>>12156538Thehistoryofallhithertoexistingsociety†isthehistoryofclass
struggles.
Freemanandslave,patricianandplebeian,lordandserf,guild-master‡
andjourneyman,inaword,oppressorandoppressed,stoodinconstant
oppositiontooneanother,carriedonanuninterrupted,nowhidden,now
openfight,afightthateachtimeended,eitherinarevolutionary
reconstitutionofsocietyatlarge,orinthecommonruinofthe
contendingclasses.
Intheearlierepochsofhistory,wefindalmosteverywhereacomplicated
arrangementofsocietyintovariousorders,amanifoldgradationofsocial
rank.InancientRomewehavepatricians,knights,plebeians,slaves;in
theMiddleAges,feudallords,vassals,guild-masters,journeymen,
apprentices,serfs;inalmostalloftheseclasses,again,subordinate
gradations.
Themodernbourgeoissocietythathassproutedfromtheruinsoffeudal
societyhasnotdoneawaywithclassantagonisms.Ithasbutestablishednewclasses,newconditionsofoppression,newformsofstrugglein
placeoftheoldones.