I am nothing but I must be everything.
In a higher phase of communist society... only then can the narrow horizon of bourgeois right be fully left behind and society inscribe on its banners: from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses an ideal vision of a communist society where resources are allocated based on individual needs rather than social class or wealth.
Karl Marx's quote highlights the importance of a future communist society that transcends the limitations of bourgeois rights, suggesting that true equality can only be achieved when individuals contribute based on their abilities and receive according to their needs. This reflects the core tenet of Marxist philosophy, advocating for a system where wealth and resources are distributed in a manner that prioritizes collective welfare over individual profit, ultimately leading to a more just and equitable society.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about societal structures during a political debate.
More from Karl Marx
All quotes →Religion is the opiate of the people.
It is absolutely impossible to transcend the laws of nature. What can change in historically different circumstances is only the form in which these laws expose themselves.
Men make their own history, but they do not make it just as they please; they do not make it under circumstances chosen by themselves, but under circumstances directly encountered, given and transmitted from the past. The tradition of all the dead generations weighs like a nightmare on the brain of the living.
To be radical is to grasp things by the root.
Men's ideas are the most direct emanations of their material state.
Similar quotes
Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes _x000D_ They call me on and on across the universe _x000D_ Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letter box _x000D_ They tumble blindly as they make their way across the universe
A lawyer is either a social engineer or he is a parasite on society.
I need someone to protect me from all the measures they take in order to protect me.
The starting-point of critical elaboration is the consciousness of what one really is, and is 'knowing thyself'as a product of the historical processes to date, which has deposited in you an infinity of traces, without leaving an inventory.
It is a terrible thought, to contemplate that an immense number of mediocre thinkers are occupied with really influential matters.
Yes, I will put it out there - I will work for anyone for free if they're prepared to make their clothing Fair Trade and organic. It's really hard to get people interested in it.