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Bourgeoisie Quote by Friedrich Engels

“struggle in place of the old ones. Our epoch, the epoch of the bourgeoisie, possesses, however, this distinctive feature: it has simplified the class antagonisms. Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes, directly facing each other…” quote by Friedrich Engels
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““struggle in place of the old ones. Our epoch, the epoch of the bourgeoisie, possesses, however, this distinctive feature: it has simplified the class antagonisms. Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes, directly facing each other: Bourgeoisie””

Friedrich Engels

About This Quote

Source Essay: The Condition of the Working Class in England, 1845

He argues that modern capitalism simplifies class conflict into two opposing camps, the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.

In simple terms: Capitalism pits two main classes against each other.

Key Takeaway

Understand the underlying class dynamics.

Themes

politics economics class struggle

Mood

critical analytical

Type

theoretical historical

When to use this quote

  • labor movements
  • political analysis
  • education
  • policy making

Key Concepts

materialism dialectics social hierarchy

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do modern economies reflect this binary?
  • Can other class structures emerge?
A Different Perspective

Oversimplifies complex social relations to two groups.

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