manifesto of the communist party-第3部分

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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

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　bo