High School

According to Marx, which of the following is true of workers under capitalism?

A. Workers earn the full value of their labor.
B. Capitalists pay workers for their labor-power.
C. Harsh work conditions motivate workers to form close relationships with others.
D. Workers prefer capitalism to earlier economic systems.

Answer :

Final answer:

According to Marx, capitalists pay workers for their labor power, leading to worker exploitation and alienation in a capitalist society. This exploitation is viewed as unjust since workers do not earn the full value of their labor, and it is believed to eventually prompt the rise of worker solidarity and the collapse of the capitalist system in favor of socialism. The correct option is b.

Explanation:

According to Marx, capitalists pay workers for their labor-power. Marx's critique of capitalism centers around the concept that workers do not earn the full value of their labor but receive only a subsistence wage. Employers, or capitalists, profit from the surplus value produced by workers, which Marx sees as a form of exploitation. This exploitation leads to the alienation of workers from the products of their labor, their own potential, and their sense of community. Ultimately, Marx predicted that the increasing exploitation and the resulting worker solidarity would lead to a collapse of the capitalist system and the establishment of socialism, where workers would own the means of production.

Another key concept according to Marx is the alienation of the worker in a capitalist society. Workers are alienated not only because they do not control the products of their labor but also because they are reduced to selling their labor power in order to survive, losing control over their own destiny and creative potential in the process. Marx also believed in the inevitable rise of worker solidarity as a response to capitalist exploitation. This solidarity among workers across factories and countries would be a critical force in the overthrow of capitalism and the establishment of a socialist system.