Explanation:

- The correct author of "The Poverty of Philosophy" is Karl Marx.

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- Option 1: Merton – Robert K. Merton is known for theories of sociology such as "role model" and "self-fulfilling prophecy," not for writing "The Poverty of Philosophy."

- Option 2: Marx – Karl Marx wrote "The Poverty of Philosophy" in 1847 as a critique of Proudhon’s book "The Philosophy of Poverty."

- Option 3: Weber – Max Weber is a famous sociologist with works like "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism," but not this text.

- Option 4: Parsons – Talcott Parsons was a key American sociologist, noted for structural functionalism, but not linked to this work.

- The book is an important early critique in socialist literature and Marx's first mature philosophical work.