manifesto of the communist party-第4章

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existence。　　These　also　supply　the　proletariat　with　fresh　elements

of　enlightenment　and　progress。



Finally；　in　times　when　the　class　struggle　nears　the　decisive

hour；　the　process　of　dissolution　going　on　within　the　ruling

class；　in　fact　within　the　whole　range　of　society；　assumes　such　a

violent；　glaring　character；　that　a　small　section　of　the　ruling

class　cuts　itself　adrift；　and　joins　the　revolutionary　class；　the

class　that　holds　the　future　in　its　hands。　　Just　as；　therefore；　at

an　earlier　period；　a　section　of　the　nobility　went　over　to　the

bourgeoisie；　so　now　a　portion　of　the　bourgeoisie　goes　over　to　the

proletariat；　and　in　particular；　a　portion　of　the　bourgeois

ideologists；　who　have　raised　themselves　to　the　level　of

comprehending　theoretically　the　historical　movement　as　a　whole。



Of　all　the　classes　that　stand　face　to　face　with　the　bourgeoisie

today；　the　proletariat　alone　is　a　really　revolutionary　class。

The　other　classes　decay　and　finally　disappear　in　the　face　of

Modern　Industry；　the　proletariat　is　its　special　and　essential

product。　　The　lower　middle　class；　the　small　manufacturer；　the

shopkeeper；　the　artisan；　the　peasant；　all　these　fight　against　the

bourgeoisie；　to　save　from　extinction　their　existence　as　fractions

of　the　middle　class。　　They　are　therefore　not　revolutionary；　but

conservative。　　Nay　more；　they　are　reactionary；　for　they　try　to

roll　back　the　wheel　of　history。　　If　by　chance　they　are

revolutionary；　they　are　so　only　in　view　of　their　impending

transfer　into　the　proletariat；　they　thus　defend　not　their

present；　but　their　future　interests；　they　desert　their　own

standpoint　to　place　themselves　at　that　of　the　proletariat。



The　〃dangerous　class；〃　the　social　scum；　that　passively　rotting

mass　thrown　off　by　the　lowest　layers　of　old　society；　may；　here

and　there；　be　swept　into　the　movement　by　a　proletarian

revolution；　its　conditions　of　life；　however；　prepare　it　far　more

for　the　part　of　a　bribed　tool　of　reactionary　intrigue。



In　the　conditions　of　the　proletariat；　those　of　old　society　at

large　are　already　virtually　swamped。　　The　proletarian　is　without

property；　his　relation　to　his　wife　and　children　has　no　longer

anything　in　common　with　the　bourgeois　family…relations；　modern

industrial　labour；　modern　subjection　to　capital；　the　same　in

England　as　in　France；　in　America　as　in　Germany；　has　stripped　him

of　every　trace　of　national　character。　　Law；　morality；　religion；

are　to　him　so　many　bourgeois　prejudices；　behind　which　lurk　in

ambush　just　as　many　bourgeois　interests。



All　the　preceding　classes　that　got　the　upper　hand；　sought　to

fortify　their　already　acquired　status　by　subjecting　society　at

large　to　their　conditions　of　appropriation。　　The　proletarians

cannot　become　masters　of　the　productive　forces　of　society；　except

by　abolishing　their　own　previous　mode　of　appropriation；　and

thereby　also　every　other　previous　mode　of　appropriation。　　They

have　nothing　of　their　own　to　secure　and　to　fortify；　their　mission

is　to　destroy　all　previous　securities　for；　and　insurances　of；

individual　property。



All　previous　historical　movements　were　movements　of　minorities；

or　in　the　interests　of　minorities。　　The　proletarian　movement　is

the　self…conscious；　independent　movement　of　the　immense　majority；

in　the　interests　of　the　immense　majority。　　The　proletariat；　the

lowest　stratum　of　our　present　society；　cannot　stir；　cannot　raise

itself　up；　without　the　whole　superincumbent　strata　of　official

society　being　sprung　into　the　air。



Though　not　in　substance；　yet　in　form；　the　struggle　of　the

proletariat　with　the　bourgeoisie　is　at　first　a　national　struggle。

The　proletariat　of　each　country　must；　of　course；　first　of　all

settle　matters　with　its　own　bourgeoisie。



In　depicting　the　most　general　phases　of　the　development　of　the

proletariat；　we　traced　the　more　or　less　veiled　civil　war；　raging

within　existing　society；　up　to　the　point　where　that　war　breaks

