The following text is about economics.

"Creative destruction," a term associated with economist Joseph Schumpeter, describes how capitalist innovation destroys old industries while creating new ones. The automobile industry displaced horse-drawn transport; digital photography eliminated film manufacturing. This process, Schumpeter argued, is capitalism's essential driving force—not price competition but competition from new commodities and technologies. Workers in dying industries suffer real losses, even as society may gain overall. Contemporary discussions of automation and technological unemployment echo these century-old debates about how to manage disruption's costs and benefits.

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What does "creative destruction" emphasize about capitalism?

A

Price competition is capitalism's primary mechanism

B

Innovation-driven displacement of old industries is capitalism's essential dynamic

C

All workers benefit equally from industrial change

D

Capitalism prevents any technological innovation

Correct Answer: B

Choice B is the correct answer. Schumpeter argued creative destruction "is capitalism's essential driving force—not price competition but competition from new commodities and technologies."

  1. Evidence: Essential driving force; new commodities/technologies.
  2. Reasoning: Innovation-driven replacement, not just prices.
  3. Conclusion: Industry displacement through innovation is central.

Choice A is incorrect because the text explicitly contrasts this with innovation competition. Choice C is incorrect because "workers in dying industries suffer real losses." Choice D is incorrect because innovation is the driving force.