Bourgeois Quote by Karl Marx
““The bourgeoisie cannot exist without constantly revolutionizing the instruments of production, and thereby the relations of production, and with them the whole relations of society. Conservation of the old modes of production in unaltered forms, was, on the contrary, the first condition of existence for all earlier industrial classes. Constant revolutionizing of production, uninterrupted disturbance of all social conditions, everlasting uncertainty and agitation, distinguish the bourgeois epoch from all earlier ones. All fixed, fast-frozen relations, with their train of ancient and venerable prejudices and opinions, are swept away; all new-formed ones become antiquated before they can ossify. All that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned, and man is at last compelled to face with sober senses his real conditions of life and his relations with his kind .””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, 1848
Societal change requires continual transformation of production and social relations, preventing stagnation.
In simple terms: Constant change drives progress.
Embrace ongoing innovation in society.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- industrial policy
- technological innovation
- labor movements
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What mechanisms can manage perpetual societal upheaval?
- How do we balance tradition with innovation?
Rapid change can cause instability and resistance.