Which theory was propounded by Karl Marx?

Appeared in: PGIMS Rohtak NO - 2017

Explanation

Karl Marx, along with Friedrich Engels, is the primary theorist behind the political and economic ideology of Communism.
Their seminal work, 'The Communist Manifesto', outlines the core principles of Communism, including class struggle, the abolition of private property, and the eventual establishment of a classless, stateless society.
Marx's theories provide a detailed critique of capitalism and propose Communism as the ultimate stage of human societal development.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

Option A: Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian ultranationalist ideology. It is historically and ideologically opposed to Communism, which is considered a far-left ideology.
Option B: Anarchism seeks the abolition of the state without a transitional period, which differs from the Marxist concept of a 'dictatorship of the proletariat' as a temporary state to transition to communism.
Option D: Socialism is a very broad term for theories advocating social ownership. While Marxism is a type of socialism (scientific socialism), Communism is the specific, ultimate societal structure that Marx theorized. Communism is a more precise and complete answer for Marx's ultimate theory.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Political Theories and Proponents as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
This is a general knowledge question testing understanding of major political philosophies.
Understanding different social and political structures is part of a broad education and helps in comprehending global history and current events.
What if? If the question asked for a broader category that includes Marx's ideas, 'Socialism' could be a plausible, though less precise, answer. However, the question asks for the theory he propounded, and he specifically detailed the theory of Communism.

How to Approach the Question

Identify the key figure in the question: Karl Marx.
Recall or look up the major theories associated with this figure.
Analyze the given options: Fascism, Anarchism, Communism, Socialism.
Evaluate the relationship between Karl Marx and each option. Marx is a socialist thinker, but he is most famous for developing the specific theory of Communism.
Distinguish between the broad category (Socialism) and the specific theory (Communism). Communism is the most accurate and direct answer for the theory propounded by Marx.
Select the option that represents the most specific and well-known theory associated with the individual.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Political Theories and Proponents
Stem keywords: theory, propounded, Karl Marx
Lead-in keywords: Which

Question ID

Q-Daip1Wq0gJRuLLziVo5N

Reference Book

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 3128-3130

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-232 of 464) p. 208-210

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