Communistic Persistences

8/19/2019 Communistic Persistences

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Communistic persistences in the course of human

history

Bourgeois society is the most advanced and complex historical organisation of

production. The categories which express its relations, and an understanding of its

structure, therefore, provide an insight into the structure and the relations of production

of all formerly existing social formations the ruins and component elements of whichwere used in the creation of bourgeois society. Some of these unassimilated remains are

still carried on within bourgeois society, others, however, which previously existed. onlyin rudimentary form, have been further developed and have attained their full significance, etc. (Marx, Introduction to a Contribution to the Critique of Political

Economy, 1957)

hat allo!" a tribe of #aleolithic farmer$"he#herd", Cam#anella%" City of &un, a 'e!i"h

"ect at the time of iberiu", a commune of californian hi##ie", an urban "tructure of ***year" a+o, a buddhi"t community of the Ith century -C, a benedictine coenobium of the

Ith century ./, a ci"tercence abbey of the 0IIth century, a bi+ factory of the 00Ith and

the future "ociety to form a coherent "et I" it #o""ible, beyond hu+e difference" ofhi"tory, culture, +eo+ra#hic 2one" and of our 3no!led+e of them, to dra! a "chema

'oinin+ them to+ether !ith at lea"t one common element !hich furni"he" u" !ith anex#lanation of "ocial tran"ition"

e can an"!er that they "hare much more than one element4 .ll of them, for in"tance, do!ithout money, #ro#erty, family, alue$accountability, ex#loitation of other"% labour, cla""

dii"ion, careeri"m, cult of the e+o etc4

&aint -enedict%" rule read"6 "No one shall dare either give or receive, or else have

anything of one's own whatsoever. Because by now mons are not any longer the mastersof their own bodies and wills. '!verything shall be common to all', as it is written. nd no

one shall say and deem a thing as of one own. nd if some will be found inclined to this

very wiced vice, they shall be sub#ected to punishment. s it is written 'it was distributed to each of them according to their needs'" 4

.nd in Cam#anella%" City of &un6 "ll property arises from maing private home and

sons and wife one's own. $ence egoism arises, which aims at raising one's own son into

wealth and dignity, or be%ueathing them to him. !veryone becomes publicly rapacious ifone fears nothing, when being powerful or greedy& insidious or hypocrital, when being

powerless. nce egoism is given up, there remain common things alone" 4


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r in an article of the a"hin+ton Po"t of 19986 "Twin as is one of thousands of

communes which sprouted up throughout a restless merica emblems of hope and pride.

(ost of them vanished unnoticed. But Twin as was different, it managed to flourish, growing from eight people to almost one hundred, becoming not only self)sufficient, but

managing to cultivate *+ acres of land efficiently, manufacture hammocs and casual

furniture and form what is certainly one of the last rampart of pure communism inmodern world. -rom each person according to his capacity, to each person according to

his needs. No one is hungry or bears hardships. ll have a #ob. hildren are #oyful.

ompetition, hedonism and waste are rare. /iolence is avoided& ambition is tamed&remarable results have been accomplished" 4

r in Ca#ital6 "0hat characteri1es the manufacturing division of labour2 The fact that a

partial worer doesn't produce any commodities& that only the partial worers' common

product becomes commodities". Marx a"3" and then an"!er" the que"tion him"elf, after #ointin+ out !hat differ" bet!een a "in+le #roducer of +ood" and a !or3er #laced in a

com#lex cycle4 In a "ociety !here all !or3er" are #artial !or3er" of a +lobal or+ani"m

and, at the "ame time, full indiidual" hel#in+ the +eneral and common cycle of #roduction, there !on%t be any commoditie", any money, any alue, or ca#itali"m4 &o it

!ould be "en"ele"" to "#ea3 of family, #ro#erty and the "tate4

e could +o on !ith "uch in"tance" for many #a+e"4 biou"ly, !e%re not +oin+ to #rai"e

