Question

still we live meanly, like ants; though the fable tells us that we were long ago changed into men... it is error upon error, and clout upon clout, and our best virtue has for its occasion a superfluous and evitable wretchedness. our life is frittered away by detail. what does the image of ants represent? the author society nature the author’s friends and acquaintances

Explanation:

The text starts with "Still we live meanly, like ants", where "we" refers to people in general, which is society. The author uses the image of ants to describe the way society lives meanly and is caught up in details.

Answer:

B. society