WAEC 2017 Government · Question 49

The guiding principle of communism is from each according to his/her

Options

  1. A.ability and to each according to his/her need'
  2. B.qualification and to each according to his/her need'
  3. C.race and to each according to his/her ability'
  4. D.age and to each according to his/ her status

Answer: A. ability and to each according to his/her need'

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question: It asks for the guiding principle (slogan) of communism, which completes the phrase "from each according to his/her ..."

Explain the concept: This phrase comes from Karl Marx's Critique of the Gotha Programme (1875). In a fully developed communist society, there are no classes and no private ownership of the means of production. Resources are shared according to what people need, not according to wealth or status.

The full principle is:

> "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need."

Step-by-step solution:

  1. Option A: "ability... need". This matches Marx's formula exactly. ✔
  2. Option B: "qualification... need". Communism does not rest on qualifications, so this is wrong. ✘
  3. Option C: "race... ability". Race has no place in communist ideology, and the roles of ability and need are reversed. ✘
  4. Option D: "age... status". Communism rejects status and class distinctions. ✘

Answer: The correct option is A.

Exam tip: Contrast it with socialism, whose slogan is often given as "from each according to his ability, to each according to his work." Remember: Communism = NEED, Socialism = WORK/contribution. If you see "need" paired with "ability," it is communism.

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