manifesto of the communist party-第2章

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everlasting　uncertainty　and　agitation　distinguish　the　bourgeois

epoch　from　all　earlier　ones。　　All　fixed；　fast…frozen　relations；

with　their　train　of　ancient　and　venerable　prejudices　and

opinions；

are　swept　away；　all　new…formed　ones　become　antiquated　before　they

can　ossify。　　All　that　is　solid　melts　into　air；　all　that　is　holy

is　profaned；　and　man　is　at　last　compelled　to　face　with　sober

senses；

his　real　conditions　of　life；　and　his　relations　with　his　kind。



The　need　of　a　constantly　expanding　market　for　its　products　chases

the　bourgeoisie　over　the　whole　surface　of　the　globe。　　It　must

nestle

everywhere；　settle　everywhere；　establish　connexions　everywhere。



The　bourgeoisie　has　through　its　exploitation　of　the　world…market

given　a　cosmopolitan　character　to　production　and　consumption　in

every　country。　　To　the　great　chagrin　of　Reactionists；　it　has

drawn　from　under　the　feet　of　industry　the　national　ground　on

which　it　stood。　　All　old…established　national　industries　have

been　destroyed　or　are　daily　being　destroyed。　　They　are　dislodged

by　new　industries；　whose　introduction　becomes　a　life　and　death

question　for　all　civilised　nations；　by　industries　that　no　longer

work　up　indigenous　raw　material；　but　raw　material　drawn　from　the

remotest　zones；　industries　whose　products　are　consumed；　not　only

at　home；　but　in　every　quarter　of　the　globe。　　In　place　of　the　old

wants；　satisfied　by　the　productions　of　the　country；　we　find　new

wants；　requiring　for　their　satisfaction　the　products　of　distant

lands　and　climes。　　In　place　of　the　old　local　and　national

seclusion　and　self…sufficiency；　we　have　intercourse　in　every

direction；　universal　inter…dependence　of　nations。　　And　as　in

material；　so　also　in　intellectual　production。　　The　intellectual

creations　of　individual　nations　become　common　property。　　National

one…sidedness　and　narrow…mindedness　become　more　and　more

impossible；　and　from　the　numerous　national　and　local　literatures；

there　arises　a　world　literature。



The　bourgeoisie；　by　the　rapid　improvement　of　all　instruments　of

production；　by　the　immensely　facilitated　means　of　communication；

draws　all；　even　the　most　barbarian；　nations　into　civilisation。

The　cheap　prices　of　its　commodities　are　the　heavy　artillery　with

which　it　batters　down　all　Chinese　walls；　with　which　it　forces　the

barbarians'　intensely　obstinate　hatred　of　foreigners　to

capitulate。　　It　compels　all　nations；　on　pain　of　extinction；　to

adopt　the　bourgeois　mode　of　production；　it　compels　them　to

introduce　what　it　calls　civilisation　into　their　midst；　i。e。；　to

become　bourgeois　themselves。　　In　one　word；　it　creates　a　world

after　its　own　image。



The　bourgeoisie　has　subjected　the　country　to　the　rule　of　the

towns。　　It　has　created　enormous　cities；　has　greatly　increased　the

urban　population　as　compared　with　the　rural；　and　has　thus　rescued

a　considerable　part　of　the　population　from　the　idiocy　of　rural

life。　　Just　as　it　has　made　the　country　dependent　on　the　towns；　so

it　has　made　barbarian　and　semi…barbarian　countries　dependent　on

the　civilised　ones；　nations　of　peasants　on　nations　of　bourgeois；

the　East　on　the　West。



The　bourgeoisie　keeps　more　and　more　doing　away　with　the

scattered　state　of　the　population；　of　the　means　of　production；

and　of　property。　　It　has　agglomerated　production；　and　has

concentrated　property　in　a　few　hands。　　The　necessary　consequence

of　this　was　political　centralisation。　　Independent；　or　but

loosely　connected　provinces；　with　separate　interests；　laws；

governments　and　systems　of　taxation；　became　lumped　together　into

one　nation；　with　one　government；　one　code　of　laws；　one　national

class…interest；　one　frontier　and　one　customs…tariff。　　The

bourgeoisie；　during　its　rule　of　scarce　one　hundred　years；　has

created　more　massive　and　more　colossal　productive　forces　than

have　all　preceding　generations　together。　　Subjection　of　Nature's

forces　to　man；　machinery；　application　of　chemistry　to　industry

