Explanation
A. The passage does not specifically attribute Freudianism’s status as a grand theory to its view of human psychological traits as universal.
B. While the passage does suggest that grand theories were sometimes so influential that challenging them was tantamount to denying scientific fact, it does not specifically link this to the reason why Freudianism is considered a grand theory.
C. The passage mentions that grand theories offered narrative satisfaction, but it does not state that this is the reason Freudianism is considered a grand theory.
D. (Correct Response) The passage defines grand theories as those that attempt to explain a broad range of historical phenomena with a single, ambitious explanation. Freudianism, as an example, views various forms of social interaction as the products of specific human psychological traits, which fits the description of attempting to account for a wide array of phenomena with one overarching explanation.
E. The passage actually uses the concept of contingency, particularity, and novelty as aspects of an alternative to grand theories, not as characteristics of grand theories themselves.
The passage explains that grand theories, including Freudianism, are characterized by their attempts to explain a wide range of phenomena with a singular explanation, which is the essence of what makes Freudianism a grand theory.