manifesto of the communist party-第4部分

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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　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。