"terile mona"tic communitie": nor cla""ical uto#ian anachroni"m": nor modern exi"tentiale"ca#e" of "mall human +rou#", !hich !ere "ucce""ful only a" the exce#tion: nor the

ca#itali"t factory, !hich, altou+h hain+ one of the 3ey" for freein+ the future "ociety, i" a

'ail for today%" !or3er"4 e only !i"h to "tre"" thi" fact6 ;umanity < "ince !e can call it

thu" by it" difference from other animal "#ecie" < lied in a communi"t manner for acou#le of million year", and certainly !ill lie li3e!i"e in a "ociety deelo#in+ from

modern communi"m for en"uin+ million" of year"4 he fe! thou"and" of year" in$ bet!een, durin+ !hich humanity lea#ed from it" #rimitie "ta+e to modern indu"try, i" but it" #a""a+e from bein+ "ubmitted to an untamed nature to the rei+n of freedom, it"

harmony !ith nature bein+ accom#li"hed throu+h bein+ able to #ro'ect and #lan it" future

by a full reer"al of #raxi"4

In all cla"" "ocietie" until ca#itali"m, thi" reer"al ha" been ery #artial, 'u"t in"ide #roduction, but ab"olutely 3e#t in chec3 by #riate a##ro#riation of the alue" #roduced,

!hich ha" ob"cured it" i"ibility4 Marx, !hile "tudyin+ the la! of natural eolution, noted

that /ar!in had reealed the mechani"m" of eolution of the or+anic !orld and, at the"ame time, tho"e natural and equally !ild, that re+ulated en+li"h "ociety, the ca#itali"t

"ociety par excellence of hi" time, that i", the foremo"t limit that the reer"al of #raxi"

had "o far reached4 =abour i", therefore, already reer"al of #raxi", but in cla"" "ocietie"human nature i" "ubmitted to the la! of 'un+le, and can%t fully ex#re"" it"elf4 >u"t a" in

ca#itali"m there i" already all the "ociali2ation of #roduction required in the future

"ociety, exce#t that it i" "ubmer+ed in a mercantile "ea enforcin+ the la! of alue4 hi"

"ociali2ation of #roduction for the future "ociety to u"e, characteri2in+ irreer"ibly andmore and more deci"iely modern "ociety, "tron+ly drie" humanity to fully accom#li"h

it" #ro'ect for life, een if indiidual" don%t reali2e it4 n the other hand, in all it"


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millenary #ath, humanity ha" neer for+otten it" communi"tic ori+in", a##arently hain+

it "tam#ed in it" +enetic code: in the cour"e of hi"tory humanity ha" al!ay" felt the need

to reali2e "ome communi"tic ariant of "ociety, and ha" neer been able to do !ithout it4

e o#ened thi" article by hain+ recour"e to a quotation from the 3ntroduction to a

ontribution to the riti%ue of 4olitical !conomy, 56+7 , !ith a #oint !here Marxex#o"e" more clearly than el"e!here the #rinci#le of inariance, !hen a##lied to the

becomin+ of "ocial fact"4 . #o"tumou" #ublication, ?aut"3y !elcomed it a" afundamental text, !hen the manu"cri#t !a" found, but fe! #eo#le today hae truly

+ra"#ed it4 . cou#le of in"tance"6 Maurice /obb, in hi" #reface to the edition by Editori

@iuniti (!here the 3ntroduction i" meanin+fully rele+ated to the a##endix a" "econdary,in"tead of in the front matter a" fundamental), 'u"t hint" to it" #re"ence, !ithout any

comment4 -runo .cciarino, !ho !rite an entire boo3 to analy2e it, lead" hi" reader"

about in a #hilo"o#hical ma2e, fa"hioned !ith cry#tic and exoteric "tatement" hain+nothin+ to do !ith Marx%" text4

he Communi"t =eft, !hich !e follo!, in"tead con"ider" it a" a ba"ic text for anunder"tandin+ of Marx%" method, in that the "tructure of apital i" determined from

lo+ico$dialectical "tatement" dra!n from hi"tory, it%" true, but not by any "in+le cate+orythat can be found throu+hout hi"tory, but rather by follo!in+ the genetic process of the

cate+orie" !e find in the "u#erior form hi"torically reached (The method of Ca#ital and

its structure)4

Brushing up on the principle of invariance

In 1857 the #rinci#le of inariance hadn%t yet receied it" mathematical formulation,

