The Communist Manifesto

"The Communist Manifesto," authored by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, is a seminal text that outlines the principles of communism and the historical development of class struggles. The manifesto begins by asserting that all historical societies have been characterized by class conflicts, such as those between freemen and slaves or lords and serfs. In modern times, these conflicts have evolved into a struggle between the bourgeoisie, who control the means of production, and the proletariat, the working class. The text argues that the bourgeoisie has played a revolutionary role in history by dismantling feudal structures and creating a market in transformation. However, this has also led to the exploitation and alienation of the proletariat. Marx and Engels propose that the proletariat, as the only truly revolutionary class, must overthrow the bourgeoisie to establish a classless society. The manifesto also critiques various forms of socialism, including feudal and petty-bourgeois socialism, for their inability to address the root causes of class struggle. The authors advocate for the abolition of bourgeois property and the establishment of communal ownership of the means of production. They emphasize that the communist movement seeks to represent the interests of the proletariat as a whole, transcending national boundaries and aiming for emancipatory change.