Final answer:
The quote you provided is attributed to Karl Marx, expressing opposition to reformist socialists and advocating for a focus on changing material conditions rather than political reforms.
Step-by-step explanation:
In this statement, Karl Marx critiques a faction of socialism that prioritizes gradual political changes over addressing the fundamental economic structures that shape society. He argues that this approach, aimed at downplaying revolutionary movements by emphasizing the limitations of mere political reforms, fails to address the root cause of inequality and oppression—the material conditions and economic relations.
Marx advocates for a more radical restructuring of the economic system, suggesting that true progress for the working class can only arise through altering the foundational structures of society. By prioritizing changes in the material conditions of existence and economic relations, Marx underscores the necessity of a deeper transformation rather than settling for incremental political changes.
Ultimately, Marx's stance highlights the fundamental disagreement between reformist and revolutionary socialists, with his emphasis on the transformative power of changing the economic foundations of society.
Correct answer: Karl Marx
Complete question:
- (Flashcard SOCI 330 KEY QUOTES/THEMES) "A second, and more practical, but less systematic, form of this Socialism sought to depreciate every revolutionary movement in the eyes of the working class by showing that no mere political reform, but only a change in the material conditions of existence, in economical relations, could be of any advantage to them." Who is the author of this quote? (p 496)