!hich !a" achieed late in the century4 .fter!ard" our current reco+ni"ed the "trict

relation bet!een Marx%" de"cri#tie analy"i" and the mathematical formali2ation" ofinariance4 hat%" !hy !e%e +ien our reie! thi" title (n85), !hich can be brieflyex#lained a" follo!"6 if the #re"ent "ociety i" the number n, the future communi"t "ociety

!ill be the "ucce""or of n, that i" n854 n the !hole, in a +ien moment of hi"tory, "ocial

form" are N (the "um of all #a"t n "ocietie")4 Communi"m too, therefore, !ill re#re"ent an N "ummation of all human hi"tory, ca#itali"m included4

he more deelo#ed "ociety, in conclu"ion, contain" the characteri"tic" and memory of

tho"e le"" deelo#ed in at lea"t A form"6 1) more or le"" altered remnant" of old "ocietie"

(li3e remnant" of feudali"m and "laery in ca#itali"m): B) fully tran"formed inariant"(money, for in"tance, !hich ha" been exi"tin+ "ince it !a" introduced B5** year" a+o, but

!hich ha" turned from the +eneral equialent metal into im#er"onal capital , !hich i"

quite another thin+): A) "ymmetrical or denied inariant", !hen there i" tran"itionto!ard" the more deelo#ed "ociety (for in"tance, the non)value, non)state, non)

democracy, !hich the future "ociety !ill "urely achiee, but !hich can be de"cribed only

a" denial of the "ymmetrical cate+orie" at #re"ent4

"in+ !ord" #erha#" alittle more difficult to di+e"t, but "uitable to a "cientific de"cri#tionof "ocial becomin+, the la"t "ociety N i" but the integral of all the previous differential


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invariants (-ordi+a)4 &ince marxi"m i" an ex#erimental "cience in the full "en"e !hich

thi" term !a" +ien by Dalileo, #erha#" !e can%t fully de"cribe the future "ociety today,

unle"" !e indul+e in uto#iani"m, that i" in a #olitical reerie, !herea" !e #re"ently haethe tool" to "ee, touch and analy2e the tran"formed (antici#ated) inariant" of

communi"m already in the #re"ent "ociety4 e made the in"tance of a+riculture (in

number 5 of our reie!), by no! out"ide the ca#itali"tic cycle a" a firm #roducin+"ur#lu"$alue, to !hich it belon+" only a" a service for nouri"hment, !hich i" #aid for

!ith "ur#lu"$alue #roduced el"e!here4 -ut many other "ector" by no! o#erate !ithout

any immediate exchan+e of alue4

aturally, it didn%t #a"" unnoticed by Marx to !hat de+ree "ocial tran"formation" !erecom#licated and difficult to be fitted in formal "chema", "o, in the "ame 3ntroduction of

1857 he added accurately6 3f, therefore, it is true that the categories of bourgeois

economy possess a truth for all other forms of societies, this is to be taen cum +rano"ali". -or they may contain these forms as developed, atrophi1ed, disguised, but always

as substantially different 4

The importance of an understanding of social transitions

herefore, be"ide" invariants, transformations too mu"t be ta3en into con"ideration6 the

#ea"ant reolt in Dermany !a" a reolution a+ain"t the feudal "y"tem, !hile today a #ea"ant reolt in the "ame +eo$hi"torical area !ouldn%t re#re"ent anythin+ other than

