Final answer:
Karl Marx contended that capitalism was maintained because it increased the wealth of the bourgeoisie, leading to worker exploitation and societal imbalances.
Step-by-step explanation:
Karl Marx proposed that savage capitalism was preserved because it made the bourgeoisie wealthier. In Marx's view, capitalism allowed the bourgeoisie to exploit the proletariat by paying them wages less than the value of their labor and keeping the excess value for themselves. This exploitation led to a concentration of wealth and political influence in the hands of the bourgeoisie, while the proletariat remained powerless and impoverished. Marx argued that this would eventually lead to the collapse of capitalism and the rise of socialism, with the workers reclaiming control of society.