What the bourgeoisie therefore produces, above all, are its own grave-diggers. Its fall and the victory of the proletariat are equally inevitable.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Marx claims the bourgeoisie creates its own downfall, making the rise of the proletariat inevitable.
- In plain terms
- Capitalist class will collapse under its own contradictions, leading to workers' victory.
- What can you take from it?
- Watch for internal contradictions that could destabilize a dominant class.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What signs indicate a class's self‑destruction?
- Can reforms prevent revolutionary outcomes?
Another view
Historical outcomes are not predetermined; many societies have altered trajectories.
More from Karl Marx
A spectre is haunting Europe; the spectre of Communism.
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Permalink to quote #37 The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.
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