!hat%" left of the unre"t of a #ara"itic cla"" out"ide hi"tory, tryin+ to +rab a" much

"ur#lu"$alue a" it can from the #roletariat by mean" of it" lobbie", or mafias, in the+oernment4 .nother in"tance6 in Italy, the !ar" for unifyin+ the country a+ain"t the

forei+n &tate" "harin+ it" territory, or el"e, in .frica, the !ar" a+ain"t ariou"

im#eriali"m", !ere in both ca"e" national revolutionary wars: today%" anti$im#eriali"tic!ar" are "ub"tantially #arti"an !ar" u"ed by ca#itali"t countrie" a+ain"t one another(.merican", ery ex#ert in the matter, call them #roxy !ar")4

;erein !e%re dealin+ #articularly !ith tran"ition from #rimitie communi"m to the fir"t

urban "ocietie", but the method !e%re +oin+ to u"e a##lie" to eery #eriod of tran"ition,

!hether ancient or modern or "till to come4 hat i" to "ay that in a +ien "ociety !e% ll "eeal!ay" old form" in action, "o di"+ui"ed a" to be not often reco+ni2ed, or antici#atory

form", "till harder to di"cern4 e%ll al"o "ee the +na!in+" of ideolo+y actin+ in the head"

of re#re"entatie" of the dominant form of #roduction, o#eratin+ "o dee#ly a" to blur their under"tandin+ of both (tran"formed) #a"t inariant" and (tran"formin+) form" in

becomin+4 he latter are i"ible only to tho"e already "idin+ !ith the de"truction of

exi"tin+ relation"4 e hae a ma+nificent in"tance of thi" in the im#licit and ex#licithymn that the reolutionary bour+eoi" rai"ed to industry in the !nciclop9die, althou+h it

!a" !ritten !ithin French feudal "ociety, !ho"e #o!er re"ted in servile agriculture and

handcraftsmanship4

@e"umin+ our #ro#o"ition6 the ri#e cate+orie" ex#re""ed in (from) the relation" of modern bour+eoi" "ociety al"o inform u" about ancient "ocietie"4 -ut at the same time the"e


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cate+orie" are today "ub"tantially different from !hat they !ere ye"terday4 ;o!eer

#aradoxical it may "eem, it i" exactly the #ro#erty of inariance that allo!" u" to hae a

dee# in"i+ht into the "ame cate+ory, een after it ha" #a""ed throu+h a lot oftran"formation"4 =et%" ta3e labour6 a" an inariant, it i" human ener+y "u##lied for an end4

-ut, from a "ocial ie!#oint, it can be either the mean" of achiein+ "ocial metaboli"m

by a community not 3no!in+ alue, or human actiity #roided exclu"iely for a "laema"ter, or "erile !or3 for a feudal ma"ter, or labour$time of a free #o""e""or of labour$

#o!er "u##lied to a mo"t recent ca#itali"t4 hat%" !hy !e can under"tand labour only

from it" different determination" throu+hout many mode" of #roduction4 e can%t exactlyde"cribe the "y"tem of feudal labour if !e "tay in"ide the cate+orie" belon+in+ to it"

hi"torical a+e4 he feudal Gue"nay, althou+h he #receeded Marx in ma3in+ a dynamic

model of economy (hi" famou" Tableau), deemed indu"trial labour a" un#roductie, and

!e 3no! he !a" !ron+ from the anta+e #oint of ca#itali"m, but he !a" a##roachin+ theri+ht #o"ition from the "u#erior anta+e #oint of communi"m6 in fact, in the or+anic

conce#tion of the relation man$nature, indu"trial tran"formation i" but the #art o!in+ to

man of the +eneral tran"formation of "un ener+y in the bio"#here ("ee Never will goods

satisfy man's hunger , cha#4 1)4

hi" i" the !ay to #roceed "cientifically to!ard" a better 3no!led+e of the !orld, and

