The worlds of the bourgeoisie and the proletariat is guided by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in their revolutionary pamphlet, “Manifesto of the Communist Party.” with vivid examples to shed light on conflicting interests and societal dynamics of the bourgeoisie and proletariats.
Table of Contents
Manifesto of the Communist Party
In 1848, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels put together a groundbreaking pamphlet reminiscent of the past: “The Manifesto of the Communist Party.” This document encapsulates the essence of Marxism in a tangible, practical form, serving as a high political testament to its ideals.
Written for the Communist League of Europe, it goes beyond borders, making it a cornerstone of international significance in communism. Yet, it’s crucial to note that communism didn’t emerge solely from the minds of Marx and Engels; it inherited and evolved from pre-existing ideas.
Unlike many ideologies tied to specific nations, the manifesto offers a universal perspective, showcasing Marxism as a dynamic force applicable across diverse contexts.
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels profoundly influenced history and conveyed their ideas through the Manifesto, contributing to a broader narrative of societal transformation. Their conception of history was characterized by conflict, reflecting an agonistic perspective where competing groups continually vie for power and influence within society.
The class struggle
Throughout recorded history, the narrative has often revolved around one central theme: the relentless struggle between social classes. From the dominion of patricians over plebeian slaves in ancient Rome to the feudal lords and serfs of the Middle Ages, this dynamic has shaped the trajectory of societies.
In the Communist Manifesto, the term “modern” refers to the perspective of 1848, marking a pivotal era shaped by the Industrial Revolution. The Manifesto explains that in modern society, the class struggle hasn’t disappeared; it’s just taken on different forms. Instead of old classes and oppression, new ones have emerged, leading to new types of conflict. The, society is divided into two main groups: the bourgeoisie, who are the wealthy elite, and the proletariat, who are the working class.
Bourgeois
“Bourgeois” refers to people who are part of the middle class or possess considerable wealth and assets. In Marxist theory, “bourgeoisie” refers to the rich capitalists who own businesses and profit by exploiting the working class’s labor, known as the proletariat. Karl Marx used this term to describe the wealthy class that emerged with the growth of capitalism, setting them apart from the working class.
How did the bourgeoisie begin?
At the onset of the Industrial Revolution, traditional guilds were replaced by manufacturing, which could not keep pace with market demands. The advent of the division of labor and machinery sparked a revolution in industries, consolidating production into the hands of the bourgeoisie.
The modern bourgeoisie is itself a result of radical changes in industry and exchange brought on by the Industrial Revolution. The bourgeoisie put an end to all the patriarchal and futile relationships of society, leaving only exchange value as a measurement of personal worth. In essence, it led to a society where material wealth became the defining characteristic of individuals.
Bourgeois needs workers to convert raw materials to commodities.
The characteristics of the bourgeoisie
According to the Manifesto, the bourgeoisie has certain qualities.
- Reducing family relations to monetary transactions : the prioritisation of material wealth at the expense of nurturing personal relationships and connections
- Revolutionising Production Essential: It implies that certain social or economic systems cannot continue without a fundamental transformation in how things are made or created.
- Global Labor Exploitation Spurs Cosmopolitan Production : This refers to when companies take advantage of the worldwide workforce, resulting in a situation where production and consumption happen on a global scale, involving people from various nations. It highlights how businesses utilize labor from different parts of the world to manufacture goods and cater to consumer demand, creating an interconnected and globalised system of production and consumption.
- Breaking down national borders: Just as the manifesto concisely states, “The low prices of the commodities are the heavy artillery with which it batters down all Chinese walls” by offering inexpensive commodities, effectively dismantling trade barriers. This phrase metaphorically suggests that the competitive pricing of goods serves as a powerful force that breaks down barriers or obstacles to trade and commerce. It implies that by offering products at lower prices, businesses can overcome resistance or restrictions in markets, enabling them to penetrate new territories or overcome trade barriers such as tariffs or regulations.
- Bourgeois Drive Urban Sprawl : the bourgeois are responsible for the development of large and densely populated urban areas , as their economic activities and investments contribute to the growth and expansion of cities, resulting in the emergence of huge metropolitan areas.
- Population and Production are Concentrated : The Capitalist system has led to the clustering of people in specific locations, much like it has centralised the control of production in the hands of a select few individuals or entities. It suggests that both population distribution and control over means of production are heavily skewed towards certain centres.
Crises of Bourgeoisie
Marx and Engels compared modern bourgeois society to a magician who can’t control the powerful forces he’s unleashed. Essentially, to keep their economic system going, the wealthy bourgeoisie must keep finding new markets and squeezing more out of the ones they already have, like constantly feeding the monsters they’ve created.
“Modern bourgeois society, with its relations of production, exchange, and property, a society that has conjured up such gigantic means of production and exchange, is like the sorcerer who is no longer able to control the powers of the nether world whom he has called up by his spells.”
The Manifesto paints a dystopian and unstable picture of bourgeois society but doesn’t explicitly predict a catastrophic collapse. Instead, it suggests that the proletariat, the working class, will ultimately bring about the downfall of the bourgeoisie.
“The weapons with which the bourgeoisie felled feudalism to the ground are now turned against the bourgeoisie itself.”
The proletariats
The Manifesto describes the proletariat as the working class. It suggests that this class has lost its unique individuality and appeal because of the division of labor. As expressed in the manifesto: “Modern Industry has converted the little workshop of the patriarchal master into the great factory of the industrial capitalist. Masses of laborers crowded into the factory are organized like soldiers.”
Rise of exploitation of labor
The Manifesto argues that as jobs become increasingly simplified and assembly-line production replaces traditional guilds, workers become more interchangeable. Their specialized skills are devalued by these new methods of production. When a proletarian is born into this system, they immediately conflict with the bourgeoisie. This conflict initially involves individual workers struggling against capitalists who directly exploit them. Workers protest in various ways, such as refusing to work or damaging machinery, as they seek to resist this exploitation.
Rise of trade unions
As the industry evolves and the proletariat numbers skyrocket, increasingly concentrated in large masses, its collective strength grows. Workers start to organize into trade unions to advocate for their rights and interests. Numerous local struggles are centralized in a national struggle, and this eventually leads to the formation of a political party. The manifesto suggests that the lower middle class fights alongside the proletariat against the bourgeoisie, aiming to preserve its existence within the middle class.
The struggle between labor
The Manifesto portrays the proletariat as not inherently revolutionary but rather conservative and reactionary, as they seek to turn back the tide of history. It highlights that the bourgeoisie depends on capital, made possible only through wage labor. This labor relies on competition among workers, and the advancement of industries erodes the isolation that once separated laborers.
Conclusion
The Manifesto of the Communist Party illuminates the conflict between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, highlighting the exploitative nature of wage labor and the growing resistance of the working class. It underscores the bourgeoisie’s reliance on capital, sustained through labor competition, ultimately eroding worker isolation. Ultimately, it paints a picture of an evolving society poised for transformation, where the downfall of the bourgeoisie and the triumph of the proletariat are inevitable outcomes of historical forces. Modern industry creates a condition for the inevitable downfall of the bourgeoisie and the proletariat’s victory.
References :
- https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/ch01.htm
- https://links.org.au/transitional-program-program-action-today-until-beginning-socialist-revolution
- https://www.workers.org/2023/08/72807/
