The central argument is that the history of all societies is a history of class struggles, and that the bourgeoisie will inevitably be overthrown by the proletariat through a communist revolution, leading to the abolition of private property. This revolution is seen as a direct consequence of the development of modern industry, which creates its own grave-diggers by organizing laborers into revolutionary combinations. Communists support all revolutionary movements against existing social and political orders, bringing the property question to the forefront.
The book outlines the Communists' role as the most advanced and resolute section of the working-class parties, possessing a clear understanding of the proletarian movement's path, conditions, and ultimate results. Their immediate aim is the formation of the proletariat into a class, the overthrow of bourgeois supremacy, and the conquest of political power by the proletariat. This goal is achieved through the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions, with the ultimate aim of abolishing bourgeois private property, which is the final expression of a system based on class antagonisms and exploitation.
Key concepts
- Class Struggle — The historical movement of societies characterized by constant opposition between oppressor and oppressed classes.
- Bourgeoisie — The ruling class whose existence and sway depend on the augmentation of capital, which is conditioned by wage-labour.
- Proletariat — The working class, whose isolation due to competition is replaced by revolutionary combination due to association, leading to the inevitable victory of the proletariat.
- Abolition of Private Property — The distinguishing feature of Communism, not the abolition of property generally, but specifically the abolition of bourgeois private property.
- Wage-Labour — The basis of capital accumulation, resting exclusively on competition between laborers, which ultimately fosters their revolutionary combination.