Marx !a" concerned about thi" in #articular6 the #ro#erty of inariance, in fact, ma3e" u#

the ba"i" of "cience, becau"e it allo!" u" to +o beyond "u#erficial chan+e"4 -eneath !hat"eem" to be a creation out of nothin+, there i" concealed a dee# continuity both re+ardin+

!hat #receede" and !hat follo!"4 Marx him"elf remind" u" that "every science would be

superfluous, if the phenomenical form of things and their essence coincided" (apital , boo3 III, cha#4 0=III4 A)4

Excange without the intermediation of value

In the la"t number of our reie! !e #ubli"hed an article re+ardin+ Caral, an ancient

#roto$urban "ocial form di"coered in Peru, rebu3in+ the bour+eoi" fixation on "eein+mercantile exchan+e, cla""e" and &tate in eery ancient "ociety !hich reached a certain

de+ree of com#lexity4 Caral, a" it i" demon"trated by the archeolo+ical excaation" and

di"coerie" more than by !hat archaeolo+i"t" are "ayin+, !a" built by men !ho hadn%t yet

left their communi"tic "ta+e, een if they !ere exchan+in+ their #roduct", hain+ a rudedii"ion of labour and, thereby, a relatie centrali2ation of authority4 e mi+ht commit

the o##o"ite error to that of the bour+eoi" and declare communi"m "omethin+ no lon+er

"o, a" "ome actually did re+ardin+ the ciili2ation of Indu"4 ne mi+ht ha##en to ma3ethi" error becau"e, in a tran"ition "ociety from #rimitie communi"t, the "ame cate+orie"

loo3 "o much different than they do in ca#itali"m and een in the fir"t cla"" "ocietie", that

they "eem not to hae any common item4 hat%" !hy you need to +o in de#th into theque"tion", !ithout an"!erin+ ye"Hno li3e a manichean, but li3e Marx in the 3ntroduction6

":a depend" 4

=et%" "tart !ith mercantile exchan+e4 It re#re"ent" a cla""ical ca"e6 cate+orie" no!

dominant in a "ocial form, in #reiou" "ocial form" are quite mar+inal4 -our+eoi" "ocietyi" founded on mercantili"m, a" Ca#ital%" incipit remind" u"6 "The wealth of those societies


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in which the capitalist mode of production prevails, presents itself as 'an immense

accumulation of goods', and a single commodity presents itself as its elementary form" 4

In Caral in"tead commoditie" don%t a##ear, !hateer the bour+eoi" "ay, tho"e !ho eenie!ed dry fi"h a" currency, the money the habitant" of the ancient #eruian city

"u##o"edly u"ed4 et our "tatement can%t be com#rehen"ie ta3en alone, it ha" to be

bac3ed u# by other con"ideration"6 commoditie" don%t a##ear inside the caralian "ociety,!here #roduction !a"n%t for the "a3e of exchan+e, but exchan+e could exi"t, !hether of

manufactured ob'ect" or "ur#lu" a+ricultural #roduction, !ith other communitie" hain+

their "ur#lu" a" !ell4 he "ame ha##ened in many other ca"e", a" in the Inca", Maya,.t2ec #eo#le", 'u"t to remain on the "ame continent4 -ut exchan+e too3 #lace on the ba"i"

of u"e alue only, at lea"t initially, #reci"ely becau"e exchan+e !a" mar+inal in archaic

"ocietie"4

.t the be+innin+ the quantitatie relation of exchan+e bet!een the #roduct" of t!odifferent "ocietie" !a" quite random, a" a re"ult of the fact that each "ociety exchan+ed

only ob'ect" they had in "ur#lu" becau"e of the lo! time required on aera+e to #roduce

them (due to #lenty of ra! material", "#ecial 3no!$ho!, etc)4 n the other hand, theother "ociety, !ith o##o"ite condition", needed much more time to #roduce the "ame

ob'ect", "o !ere inclined to buy them aboe their alue4 In the antro#olo+ical "tudie"