out　into　open　revolution；　and　where　the　violent　overthrow　of　the

bourgeoisie　lays　the　foundation　for　the　sway　of　the　proletariat。



Hitherto；　every　form　of　society　has　been　based；　as　we　have

already　seen；　on　the　antagonism　of　oppressing　and　oppressed

classes。　　But　in　order　to　oppress　a　class；　certain　conditions

must　be　assured　to　it　under　which　it　can；　at　least；　continue　its

slavish　existence。　　The　serf；　in　the　period　of　serfdom；　raised

himself　to　membership　in　the　commune；　just　as　the　petty

bourgeois；　under　the　yoke　of　feudal　absolutism；　managed　to

develop　into　a　bourgeois。　　The　modern　laborer；　on　the　contrary；

instead　of　rising　with　the　progress　of　industry；　sinks　deeper　and

deeper　below　the　conditions　of　existence　of　his　own　class。　　He

becomes　a　pauper；　and　pauperism　develops　more　rapidly　than

population　and　wealth。　　And　here　it　becomes　evident；　that　the

bourgeoisie　is　unfit　any　longer　to　be　the　ruling　class　in

society；　and　to　impose　its　conditions　of　existence　upon　society

as　an　over…riding　law。　　It　is　unfit　to　rule　because　it　is

incompetent　to　assure　an　existence　to　its　slave　within　his

slavery；　because　it　cannot　help　letting　him　sink　into　such　a

state；　that　it　has　to　feed　him；　instead　of　being　fed　by　him。

Society　can　no　longer　live　under　this　bourgeoisie；　in　other

words；　its　existence　is　no　longer　compatible　with　society。



The　essential　condition　for　the　existence；　and　for　the　sway　of

the　bourgeois　class；　is　the　formation　and　augmentation　of

capital；　the　condition　for　capital　is　wage…labour。　　Wage…labour

rests　exclusively　on　competition　between　the　laborers。　　The

advance　of　industry；　whose　involuntary　promoter　is　the

bourgeoisie；　replaces　the　isolation　of　the　labourers；　due　to

competition；　by　their　revolutionary　combination；　due　to

association。　　The　development　of　Modern　Industry；　therefore；　cuts

from　under　its　feet　the　very　foundation　on　which　the　bourgeoisie

produces　and　appropriates　products。　　What　the　bourgeoisie；

therefore；　produces；　above　all；　is　its　own　grave…diggers。　　Its

fall　and　the　victory　of　the　proletariat　are　equally　inevitable。





II。　　PROLETARIANS　AND　COMMUNISTS



In　what　relation　do　the　Communists　stand　to　the　proletarians　as　a

whole？



The　Communists　do　not　form　a　separate　party　opposed　to　other

working…class　parties。



They　have　no　interests　separate　and　apart　from　those　of　the

proletariat　as　a　whole。



They　do　not　set　up　any　sectarian　principles　of　their　own；

by　which　to　shape　and　mould　the　proletarian　movement。



The　Communists　are　distinguished　from　the　other　working…class

parties　is　only：　（1）　In　the　national　struggles　of　the

proletarians　of　the　different　countries；　they　point　out　and　bring

to　the　front　the　common　interests　of　entire　proletariat；

independently　of　nationality。　　（2）　In　the　various　stages　of

development　which　the　struggle　of　the　working　class　against　the

bourgeoisie　has　to　pass　through；　they　always　and　everywhere

represent　the　interests　of　the　movement　as　a　whole。



The　Communists；　therefore；　are　on　the　one　hand；　practically；

the　most　advanced　and　resolute　section　of　the　working…class

parties　of　every　country；　that　section　which　pushes　forward　all

others；　on　the　other　hand；　theoretically；　they　have　over　the

great　mass　of　the　proletariat　the　advantage　of　clearly

understanding　the　line　of　march；　the　conditions；　and　the　ultimate

general　results　of　the　proletarian　movement。



The　immediate　aim　of　the　Communist　is　the　same　as　that　of　all

the　other　proletarian　parties：　formation　of　the　proletariat　into

a　class；　overthrow　of　the　bourgeois　supremacy；　conquest　of

political　power　by　the　proletariat。



The　theoretical　conclusions　of　the　Communists　are　in　no　way

based　on　ideas　or　principles　that　have　been　invented；　or

discovered；　by　this　or　that　would…be　universal　reformer。　　They

merely　express；　in　general　terms；　actual　relations　springing　from

an　existing　class　struggle；　from　a　historical　movement　going　on

under　our　very　eyes。　　The　abolition　of　existing　property

relations　is　not