When first published in 1867, Karl Marxs massive thesis on capitalism

Question

When first published in 1867, Karl Marx’s massive thesis on capitalism, Das Kapital, was anything but a bestseller. In fact, the book hardly made a dent on the public consciousness at first. So little was it noticed that Marx’s friend and colleague Friedrich Engels began to write glowing reviews of Das Kapital under assumed names. The book received little attention during Marx’s lifetime, much to his personal disappointment as he believed that he was offering hope for the future of politics through economic revolution. After his death in 1883, however, there were growing changes in the international political climate, and Das Kapital grew in popularity, ultimately becoming one of the most influential political treatises of the twentieth century.

Considering the above statements, which of the following can be inferred from the passage to explain the reason for the eventual popularity of Das Kapital?

(A) Das Kapital became popular after people began questioning traditional capitalist values during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

(B) Das Kapital was censored in several European countries and thus was unavailable to the general reading public until the mid-twentieth century.

(C) Das Kapital is about three thousand pages in full and thus is limited in readership to those willing to undertake such a lengthy book.

(D) Karl Marx was not known as an authority in the field of political philosophy, so the book was poorly received among academics.

(E) Das Kapital was originally published in German and was unavailable in translation form until early in the twentieth century.

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Whoisdmx15 · Answer

IMO Ans A

(A) Das Kapital became popular after people began questioning traditional capitalist values during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  Suitable  As the stem mentions, Das Capital became popular later due to " growing changes in the international political climate ", which can be inferred to have stemmed from populace questioning capitalist values.

(B) Das Kapital was censored in several European countries and thus was unavailable to the general reading public until the mid-twentieth century.  Eleminated  Nothing in the passage suggests restriction in access to the literature, only change of political climate.

(C) Das Kapital is about three thousand pages in full and thus is limited in readership to those willing to undertake such a lengthy book.  Eleminated Nothing in the passage suggests lack of interest due to vastness/length of the literature.

(D) Karl Marx was not known as an authority in the field of political philosophy, so the book was poorly received among academics.  Eleminated Stem does not refer to authority of Karl Marx as a reason.

(E) Das Kapital was originally published in German and was unavailable in translation form until early in the twentieth century.  Eleminated  Out of context.

Su1206 · Answer

IMO answer is E

carcass   Bunuel   GMATNinja   GMATninja2  please correct my reasoning

E) Das Kapital was originally published in German and was unavailable in translation form until early in the twentieth century -  The reason for lack of popularity during marx's lifetime must be language barrier, i.e very few people could read German. Post translation in English, the popularity took off.

I also feel A is correct because it is actually supported by data given in the passage, but E just zings more.

satavishamitra · Answer

I think the answer is (A): “Das Kapital became popular after people began questioning traditional capitalist values during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.” 
This matches the passage’s statement on “ growing changes in the international political climate, ” which implies a broader reevaluation of capitalism.

Bunuel · Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

Overview:

Question presents a passage that explains the early history of Karl Marx’s Das Kapital. According to the passage, the book, received very little attention upon its first publication, but in its later history became one of the most influential writings of the twentieth century. The student is asked to consider – within the context of the statements in the passage – which answer choice best explains the reason for the eventual popularity of the book. The student should note that the question does not ask for the reasons behind the initial unpopularity of the book, but rather what might have changed to make the book popular after Marx’s death in 1883. This might seem like a question that requires a blind guess, but it is not. The necessary details for a correct inference are in the paragraph; the student must look closely and take them into account. The key sentence here is the last sentence of the passage: “After his death in 1883, however, there were growing changes in the international political climate, and Das Kapital grew in popularity, ultimately becoming one of the most influential political treatises of the twentieth century.” This sentence suggests that the book’s popularity did not occur until there was a change in the general attitude toward politics. Additionally, the sentence immediately before this suggests that Marx wrote his book before the public was ready to read it. Therefore, the correct answer will reflect the idea that Marx’s book became popular after a change in political views in the world.

The Correct Answer:

A Answer choice (A) best expresses the idea that Marx’s book could not be popular until there was a significant change in the public political attitude. Therefore, answer choice (A) is the correct answer.

The Incorrect Answers:

B, E Answer choices (B) and (E) provide a reason for why Das Kapital might not have been available to many readers, thus limiting the opportunities for its popularity. There is nothing in the passage, however, to suggest that Das Kapital was immediately popular with those who could read it, so neither answer choices (B) nor (E) offers a sufficient explanation of the book’s eventual popularity. Both answer choices are incorrect.

C Answer choice (C) offers a possible reason for why few readers would be unwilling to take on such a massive tome, but it does not offer an explanation for the book’s eventual popularity. What is more, it does not infer a reason from information contained within the paragraph, so it cannot be correct. Answer choice (C) can be eliminated.

D The reception from academics might very well have limited the opportunities early on for Das Kapital to be taught at the university level, but once again this does not explain the reason for the book’s eventual popularity. Therefore, answer choice (D) is incorrect.

When first published in 1867, Karl Marxs massive thesis on capitalism

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When first published in 1867, Karl Marxs massive thesis on capitalism

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