it%" not rare to meet !ith de"cri#tion" of #rimitie trade "y"tem" !here a tribe

exchan+ed !ith another ob'ect" of unmatched alue", a" the buyer i" una!are of their nature and the time required to #roduce them4 Pottery bo!l", for in"tance, are con"idered

in the "ame li+ht a" rare "hell" by tho"e in a "ta+e #receedin+ #ottery, "o they can be

exchan+ed !ithout any equialence ("ee !conomy in the age of stone, cha# )4

nly !hen the relation" of t!o "ocietie" are becomin+ ti+hter and clo"er, i" the mea"ureof exchan+e +oin+ to coincide !ith exchan+e alue4 "(eantime the need for foreign

ob#ects of utility gradually establishes itself. The constant repetition of exchange maes it a normal social act. 3n the course of time, therefore, some portion at least of the productsof labour must be produced with a special view to exchange. -rom that moment the

distinction becomes firmly established between the utility of an ob#ect for the purposes of

consumption, and its utility for the purposes of exchange. 3ts use)value becomesdistinguished from its exchange)value. n the other hand, the %uantitative proportion in

which the articles are exchangeable, becomes dependent on their production itself.

ustom stamps them as values with definite magnitudes" (apital , boo3 I cha# II). ;erei" a cla""ical in"tance of the dialectic tran"formation of quantity into quality4

Fundamentally the #roduct" of a community, nearly all comin+ out of the land and of

labour a##lied to it, couldn%t hae alue in"ide the "ame community, becau"e the land had

not come yet !ithin the cate+ory of #ro#erty but !a" a collectie #o""e""ion4 ("men referto the land as property of the community" , Marx !rite" in the ;rundrisse)4 .t a certain

#oint of "ocial deelo#ment, an entire community #re"ent" it"elf a" o!ner of the land

and it" #roduct", but only in relation to other communitie"4 In fact, it%" only on the ba"i"

of the difference amon+ communitie" and their #roduction that the fir"t excha+e" can ta3e #lace cau"in+ the fir"t mar3et to ari"e4 either exchan+e nor the fir"t form" of money

ari"e "#ontaneou"ly in"ide communitie" a" a natural fact, a" the"original constitutive


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element. n the contrary, they appear at first rather in the relations of the different

communities among themselves than in the relations among members of a same

community" ( 3ntroduction of 1857)4 he #roce"" i" ery lon+4 Money deelo#ed a" the+eneral equialent a##eared only much later, !hen communitie" +et lar+er and more

com#lex and exchan+e i" carried on internally, a" !ell a" !hen they come in contact !ith

fara!ay communitie", "e#arated by a no man%" land deoid of #roduction and exchan+e4hi" i" !here the real trade !ith caraan" etc4 "tart"4

Invariance and Symmetry

.ncient trade ha" been, therefore, exchan+e for thou"and" of year", but it" "ocial meanin+

!a" immen"ely di"tant from the modern one4 .ccordin+ to Marx, "ome #eo#le" deotedthem"ele" to exchan+e, and mo"tly they !ere tho"e more urbani2ed, inde#endent and

deelo#ed than (their) "urroundin+ #eo#le", "o that they could act a" intermediarie"

amon+ the #roducer #eo#le" "till immer"ed in "aa+ery (apital , boo3 III, cha#4 00)4

.lthou+h ne! find" hae made the "ocial "cenery much more com#lex in the different

+eo$hi"torical area", the +eneral feature" of the fir"t "ocietie" en+a+in+ in exchan+e anddeelo#in+ alon+ !ith it ha"n%t under+one ariation"4

e%e "een that, if !e !ant to +ie u# any uto#iani"m !hateer, !e hae to acce#t a

continuous conce#tion of hi"torical #roce"", !here there i" no creation out of nothin+ buttran"formation of inariant cate+orie"4 biou"ly, thi" ha" nothin+ to do !ith a

gradualistic, counter$reolutionary conce#tion of hi"torical #a""a+e" bet!een "ocietie"6

