The Condition of the Working Class in England

“And thus it renders more and more evident the great central fact that the cause of the miserable condition of the working class is to be sought, not in these minor grievances, but in the capitalistic system itself.”

This quote encapsulates Engels’s goal in writing and publishing his book. His detailed examination and illustration of the proletariat’s inhumane working and living conditions, as well as his discussion of various laws passed by the property-holding class, lead to the logical conclusion that the problems are so prevalent and so deeply rooted in the capitalistic system that the only way to change the status quo is a complete overhaul.

“England, the great manufacturing centre of an agricultural world, with an ever-increasing number of corn and cotton-growing Irelands revolving around her, the industrial sun.”

This quote is an oblique commentary on the inherent connection between capitalism and colonialism. The ever-expanding markets, necessary for the continued flow of production, are made possible through the subjugation of less developed or powerful countries, such as Ireland. The quote suggests that any nations that come into contact with England would be subjugated and treated as inferior, unless they can protect their own interests.

“In truth, they were not human beings; they were merely toiling machines in the service of the few aristocrats who had guided history down to that time. The industrial revolution has simply carried this out to its logical end by making the workers machines pure and simple, taking from them the last trace of independent activity, and so forcing them to think and demand a position worthy of men.”

Engels clearly despises capitalism in its Western European form. However, he does not believe that life prior to the industrial revolution was much better, since the lack of mobility and education virtually enslaved farmers and workers. He sees the shift taking place in his lifetime in terms of quantity rather than quality: Because of the rapid urbanization and centralization, poverty grows faster and becomes more visible.