Marx claims that the forces of production develop faster than social order, which occurred in the change from feudalism to Bourgeoisie capitalism. Marx sees an epidemic of overproduction as a consequence of Bourgeoisie economic development that shook up Europe in the 1830's and 40's. In order for the existence of the Bourgeoisie order they either had to scale back their production, exploit their old markets, or find new markets. Marx believed that this created the exploitation of a new class, the Proletariat.
The Proletariat he states is, "a class of laborers who live only so long as they can find work, and who find work only so long as their labor increases capital" (15). In other words Marx believed the Proletariat to be the workforce of Bourgeoisie enterprise. They are thought of as commodities, which are also subject to changes of the market. And as with any other commodity, businesses want to lower their cost of production, in this case, the wage must be paid in order to make use of the worker's labor power. Marx states this wage is the cost of bare subsistence for the Proletariat and his family. He believes the work of the Proletariat to be compared to drudgery as the division of labor and mechanization of the industry increases. As a result of these conditions the Proletariat eventually erupts into rebellion. As Marx concludes, "What the Bourgeoisie, therefore, produces, above all, is its own grave-diggers. Its fall and the victory of the proletariat are equally inevitable" (21). .
At the time the Communist Manifesto was first published in 1848 revolutions were beginning to erupt in Europe. The Manifesto was meant as a statement of purpose for his newly formed Communist League. His purpose in writing it was to explain with great confidence to a confused world the reasons for an uproar, which was about to begin.
The confidence Marx had in writing such a book was derived from the teachings of a man Hegel, Marx's so called philosophical father.
