a few specimens

[navi tasan]

Which are correct:

1) We are going to study a few specimens of man's failure to build a good society.
2) We are going to study a few specimens of man's failure in building a good society.

3) We are going to study a few of man's failures to build a good society.
4) We are going to study a few of man's failures in building a good society.

I am pretty confident about '3' and I think '4' works as well. I am less sure about '1' and '2' I am writing something and want to see which ones will work. I'd like to use the word 'specimen', but I am not sure it works here.

 

[jutfrank]

The word specimen is usually used when talking about material, so I'd much prefer examples in your context. I'd say this:

We are going to examine a few examples of man's failure to build a good society.