manifesto of the communist party-第5章

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under　our　very　eyes。　　The　abolition　of　existing　property

relations　is　not　at　all　a　distinctive　feature　of　Communism。



All　property　relations　in　the　past　have　continually　been　subject

to

historical　change　consequent　upon　the　change　in　historical

conditions。



The　French　Revolution；　for　example；　abolished　feudal　property　in

favour　of　bourgeois　property。



The　distinguishing　feature　of　Communism　is　not　the　abolition　of

property　generally；　but　the　abolition　of　bourgeois　property。　But

modern　bourgeois　private　property　is　the　final　and　most　complete

expression　of　the　system　of　producing　and　appropriating　products；

that　is　based　on　class　antagonisms；　on　the　exploitation　of　the

many　by　the　few。



In　this　sense；　the　theory　of　the　Communists　may　be　summed　up　in

the　single　sentence：　Abolition　of　private　property。



We　Communists　have　been　reproached　with　the　desire　of　abolishing

the　right　of　personally　acquiring　property　as　the　fruit　of　a

man's　own　labour；　which　property　is　alleged　to　be　the　groundwork

of　all　personal　freedom；　activity　and　independence。



Hard…won；　self…acquired；　self…earned　property！　　Do　you　mean　the

property　of　the　petty　artisan　and　of　the　small　peasant；　a　form　of

property　that　preceded　the　bourgeois　form？　　There　is　no　need　to

abolish　that；　the　development　of　industry　has　to　a　great　extent

already　destroyed　it；　and　is　still　destroying　it　daily。



Or　do　you　mean　modern　bourgeois　private　property？



But　does　wage…labour　create　any　property　for　the　labourer？　　Not

a　bit。　　It　creates　capital；　i。e。；　that　kind　of　property　which

exploits　wage…labour；　and　which　cannot　increase　except　upon

condition　of　begetting　a　new　supply　of　wage…labour　for　fresh

exploitation。　　Property；　in　its　present　form；　is　based　on　the

antagonism　of　capital　and　wage…labour。　　Let　us　examine　both　sides

of　this　antagonism。



To　be　a　capitalist；　is　to　have　not　only　a　purely　personal；　but　a

social　status　in　production。　　Capital　is　a　collective　product；

and　only　by　the　united　action　of　many　members；　nay；　in　the　last

resort；　only　by　the　united　action　of　all　members　of　society；

can　it　be　set　in　motion。



Capital　is；　therefore；　not　a　personal；　it　is　a　social　power。



When；　therefore；　capital　is　converted　into　common　property；　into

the

property　of　all　members　of　society；　personal　property　is　not

thereby

transformed　into　social　property。　　It　is　only　the　social

character　of

the　property　that　is　changed。　　It　loses　its　class…character。



Let　us　now　take　wage…labour。



The　average　price　of　wage…labour　is　the　minimum　wage；　i。e。；

that　quantum　of　the　means　of　subsistence；　which　is　absolutely

requisite　in　bare　existence　as　a　labourer。　　What；　therefore；　the

wage…labourer　appropriates　by　means　of　his　labour；　merely

suffices　to　prolong　and　reproduce　a　bare　existence。　　We　by　no

means　intend　to　abolish　this　personal　appropriation　of　the

products　of　labour；　an　appropriation　that　is　made　for　the

maintenance　and　reproduction　of　human　life；　and　that　leaves　no

surplus　wherewith　to　command　the　labour　of　others。　　All　that　we

want　to　do　away　with；　is　the　miserable　character　of　this

appropriation；　under　which　the　labourer　lives　merely　to　increase

capital；　and　is　allowed　to　live　only　in　so　far　as　the　interest　of

the　ruling　class　requires　it。



In　bourgeois　society；　living　labour　is　but　a　means　to　increase

accumulated　labour。　　In　Communist　society；　accumulated　labour

is　but　a　means　to　widen；　to　enrich；　to　promote　the　existence

of　the　labourer。



In　bourgeois　society；　therefore；　the　past　dominates　the　present；

in　Communist　society；　the　present　dominates　the　past。　　In

bourgeois　society　capital　is　independent　and　has　individuality；

while　the　living　person　is　dependent　and　has　no　individuality。



And　the　abolition　of　this　state　of　things　is　called　by　the

bourgeois；

abolition　of　individuality　and　freedom！　　And　rightly　so。　　The

abolition

