Engels' argument about the family includes which of the following?

• A. To provide emotional support.
• B. To provide proof of paternity and ensure property could be passed on to heirs.
• C. To promote gender equality.
• D. To enforce state control over marriage.

Answer: (B)

Engels argues that the family develops to control property and secure inheritance in a growing capitalist society. The crucial function is making sure a husband’s paternity is proven so that wealth and assets can be passed to legitimate heirs. This ties the family to property relations, legitimize offspring, and stabilize the transfer of wealth across generations. That focus on proving paternity and safeguarding inheritance is why this option best captures Engels’ view. The other ideas—emotional support, promoting gender equality, or state overreach in marriage—aren’t central to his analysis, which emphasizes how the family supports property relations and patriarchy rather than broader emotional roles or state control.