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bourgeois Philistine。



It proclaimed the German nation to be the model nation; and the

German petty Philistine to be the typical man。  To every

villainous meanness of this model man it gave a hidden; higher;

Socialistic interpretation; the exact contrary of its real

character。  It went to the extreme length of directly opposing

the 〃brutally destructive〃 tendency of Communism; and of

proclaiming its supreme and impartial contempt of all class

struggles。  With very few exceptions; all the so…called Socialist

and Communist publications that now (1847) circulate in Germany

belong to the domain of this foul and enervating literature。





2。 CONSERVATIVE; OR BOURGEOIS; SOCIALISM



A part of the bourgeoisie is desirous of redressing social

grievances; in order to secure the continued existence of

bourgeois society。



To this section belong economists; philanthropists;

humanitarians; improvers of the condition of the working class;

organisers of charity; members of societies for the prevention of

cruelty to animals; temperance fanatics; hole…and…corner

reformers of every imaginable kind。  This form of Socialism has;

moreover; been worked out into complete systems。



We may site Proudhon's Philosophie de la Misere as an example of

this form。



The Socialistic bourgeois want all the advantages of modern

social conditions without the struggles and dangers necessarily

resulting therefrom。  They desire the existing state of society

minus its revolutionary and disintegrating elements。  They wish

for a bourgeoisie without a proletariat。  The bourgeoisie

naturally conceives the world in which it is supreme to be the

best; and bourgeois Socialism develops this comfortable

conception into various more or less complete systems。  In

requiring the proletariat to carry out such a system; and thereby

to march straightway into the social New Jerusalem; it but

requires in reality; that the proletariat should remain within

the bounds of existing society; but should cast away all its

hateful ideas concerning the bourgeoisie。



A second and more practical; but less systematic; form of this

Socialism sought to depreciate every revolutionary movement in

the eyes of the working class; by showing that no mere political

reform; but only a change in the material conditions of

existence; in economic relations; could be of any advantage to

them。  By changes in the material conditions of existence; this

form of Socialism; however; by no means understands abolition of

the bourgeois relations of production; an abolition that can be

effected only by a revolution; but administrative reforms; based

on the continued existence of these relations; reforms;

therefore; that in no respect affect the



relations between capital and labour; but; at the best; lessen

the cost; and simplify the administrative work; of bourgeois

government。



Bourgeois Socialism attains adequate expression; when; and only

when; it becomes a mere figure of speech。



Free trade: for the benefit of the working class。  Protective

duties: for the benefit of the working class。  Prison Reform: for

the benefit of the working class。  This is the last word and the

only seriously meant word of bourgeois Socialism。



It is summed up in the phrase: the bourgeois is a bourgeois 

for the benefit of the working class。





3。  CRITICAL…UTOPIAN SOCIALISM AND COMMUNISM



We do not here refer to that literature which; in every great

modern revolution; has always given voice to the demands of the

proletariat; such as the writings of Babeuf and others。



The first direct attempts of the proletariat to attain its own

ends; made in times of universal excitement; when feudal society

was being overthrown; these attempts necessarily failed; owing to

the then undeveloped state of the proletariat; as well as to the

absence of the economic conditions for its emancipation;

conditions that had yet to be produced; and could be produced by

the impending bourgeois epoch alone。  The revolutionary

literature

that accompanied these first movements of the proletariat had

necessarily a reactionary character。  It inculcated universal

asceticism and social levelling in its crudest form。



The Socialist and Communist systems properly so called; those of

Saint…Simon; Fourier; Owen and others; spring into existence in

the early undeveloped period; described above; of the struggle

between proletariat and bourgeoisie (see Section 1。 Bourgeois

and Proletarians)。



The founders of these systems see; indeed; the class antagonisms;

as well as the action of the decomposing elements; in the

prevailing

form of society。  But the proletariat; as yet in its infancy;

offers

to them the spectacle of a class without any historical

initiative

or any independent political movement。



Since the development of class antagonism keeps even pace with

the development of industry; the economic situation; as they find

it; does not as yet offer to them the material conditions for the

emancipation of the proletariat。  They therefore search after a

new social science; after new social laws; that are to create

these conditions。



Historical action is to yield to their personal inventive

action; historically created conditions of emancipation to

fantastic ones; and the gradual; spontaneous class…organisation

of the proletariat to the organisation of society specially

contrived by these inventors。  Future history resolves itself; in

their eyes; into the propaganda and the practical carrying out of

their social plans。



In the formation of their plans they are conscious of caring

chiefly for the interests of the working class; as being the most

suffering class。  Only from the point of view of being the most

suffering class does the proletariat exist for them。



The undeveloped state of the class struggle; as well as their

own surroundings; causes Socialists of this kind to consider

themselves far superior to all class antagonisms。  They want to

improve the condition of every member of society; even that of

the most favoured。  Hence; they habitually appeal to society at

large; without  distinction of class; nay; by preference; to the

ruling class。  For how can people; when once they understand

their system; fail to see in it the best possible plan of the

best possible state of society?



Hence; they reject all political; and especially all

revolutionary;

action; they wish to attain their ends by peaceful means; and

endeavour;

by small experiments; necessarily doomed to failure; and by the

force of

example; to pave the way for the new social Gospel。



Such fantastic pictures of future society; painted at a time

when the proletariat is still in a very undeveloped state and has

but a fantastic conception of its own position correspond with

the first instinctive yearnings of that class for a general

reconstruction of society。



But these Socialist and Communist publications contain also a

critical element。  They attack every principle of existing

society。  Hence they are full of the most valuable materials for

the enlightenment of the working class。  The practical measures

proposed in them  …such as the abolition of the distinction

between town and country; of the family; of the carrying on of

industries for the account of private individuals; and of the

wage system; the proclamation of social harmony; the conversion

of the functions of the State into a mere superintendence of

production; all these proposals; point solely to the

disappearance

of class antagonisms which were; at that time; only just cropping

up;

and which; in these publications; are recognised in their

earliest;

indistinct and undefined forms only。  These proposals; therefore;

are of a purely Utopian character。



The significance of Critical…Utopian Socialism and Communism

bears an inverse relation to historical development。  In

proportion as the modern class struggle develops and takes

definite shape; this fantastic standing apart from the contest;

these fantastic attacks on it; lose all practical value and all

theoretical justification。  Therefore; although the originators

of these systems were; in many respects; revolutionary; their

disciples have; in every case; formed mere reactionary sects。

They hold fast by the original views of their masters; in

opposition to the progressive historical development of the

proletariat。  They; therefore; endeavour; and that consistently;

to deaden the class struggle and to reconcile the class

antagonisms。  They still dream of experimental realisation of

their social Utopias; of founding isolated 〃phalansteres;〃 of

establishing 〃Home Colonies;〃  of setting up a 〃Little Icaria〃 

duodecimo editions of the New Jerusalem  and to realise all

these castles in the air; they are compelled to appeal to the

feelings and purses of the bourgeois。  By degrees they sink into

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