# Endnotes explained — The Communist Manifesto

> Chapter companion for The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx.

## What happens

The endnotes provide clarifications, historical context, and definitions for terms used in the Manifesto, including references to Lassalle's relationship to Marx, definitions of bourgeoisie and proletariat, the discovery of primitive communism, and explanations of historical and political terms.

## Themes in this chapter

### Class Struggle

Defines bourgeoisie and proletariat as antagonistic classes, and notes the dissolution of primitive communities into classes.

### Critique of Capitalism

Defines the bourgeoisie as modern capitalists and employers of wage-labor, and the proletariat as wage-laborers selling their labor-power.

## Character check-ins

### Karl Marx

Acknowledged by Lassalle as his disciple, standing on the ground of the Manifesto.

### the Communists

Referenced indirectly through the Manifesto's ground and the socialist colonies mentioned.

### Socialism

Mentioned in the context of Fourier's phalansteres, Cabet's Icaria, and the Social-Democracy party.

## Key lines

> Lassalle personally, to us, always acknowledged himself to be a disciple of Marx, and, as such, stood on the ground of the Manifesto.

Lassalle privately considered himself a follower of Marx and aligned with the Manifesto.

_Clarifies Lassalle's relationship to Marx and the Manifesto._

> By “bourgeoisie” is meant the class of modern Capitalists, owners of the means of social production and employers of wage-labor. By proletariat, the class of modern wage-laborers who, having no means of production of their own, are reduced to selling their labor-power in order to live.

The bourgeoisie are the capitalist class that owns production and hires workers; the proletariat are workers who must sell their labor to survive.

_Defines key terms used throughout the Manifesto._

> With the dissolution of these primeval communities society begins to be differentiated into separate and finally antagonistic classes.

As primitive communal societies broke apart, social classes emerged and became opposed to each other.

_Explains the origin of class antagonism from primitive communism._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_communist_manifesto_se/chapters/endnotes
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_communist_manifesto_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_communist_manifesto_se/chapters