Where was the deepest economic difference between liberalism and socialism?

Correct answer: Liberals accepted property rights while socialists criticized private property

The governing concept is the different economic priorities of liberalism and socialism. Liberals generally defended individual rights, constitutional government, and the right to own property. Although liberal thinkers were not identical, many regarded private property as an important protection of individual freedom and economic activity. Socialists focused more sharply on inequality, exploitation, and the concentration of productive property in private hands; many therefore criticized or sought to regulate private ownership. Option A states this central contrast. Option B reverses the positions and creates an inaccurate description. Option C is false because liberals did not uniformly reject private property, while option D is false because socialists explicitly treated inequality as a major social problem.