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Difficulty: EasySocialist, Communist, and Reformist Reactions to Industrialization

Source: Karl Marx, German philosopher and economist, *Das Kapital*, 1867

"Accumulation of wealth at one pole is, therefore, at the same time accumulation of misery, agony of toil, slavery, ignorance, brutality, mental degradation, at the opposite pole, i.e., on the side of the class that produces its own product in the form of capital."

Based on the passage and your knowledge of world history, which of the following actions would Karl Marx most likely support as the solution to the problems of industrial capitalism?

  1. A revolutionary overthrow of the capitalist system by the industrial working classAnswer
  2. B
    The passage of legislative reforms by the government to improve factory working conditions
  3. C
    The expansion of state-funded welfare programs to support impoverished citizens
  4. D
    The establishment of voluntary, cooperative communities to share resources peacefully

Answer

A revolutionary overthrow of the capitalist system by the industrial working class
The correct option is correct because Karl Marx believed that the exploitation of the working class was an inherent feature of industrial capitalism that could only be resolved by a violent revolution to overthrow the capitalist system and establish a classless society.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus to identify the author's critique.
Karl Marx argues that the accumulation of capital inherently creates extreme wealth for capitalists and extreme misery and exploitation for the working class.
Understanding the core problem identified in the text is necessary to determine the author's proposed solution.
2
Recall Karl Marx's primary solution to the structural inequalities of capitalism.
Marx advocated for a proletarian revolution to overthrow the capitalist state and seize control of the means of production.
This identifies the revolutionary nature of Marxist ideology compared to moderate reform.
3
Evaluate the options to select the one that aligns with Marx's revolutionary goals.
The option advocating for a revolutionary overthrow of the capitalist system matches Marx's perspective, whereas the other options describe moderate legislative or state-sponsored reforms that he rejected as insufficient.
This step differentiates the correct Marxist solution from common misconceptions about reformism.

Key Concept

Marxism and the revolutionary reaction to industrialization
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Socialist, Communist, and Reformist Reactions to Industrialization

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