Fromthispointofview，thefinalcausesofallsocialchangesandpoliticalrevolutionsaretobesought，notinmen’sbrains，notinmen’sbetterinsightsintoeternaltruthandjustice，butinchangesinthemodesofproductionandexchange。Theyaretobesought，notinthephilosophy，butintheeconomicsofeachparticularepoch。Thegrowingperceptionthatexistingsocialinstitutionsareunreasonableandunjust，thatreasonhasbecomeunreason，andrightwrong1），isonlyproofthatinthemodesofproductionandexchangechangeshavesilentlytakenplacewithwhichthesocialorder，adaptedtoearliereconomicconditions，isnolongerinkeeping。Fromthisitalsofollowsthatthemeansofgettingridoftheincongruitiesthathavebeenbroughttolightmustalsobepresent，inamoreorlessdevelopedcondition，withinthechangedmodesofproductionthemselves。Thesemeansarenottobeinventedbydeductionfromfundamentalprinciples，butaretobediscoveredinthestubbornfactsoftheexistingsystemofproduction。
Whatis，then，thepositionofmodernSocialisminthisconnection？
Thepresentsituationofsociety？thisisnowprettygenerallyconceded？isthecreationoftherulingclassoftoday，ofthebourgeoisie。Themodeofproductionpeculiartothebourgeoisie，known，sinceMarx，asthecapitalistmodeofproduction，wasincompatiblewiththefeudalsystem，withtheprivilegesitconferreduponindividuals，entiresocialranksandlocalcorporations，aswellaswiththehereditarytiesofsubordinationwhichconstitutedtheframeworkofitssocialorganization。Thebourgeoisiebrokeupthefeudalsystemandbuiltuponitsruinsthecapitalistorderofsociety，thekingdomoffreecompetition，ofpersonalliberty，oftheequality，beforethelaw，ofallcommodityowners，ofalltherestofthecapitalistblessings。Thenceforward，thecapitalistmodeofproductioncoulddevelopinfreedom。Sincesteam，machinery，andthemakingofmachinesbymachinerytransformedtheoldermanufactureintomodernindustry，theproductiveforces，evolvedundertheguidanceofthebourgeoisie，developedwitharapidityandinadegreeunheardofbefore。Butjustastheoldermanufacture，initstime，andhandicraft，becomingmoredevelopedunderitsinfluence，hadcomeintocollisionwiththefeudaltrammelsoftheguilds，sonowmodernindustry，initscompletedevelopment，comesintocollisionwiththeboundswithinwhichthecapitalistmodeofproductionholdsitconfined。Thenewproductiveforceshavealreadyoutgrownthecapitalisticmodeofusingthem。Andthisconflictbetweenproductiveforcesandmodesofproductionisnotaconflictengenderedinthemindofman，likethatbetweenoriginalsinanddivinejustice。Itexists，infact，objectively，outsideus，independentlyofthewillandactionsevenofthementhathavebroughtiton。ModernSocialismisnothingbutthereflex，inthought，ofthisconflictinfact；itsidealreflectionintheminds，first，oftheclassdirectlysufferingunderit，theworkingclass。
Now，inwhatdoesthisconflictconsist？
Beforecapitalistproduction？i。e。，intheMiddleAges？thesystemofpettyindustryobtainedgenerally，basedupontheprivatepropertyofthelaborersintheirmeansofproduction；inthecountry，theagricultureofthesmallpeasant，freeman，orserf；inthetowns，thehandicraftsorganizedinguilds。Theinstrumentsoflabor？land，agriculturalimplements，theworkshop，thetool？weretheinstrumentsoflaborofsingleindividuals，adaptedfortheuseofoneworker，and，therefore，ofnecessity，small，dwarfish，circumscribed。But，forthisveryreason，theybelongedasaruletotheproducerhimself。Toconcentratethesescattered，limitedmeansofproduction，toenlargethem，toturnthemintothepowerfulleversofproductionofthepresentday？thiswaspreciselythehistoricroleofcapitalistproductionandofitsupholder，thebourgeoisie。InthefourthsectionofCapital，Marxhasexplainedindetailhowsincethe15thcenturythishasbeenhistoricallyworkedoutthroughthethreephasesofsimpleco—operation，manufacture，andmodernindustry。Butthebourgeoisie，asisshownthere，couldnottransformthesepunymeansofproductionintomightyproductiveforceswithouttransformingthem，atthesametime，frommeansofproductionoftheindividualintosocialmeansofproductiononlyworkablebyacollectivityofmen。Thespinningwheel，thehandloom，theblacksmith’shammer，werereplacedbythespinning—machine，thepower—loom，thesteam—hammer；theindividualworkshop，bythefactoryimplyingtheco—operationofhundredsandthousandsofworkmen。Inlikemanner，productionitselfchangedfromaseriesofindividualintoaseriesofsocialacts，andtheproductionfromindividualtosocialproducts。Theyarn，thecloth，themetalarticlesthatnowcomeoutofthefactorywerethejointproductofmanyworkers，throughwhosehandstheyhadsuccessivelytopassbeforetheywereready。Noonepersoncouldsayofthem：\"Imadethat；thisismyproduct。\"