and　agriculture；　steam…navigation；　railways；　electric　telegraphs；

clearing　of　whole　continents　for　cultivation；　canalisation　of

rivers；　whole　populations　conjured　out　of　the　ground　　what

earlier　century　had　even　a　presentiment　that　such　productive

forces　slumbered　in　the　lap　of　social　labour？



We　see　then：　the　means　of　production　and　of　exchange；　on　whose

foundation　the　bourgeoisie　built　itself　up；　were　generated　in

feudal　society。　　At　a　certain　stage　in　the　development　of　these

means　of　production　and　of　exchange；　the　conditions　under　which

feudal　society　produced　and　exchanged；　the　feudal　organisation　of

agriculture　and　manufacturing　industry；　in　one　word；　the　feudal

relations　of　property　became　no　longer　compatible　with　the

already　developed　productive　forces；　they　became　so　many　fetters。

They　had　to　be　burst　asunder；　they　were　burst　asunder。



Into　their　place　stepped　free　competition；　accompanied　by　a

social　and　political　constitution　adapted　to　it；　and　by　the

economical　and　political　sway　of　the　bourgeois　class。



A　similar　movement　is　going　on　before　our　own　eyes。　　Modern

bourgeois　society　with　its　relations　of　production；　of　exchange

and　of　property；　a　society　that　has　conjured　up　such　gigantic

means　of　production　and　of　exchange；　is　like　the　sorcerer；　who　is

no　longer　able　to　control　the　powers　of　the　nether　world　whom　he

has　called　up　by　his　spells。　　For　many　a　decade　past　the　history

of　industry　and　commerce　is　but　the　history　of　the　revolt　of

modern　productive　forces　against　modern　conditions　of　production；

against　the　property　relations　that　are　the　conditions　for　the

existence　of　the　bourgeoisie　and　of　its　rule。　　It　is　enough　to

mention　the　commercial　crises　that　by　their　periodical　return　put

on　its　trial；　each　time　more　threateningly；　the　existence　of　the

entire　bourgeois　society。　　In　these　crises　a　great　part　not　only

of　the　existing　products；　but　also　of　the　previously　created

productive　forces；　are　periodically　destroyed。　　In　these　crises

there　breaks　out　an　epidemic　that；　in　all　earlier　epochs；　would

have　seemed　an　absurdity　　the　epidemic　of　over…production。

Society　suddenly　finds　itself　put　back　into　a　state　of　momentary

barbarism；　it　appears　as　if　a　famine；　a　universal　war　of

devastation　had　cut　off　the　supply　of　every　means　of　subsistence；

industry　and　commerce　seem　to　be　destroyed；　and　why？　　Because

there　is　too　much　civilisation；　too　much　means　of　subsistence；

too　much　industry；　too　much　commerce。　　The　productive　forces　at

the　disposal　of　society　no　longer　tend　to　further　the　development

of　the　conditions　of　bourgeois　property；　on　the　contrary；　they

have　become　too　powerful　for　these　conditions；　by　which　they　are

fettered；　and　so　soon　as　they　overcome　these　fetters；　they　bring

disorder　into　the　whole　of　bourgeois　society；　endanger　the

existence　of　bourgeois　property。　　The　conditions　of　bourgeois

society　are　too　narrow　to　comprise　the　wealth　created　by　them。

And　how　does　the　bourgeoisie　get　over　these　crises？　　On　the　one

hand　inforced　destruction　of　a　mass　of　productive　forces；　on　the

other；　by　the　conquest　of　new　markets；　and　by　the　more　thorough

exploitation　of　the　old　ones。　　That　is　to　say；　by　paving　the　way

for　more　extensive　and　more　destructive　crises；　and　by

diminishing　the　means　whereby　crises　are　prevented。



The　weapons　with　which　the　bourgeoisie　felled　feudalism　to　the

ground　are　now　turned　against　the　bourgeoisie　itself。



But　not　only　has　the　bourgeoisie　forged　the　weapons　that　bring

death　to　itself；　it　has　also　called　into　existence　the　men　who

are　to　wield　those　weapons　　the　modern　working　class　　the

proletarians。



In　proportion　as　the　bourgeoisie；　i。e。；　capital；　is　developed；

in　the　same　proportion　is　the　proletariat；　the　modern　working

class；　developed　　a　class　of　labourers；　who　live　only　so　long

as　they　find　work；　and　who　find　work　only　so　long　as　their　labour

increases　capital。　　These　labourers；　who　must　sell　themselves

piece…meal；　are　a　commodity；　like　every　other　article　of