Final answer:
The central theme of the text is 'The lives and working conditions of the poor are inhumane and should be improved,' as it addresses the challenges faced by the working class during the Industrial Revolution and calls for social reforms.
Step-by-step explanation:
Identifying the Central Theme of the Text
The question deals with the central theme of a text that likely describes industrial and social conditions during the Industrial Revolution. Considering the provided text, the most suitable answer would be B: The lives and working conditions of the poor are inhumane and should be improved. This choice is supported by the detailed descriptions of the grim reality faced by the working poor: overcrowded housing, poor sanitation, infectious diseases, and inhumane working conditions. These hardships prompted the advent of socialist thinkers and created a critical view of industrial progress that often built fortunes on the backs of the laboring poor. Authors and philosophers during this time explored and exposed the severe inequities that came with industrialization, arguing for societal change.