Question

passage 1 passage 2 in the organization of work (1839) french socialist, politician, and historian louis blanc examined social problems of economic competition, which he said favors the rich at the expense of the poor and the middle class. english writer john stuart mill quoted the extracts below in english translation in mill’s book socialism in 1879. the organization of work by louis blanc competition is for the people a system of extermination. is the poor man a member of society, or an enemy to it? we ask for an answer. all around him he finds the soil preoccupied. can he cultivate the earth for himself? no; for the right of the first occupant has become a right of property. can he gather the fruits which sentence best states two central ideas that support blanc’s argument in passage 2? private property limits poor people’s access to essential natural resources, and competition lowers their wages. individuals who are willing to work can work for money, and contractors can decide how much to pay them. middle class people make money by running small businesses, and poor people work for others for pay. some political economists argue that competition is a good thing, and others believe that it harms most people.

Explanation:

Blanc's argument frames competition as harmful to the poor and middle class, and criticizes private property as a barrier to their access to resources. The first option directly aligns with these two central ideas: it links private property to limiting poor people's access to essential resources, and competition to lowering their wages, which matches Blanc's critique of competition as a "system of extermination" for the poor and his point about occupied soil (private property) blocking their ability to sustain themselves. The other options either describe neutral conditions, class divisions without the critical argument, or just note differing economist views, not Blanc's core claims.

Answer:

Private property limits poor people's access to essential natural resources, and competition lowers their wages.