Page:General History of Europe 1921.djvu/653

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The Industrial Revolution 497 he is a "wage slave" of his employer. To remedy this the socialist would turn over the great industries of the capitalists to national, state, or local ownership, so that all shall have a share in the profits. This ideal state of society, which, they say, is sure to come in the future, they call the Cooperative Commonwealth. The first socialists relied on the kind hearts of the capitalists to bring the change, once the situation was made clear. Modern socialists, however, do not think that the rich will ever, from pure unselfishness, give up their control over indus- tries. So they turn to work- ing people only, and call upon them to reform industry in the face of opposition of the capitalists. They claim that wealth is produced by labor, for which capital but furnishes the opportunity, and that labor is justified in taking what it produces. 1 883. Karl Marx. The great teacher of this modern doc- trine of socialism was Karl Marx, a German writer who lived most of his life in London. He was a learned man, trained in philosophy and political economy, and he came to the conclusion from a study of history that just as the capitalists 2 had replaced feudal nobles, so the working class would replace the capitalists in the future. By the working class he meant those who depend upon their work for a living. The introduction of the factory system had reduced the vast majority of artisans to a position in which the capitalist was able to dictate the conditions upon which this work 1 This does not mean that socialists would divide up all private property. Socialists claim only that there shall be no unearned wealth in private hands controlling, as now, the industries of the country. Brain workers are also " workers." 2 The French term boutgeoisie is often used by socialists for this class. KARL MARX