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abolition
of bourgeois individuality； bourgeois independence； and bourgeois
freedom is undoubtedly aimed at。
By freedom is meant； under the present bourgeois conditions of
production； free trade； free selling and buying。
But if selling and buying disappears； free selling and buying
disappears also。 This talk about free selling and buying； and
all the other 〃brave words〃 of our bourgeoisie about freedom in
general； have a meaning； if any； only in contrast with restricted
selling and buying； with the fettered traders of the Middle Ages；
but have no meaning when opposed to the Communistic abolition of
buying and selling； of the bourgeois conditions of production；
and of the bourgeoisie itself。
You are horrified at our intending to do away with private
property。 But in your existing society； private property is
already done away with for nine…tenths of the population； its
existence for the few is solely due to its non…existence in the
hands of those nine…tenths。 You reproach us； therefore； with
intending to do away with a form of property； the necessary
condition for whose existence is the non…existence of any
property for the immense majority of society。
In one word； you reproach us with intending to do away with your
property。 Precisely so； that is just what we intend。
From the moment when labour can no longer be converted into
capital； money； or rent； into a social power capable of being
monopolised； i。e。； from the moment when individual property can
no longer be transformed into bourgeois property； into capital；
from that moment； you say individuality vanishes。
You must； therefore； confess that by 〃individual〃 you mean no
other person than the bourgeois； than the middle…class owner of
property。 This person must； indeed； be swept out of the way； and
made impossible。
Communism deprives no man of the power to appropriate the
products
of society； all that it does is to deprive him of the power to
subjugate the labour of others by means of such appropriation。
It has been objected that upon the abolition of private property
all work will cease； and universal laziness will overtake us。
According to this； bourgeois society ought long ago to have gone
to the dogs through sheer idleness； for those of its members who
work； acquire nothing； and those who acquire anything； do not
work。
The whole of this objection is but another expression of the
tautology：
that there can no longer be any wage…labour when there is no
longer
any capital。
All objections urged against the Communistic mode of producing
and appropriating material products； have； in the same way； been
urged against the Communistic modes of producing and
appropriating intellectual products。 Just as； to the bourgeois；
the disappearance of class property is the disappearance of
production itself； so the disappearance of class culture is to
him identical with the disappearance of all culture。
That culture； the loss of which he laments； is； for the enormous
majority； a mere training to act as a machine。
But don't wrangle with us so long as you apply； to our intended
abolition of bourgeois property； the standard of your bourgeois
notions of freedom； culture； law； etc。 Your very ideas are but
the outgrowth of the conditions of your bourgeois production and
bourgeois property； just as your jurisprudence is but the will of
your class made into a law for all； a will； whose essential
character and direction are determined by the economical
conditions of existence of your class。
The selfish misconception that induces you to transform into
eternal laws of nature and of reason； the social forms springing
from your present mode of production and form of
property…historical relations that rise and disappear in the
progress of production this misconception you share with every
ruling class that has preceded you。 What you see clearly in the
case of ancient property； what you admit in the case of feudal
property； you are of course forbidden to admit in the case of
your own bourgeois form of property。
Abolition of the family！ Even the most radical flare up at this
infamous proposal of the Communists。
On what foundation is the present family； the bourgeois family；
based？ On capital； on private gain。 In its completely developed
form this family exists only among the bourgeoisie。 But this
state of things finds its complement in the practical absence of
the family among the proletarians； and in public prostitution。
The bourgeois family will vanish as a matter of course when its
complement vanishes； and both will vanish with the vanishing of
capital。
Do you charge us with wanting to stop the exploitation of
children by their parents？ To this crime we plead guilty。
But； you will say； we destroy the most hallowed of relations；
when we replace home education by social。
And your education！ Is not that also social； and determined by
the social conditions under which you educate； by the
intervention； direct or indirect； of society； by means of
schools； etc。？ The Communists have not invented the
intervention of society in education； they do but seek to alter
the character of that intervention； and to rescue education from
the influence of the ruling class。
The bourgeois clap…trap about the family and education； about
the hallowed co…relation of parent and child； becomes all the
more disgusting； the more； by the action of Modern Industry； all
family ties among the proletarians are torn asunder； and their
children transformed into simple articles of commerce and
instruments of labour。
But you Communists would introduce community of women； screams
the whole bourgeoisie in chorus。
The bourgeois sees in his wife a mere instrument of production。
He hears that the instruments of production are to be exploited
in
common； and； naturally； can come to no other conclusion than that
the lot of being common to all will likewise fall to the women。
He has not even a suspicion that the real point is to do away
with the status of women as mere instruments of production。
For the rest； nothing is more ridiculous than the
virtuous indignation of our bourgeois at the community of women
which； they pretend； is to be openly and officially established
by the Communists。 The Communists have no need to introduce
community of women； it has existed almost from time immemorial。
Our bourgeois； not content with having the wives and daughters of
their
proletarians at their disposal； not to speak of common
prostitutes；
take the greatest pleasure in seducing each other's wives。
Bourgeois marriage is in reality a system of wives in common and
thus；
at the most； what the Communists might possibly be reproached
with；
is that they desire to introduce； in substitution for a
hypocritically
concealed； an openly legalised community of women。 For the rest；
it is self…evident that the abolition of the present system of
production must bring with it the abolition of the community
of women springing from that system； i。e。； of prostitution
both public and private。
The Communists are further reproached with desiring to abolish
countries and nationality。
The working men have no country。 We cannot take from them what
they have not got。 Since the proletariat must first of all
acquire political supremacy； must rise to be the leading class of
the nation； must constitute itself the nation； it is； so far；
itself national； though not in the bourgeois sense of the word。
National differences and antagonisms between peoples are daily
more and more vanishing； owing to the development of the
bourgeoisie； to freedom of commerce； to the world…market； to
uniformity in the mode of production and in the conditions of
life corresponding thereto。
The supremacy of the proletariat will cause them to vanish still
faster。
United action； of the leading civilised countries at least； is
one of
the first conditions for the emancipation of the proletariat。
In proportion as the exploitation of one individual by another
is put an end to； the exploitation of one nation by another will
also be put an end to。 In proportion as the antagonism between
classes within the nation vanishes； the hostility of one nation
to another will come to an end。
The charges against Communism made from a religious； a
philosophical； and； generally； from an ideological standpoint；
are not deserving of serious examination。
Does it require deep intuition to comprehend that man's ideas；
views and conceptions； in one word； man's consciousness； changes
with every change in the conditions of his material existence； in
his social relations and in his social life？
What else does the history of ideas prove； than that intellectual
production changes its character in proportion as material
production
is chan