they are rather difficult to envision.
Therefore if we leave the choice between liberty and intervention to be chosen according to the situation each time, this will surely give rise to gradual destruction of freedom in the end. It is not enough to justify the restriction freedom with a simple excuse of not being able to cognize the loss that such restriction brings about. (Friedrich. A. Hayek,『Law, Legislation and Liberty』)

【Article 5】
If we refer to truth as the first virtue of the system of thought, justice is the first virtue of social order. As a theory, how ever concise it may be, can only be thrown away or adjusted if it is not the truth, so it is with a law or system. If a law or a system is not justifiable, despite its efficiency and logicality, it has to be reformed or thrown away.
All humans carry inviolability towards justice which can not be taken away even under the justifiable reason of social welfare. Therefore, it is not justifiable that the freedom of a certain minority be taken away for the good of a larger society. In other words, it is unjustifiable that sacrifice is forced upon the minority for the larger profit of the majority. Henceforth, it is agreed that in a justifiable society, an equal freedom among the citizens is guaranteed, and the rights that are guaranteed by justice cannot be affected by either political trade or other factors. As we with reluctance follow an imperfect theory only when there is no better choice, injustice can only be accepted in order to avert problems that may be induced by even more injustice. Truth and justice should be strictly kept as the first virtue of human life. (John Rawls, 『A Theory of Justice』)

【Article 6】
If the economy solely relied on market function the market may be destructed and therefore the nation needs to establish a competition policy. An organization is likely to think that they will earn larger profits when going against the regulations of the competition rather than when they abide by it and henceforth feel the urge to act against the competition regulations. The desire to find stability and the urge for authority motivated each of the individuals to fabricate the free flow of competition. An economic authority that is once established cannot be easily destructed by the market. However, an overly powerful economic authority will paralyze the competitive relationship and induce economical ineffectiveness influenced by fixations of the authority organization, and further will bring damage to elite market participants by distorting the flow of economics. Therefore, the nation has the responsibility to protect competition in that it does not flow in the wrong direction. The nation should set up a regulation and make sure that it is accomplished, and through this, an organization should be able to exhibit its abilities accordingly.
(Otto Schlecht, 『Soziale Marktwirtschaft』(Social Market Economy)

【Article 7】
The word compete originally meant"to seek together." We can't ignore the fact that the logic of competition has greatly affected the improvement of technology and the increasing rate of production. It has enabled new improvement and creation by constantly upgrading human's craving nature. In the political perspective, it was also the main motive for the improvement in democracy. Democracy planted its root through the competition amongst the different political parties who each strived to penetrate their volition. But in our time it has taken on more adversarial connotations and has become a rallying cry of both firms and governments.
In a society where the logic of competition is in rule, there is a distinct difference between the winner and the loser. Of course, the competition is not done in random. When the"rules of competition" are fair, both the winner and the loser submit themselves to the result. However, in the competitive society, there is no room for solving a conflict or for coming to a point of compromise through"negotiation."In competition, there is only the logic that one must win over the opponent. In economic perspective, competition is yet another process in taking away the opponents' profit.
(The Group of Lisbon, 『Limits to Competition』)

Translated by SNU PR Office