of　bourgeois　individuality；　bourgeois　independence；　and　bourgeois

freedom　is　undoubtedly　aimed　at。



By　freedom　is　meant；　under　the　present　bourgeois　conditions　of

production；　free　trade；　free　selling　and　buying。

But　if　selling　and　buying　disappears；　free　selling　and　buying

disappears　also。　　This　talk　about　free　selling　and　buying；　and

all　the　other　〃brave　words〃　of　our　bourgeoisie　about　freedom　in

general；　have　a　meaning；　if　any；　only　in　contrast　with　restricted

selling　and　buying；　with　the　fettered　traders　of　the　Middle　Ages；

but　have　no　meaning　when　opposed　to　the　Communistic　abolition　of

buying　and　selling；　of　the　bourgeois　conditions　of　production；

and　of　the　bourgeoisie　itself。



You　are　horrified　at　our　intending　to　do　away　with　private

property。　　But　in　your　existing　society；　private　property　is

already　done　away　with　for　nine…tenths　of　the　population；　its

existence　for　the　few　is　solely　due　to　its　non…existence　in　the

hands　of　those　nine…tenths。　　You　reproach　us；　therefore；　with

intending　to　do　away　with　a　form　of　property；　the　necessary

condition　for　whose　existence　is　the　non…existence　of　any

property　for　the　immense　majority　of　society。



In　one　word；　you　reproach　us　with　intending　to　do　away　with　your

property。　　Precisely　so；　that　is　just　what　we　intend。



From　the　moment　when　labour　can　no　longer　be　converted　into

capital；　money；　or　rent；　into　a　social　power　capable　of　being

monopolised；　i。e。；　from　the　moment　when　individual　property　can

no　longer　be　transformed　into　bourgeois　property；　into　capital；

from　that　moment；　you　say　individuality　vanishes。



You　must；　therefore；　confess　that　by　〃individual〃　you　mean　no

other　person　than　the　bourgeois；　than　the　middle…class　owner　of

property。　　This　person　must；　indeed；　be　swept　out　of　the　way；　and

made　impossible。



Communism　deprives　no　man　of　the　power　to　appropriate　the

products

of　society；　all　that　it　does　is　to　deprive　him　of　the　power　to

subjugate　the　labour　of　others　by　means　of　such　appropriation。



It　has　been　objected　that　upon　the　abolition　of　private　property

all　work　will　cease；　and　universal　laziness　will　overtake　us。



According　to　this；　bourgeois　society　ought　long　ago　to　have　gone

to　the　dogs　through　sheer　idleness；　for　those　of　its　members　who

work；　acquire　nothing；　and　those　who　acquire　anything；　do　not

work。

The　whole　of　this　objection　is　but　another　expression　of　the

tautology：

that　there　can　no　longer　be　any　wage…labour　when　there　is　no

longer

any　capital。



All　objections　urged　against　the　Communistic　mode　of　producing

and　appropriating　material　products；　have；　in　the　same　way；　been

urged　against　the　Communistic　modes　of　producing　and

appropriating　intellectual　products。　　Just　as；　to　the　bourgeois；

the　disappearance　of　class　property　is　the　disappearance　of

production　itself；　so　the　disappearance　of　class　culture　is　to

him　identical　with　the　disappearance　of　all　culture。



That　culture；　the　loss　of　which　he　laments；　is；　for　the　enormous

majority；　a　mere　training　to　act　as　a　machine。



But　don't　wrangle　with　us　so　long　as　you　apply；　to　our　intended

abolition　of　bourgeois　property；　the　standard　of　your　bourgeois

notions　of　freedom；　culture；　law；　etc。　　Your　very　ideas　are　but

the　outgrowth　of　the　conditions　of　your　bourgeois　production　and

bourgeois　property；　just　as　your　jurisprudence　is　but　the　will　of

your　class　made　into　a　law　for　all；　a　will；　whose　essential

character　and　direction　are　determined　by　the　economical

conditions　of　existence　of　your　class。



The　selfish　misconception　that　induces　you　to　transform　into

eternal　laws　of　nature　and　of　reason；　the　social　forms　springing

from　your　present　mode　of　production　and　form　of

property…historical　relations　that　rise　and　disappear　in　the

progress　of　production　　this　misconception　you　share　with　every

ruling　class　that　has　preceded　you。　　What　you　see　clearly　in　the

case　of　ancient　property；　what　you　admit　in　the　case　of　feudal

property；　you　are　of　course　forbidden　t