In religious terms, dualism is best described as

• A. The belief in a universal unity of all beings
• B. A description of ideas in terms of their opposites
• C. The absence of a moral dichotomy
• D. A focus on ritual purity

Answer: (B)

Dualism in religion is the idea that reality is built from two fundamental, opposing forces or principles that remain in constant tension with each other. This way of thinking frames the world as a battleground between contrasting powers—such as good and evil, spirit and matter, or light and darkness—rather than as a single, unified whole. The option that describes ideas in terms of their opposites fits this view best because dualism organizes beliefs by highlighting clear contrasts and struggles between these opposing forces. To see this in practice, many traditions imagine cosmic or moral conflict where choosing one side over the other shapes ethics, destiny, and the order of the universe. In contrast, unity of all beings points to monism, the absence of a moral dichotomy suggests no binary good-versus-evil framework, and a focus on ritual purity centers on practices rather than how reality is structured in terms of opposing principles.