manifesto of the communist party-第4部分

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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　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；