manifesto of the communist party-第3章
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increases capital。 These labourers; who must sell themselves
piece…meal; are a commodity; like every other article of
commerce; and are consequently exposed to all the vicissitudes of
competition; to all the fluctuations of the market。
Owing to the extensive use of machinery and to division of
labour; the work of the proletarians has lost all individual
character; and consequently; all charm for the workman。 He
becomes an appendage of the machine; and it is only the most
simple; most monotonous; and most easily acquired knack; that is
required of him。 Hence; the cost of production of a workman is
restricted; almost entirely; to the means of subsistence that he
requires for his maintenance; and for the propagation of his
race。 But the price of a commodity; and therefore also of
labour; is equal to its cost of production。 In proportion
therefore; as the repulsiveness of the work increases; the wage
decreases。 Nay more; in proportion as the use of machinery and
division of labour increases; in the same proportion the burden
of toil also increases; whether by prolongation of the working
hours; by increase of the work exacted in a given time or by
increased speed of the machinery; etc。
Modern industry has converted the little workshop of the
patriarchal master into the great factory of the industrial
capitalist。 Masses of labourers; crowded into the factory; are
organised like soldiers。 As privates of the industrial army they
are placed under the command of a perfect hierarchy of officers
and sergeants。 Not only are they slaves of the bourgeois class;
and of the bourgeois State; they are daily and hourly enslaved by
the machine; by the over…looker; and; above all; by the
individual bourgeois manufacturer himself。 The more openly this
despotism proclaims gain to be its end and aim; the more petty;
the more hateful and the more embittering it is。
The less the skill and exertion of strength implied in manual
labour; in other words; the more modern industry becomes
developed;
the more is the labour of men superseded by that of women。
Differences of age and sex have no longer any distinctive social
validity for the working class。 All are instruments of labour;
more or less expensive to use; according to their age and sex。
No sooner is the exploitation of the labourer by the
manufacturer;
so far; at an end; that he receives his wages in cash; than he is
set upon by the other portions of the bourgeoisie; the landlord;
the shopkeeper; the pawnbroker; etc。
The lower strata of the middle class the small tradespeople;
shopkeepers; retired tradesmen generally; the handicraftsmen and
peasants all these sink gradually into the proletariat; partly
because their diminutive capital does not suffice for the scale
on which Modern Industry is carried on; and is swamped in the
competition with the large capitalists; partly because their
specialized skill is rendered worthless by the new methods of
production。 Thus the proletariat is recruited from all classes
of the population。
The proletariat goes through various stages of development。
With its birth begins its struggle with the bourgeoisie。 At
first the contest is carried on by individual labourers; then by
the workpeople of a factory; then by the operatives of one trade;
in one locality; against the individual bourgeois who directly
exploits them。 They direct their attacks not against the
bourgeois conditions of production; but against the instruments
of production themselves; they destroy imported wares that
compete with their labour; they smash to pieces machinery; they
set factories ablaze; they seek to restore by force the vanished
status of the workman of the Middle Ages。
At this stage the labourers still form an incoherent mass
scattered over the whole country; and broken up by their mutual
competition。 If anywhere they unite to form more compact bodies;
this is not yet the consequence of their own active union; but of
the union of the bourgeoisie; which class; in order to attain its
own political ends; is compelled to set the whole proletariat in
motion; and is moreover yet; for a time; able to do so。 At this
stage; therefore; the proletarians do not fight their enemies;
but the enemies of their enemies; the remnants of absolute
monarchy; the landowners; the non…industrial bourgeois; the petty
bourgeoisie。 Thus the whole historical movement is concentrated
in the hands of the bourgeoisie; every victory so obtained is a
victory for the bourgeoisie。
But with the development of industry the proletariat not only
increases in number; it becomes concentrated in greater masses;
its strength grows; and it feels that strength more。 The various
interests and conditions of life within the ranks of the
proletariat are more and more equalised; in proportion as
machinery obliterates all distinctions of labour; and nearly
everywhere reduces wages to the same low level。 The growing
competition among the bourgeois; and the resulting commercial
crises; make the wages of the workers ever more fluctuating。 The
unceasing improvement of machinery; ever more rapidly developing;
makes their livelihood more and more precarious; the collisions
between individual workmen and individual bourgeois take more and
more the character of collisions between two classes。 Thereupon
the workers begin to form combinations (Trades Unions) against
the bourgeois; they club together in order to keep up the rate of
wages; they found permanent associations in order to make
provision beforehand for these occasional revolts。 Here and
there the contest breaks out into riots。
Now and then the workers are victorious; but only for a time。
The real fruit of their battles lies; not in the immediate
result; but in the ever…expanding union of the workers。 This
union is helped on by the improved means of communication that
are created by modern industry and that place the workers of
different localities in contact with one another。 It was just
this contact that was needed to centralise the numerous local
struggles; all of the same character; into one national struggle
between classes。 But every class struggle is a political
struggle。 And that union; to attain which the burghers of the
Middle Ages; with their miserable highways; required centuries;
the modern proletarians; thanks to railways; achieve in a few
years。
This organisation of the proletarians into a class; and
consequently into a political party; is continually being upset
again by the competition between the workers themselves。 But it
ever rises up again; stronger; firmer; mightier。 It compels
legislative recognition of particular interests of the workers;
by taking advantage of the divisions among the bourgeoisie
itself。 Thus the ten…hours' bill in England was carried。
Altogether collisions between the classes of the old society
further; in many ways; the course of development of the
proletariat。
The bourgeoisie finds itself involved in a constant battle。
At first with the aristocracy; later on; with those portions
of the bourgeoisie itself; whose interests have become
antagonistic
to the progress of industry; at all times; with the bourgeoisie
of foreign countries。 In all these battles it sees itself
compelled
to appeal to the proletariat; to ask for its help; and thus; to
drag
it into the political arena。 The bourgeoisie itself; therefore;
supplies the proletariat with its own instruments of political
and general education; in other words; it furnishes the
proletariat
with weapons for fighting the bourgeoisie。
Further; as we have already seen; entire sections of the ruling
classes are; by the advance of industry; precipitated into the
proletariat; or are at least threatened in their conditions of
existence。 These also supply the proletariat with fresh elements
of enlightenment and progress。
Finally; in ti