Marx on the Transition from Bourgeois to Communist Society
History and social change: Marx describes how the bourgeoisie has become a ruling class, dominating other classes — i.e., the proletariat. The social origins of the bourgeoisie are in the towns, which was the name for medieval cities. Medieval society was divided into the privileged classes (nobility and clergy) and the underprivileged (burghers and peasants).
Expansion of Bourgeois Power and Capitalism
The discovery of new lands and trade routes allowed the bourgeoisie to increase their power, especially with the Industrial Revolution. As their power grew, the bourgeoisie appropriated privileges of the nobility and rose in influence. The French Revolution gave the bourgeoisie political power they had never had before. The bourgeois economic model is called capitalism because it is driven by capital accumulation.
Emergence of the Proletariat
The bourgeoisie gave rise to a new social class, the proletariat, composed of men working in the factories of the bourgeoisie. The proletariat owns nothing and is forced to sell their labor to the bourgeoisie in exchange for a wage. The more the middle class grows, the more the proletariat grows.
The Communist Manifesto and Revolutionary Theory
The Communist Manifesto, written by Marx, is both a revolutionary call that seeks to abolish the bourgeois system and a theoretical analysis of the economic dynamics of capitalism. For Marx, the proletariat in bourgeois society develops and reaches the strength to transform society into one where the wealth produced by the workers is intended to meet their needs.
Workers' Organization and Property Relations
Condemned to live in poverty, workers eventually wake up and organize to address the causes of their suffering. The bourgeoisie privatize the means of production so that owners can benefit from the fruits of workers' labor. This will end when the means of production are no longer in private hands and become common property. At that time, the living conditions of workers improve. These changes of property are targeted by the communist revolution.
The Role of the Communist Party
The aim of the Communist Party is to lead the labor movement. What separates communist parties from other workers' organizations is their understanding of the mechanisms of capitalist society and how to transform them. They criticize all aspects of bourgeois society (family, institutions, laws, etc.).
Class Struggle and Historical Change
The motor of history for Marx is class struggle. When the bourgeoisie dominates, the class struggle becomes a struggle between two classes: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Capital becomes increasingly concentrated in fewer hands and society becomes increasingly polarized. When the proletariat is capable of rebelling against the social order of capitalism and abolishing private ownership of the means of production, the bourgeoisie will disappear and only one class — the proletariat — will remain.
Key terms: bourgeoisie, proletariat, capitalism, Communist Manifesto, means of production, class struggle, labor movement, private property.