#eriodi2ation, that i" dii"ion into a+e", mode" of #roduction", cla""$domination" i" a political fact, mar3ed by a cla""% "ei2ure of #o!er, !hich ha" to be in"cribed in a #ha"e$

"cheme, each #ha"e bein+ "e#arated by dee# hi"torical brea3$off"4 n the contrary, the

+eneral becomin+ of ne! form" i" "im#ly a metamorphosis, the !ord Marx u"e", !ell

illu"trated in nature by the continuous biolo+ic #roce"" #roducin+ the discontinuous effectof a laral "tate #a""in+ to the deelo#ed ("the development of the antagonisms of an

historical form of production is the one historical way that is possible to its dissolution

and metamorphosis" , The apital , boo3 I, cha#4 0III49)4

he mar3et cult, that today i" dominant, ha"n%t ari"en out of nothin+, it ha" it" o!n

material ba"i"4 he deelo#ed !orld mar3et i" in reality the direct continuation of that

relation of exchan+e !hich at birth !a" quite mar+inal, but "ho!ed it"elf ery early, een"ince man +ae u# bein+ a mere +atherer of natural food and "tarted #roidin+ it for

him"elf !ith the fir"t tool", and, ineitably, "ince to+ether !ith lan+ua+e, there a##eared

the fir"t form of "ocial or+ani2ation4

Marx "tre""e" that in analy2in+ human hi"tory from thi" #oint of deelo#ment on!ard,one ha" to be ery careful !hen u"in+ term" referrin+ to inariant but tran"formed

cate+orie" or, all the more "o, !hen #uttin+ them in a determinate "cale of alue"4

biou"ly the bour+eoi"ie ran3" fir"t money a" ca#ital, then in "ucce""ion mar3et, #roduction, labour, family etc4, and #ro'ect" thi" order in com#letely different "ocietie",

!ho"e analy"i" require" reer"in+ the order or een deletin+ "ome element" a" denied , a"

!e "a! #reiou"ly4


8/17

If thi" a##lie" to #a"t "ocietie", it all the more "o a##lie" !hen tryin+ to under"tand the

form" in "ucce""ion and therefore the ne! future form4 . ne! order ha" to be

characteri2ed and the method mu"t come out of the hi"torical connection of form" ba"edon their determini"m6 "Their succession is exactly the opposite of what it appears" , that i"

to "ay6 if money in the ca#itali"t "ociety i" fundamental, it #robably !a", and !ill be,

either mar+inal or denied : if family i" "u#erfluou", it mu"t ha" been, and !ill be, eitherfundamental or denied: if cla""e" are the #iot eerythin+ i" leered on, they mu"t hae

been, and !ill be, either embryonic or non$exi"tent ("ee 3ntroduction of 1857)4

hi" reer"ed relation, a reflectie, "#ecular one, brin+" u" to intere"tin+ con"ideration"

about the factor" of #re"eration$reolution, !hich are #o!erful both for "tabili2in+reolutioni2ed "ocietie" and blo!in+ them u# !hen they mu"t a+ain be reolutioni2ed4

Eidently, if ancient "ociety !a" able to contain communi"tic relation"hi#" !ithin it"elf it

al"o had to be able to defend it" common intere"t" and #rotect it"elf from outer enemie"4It mu"t therefore ha" been conservative to!ard" it" ori+inal relation", not allo!in+

mercantile exchan+e earlier, and money later, to di""ole it4 ;ere !e reco+ni2e another

inariant !e often deal !ith in re+ard to reolutionary #roce""e"6 counter$reolution!or3" for reolution, that i" counter$reolution exi"t" only if an actual reolution exi"t" to

defend it"elf from (la! of "ymmetry)4 If a##lied to our ca"e, thi" inariance of "ymmetry

tell u", a" !e%ll "oon "ee, that it%" #rimitie communi"m it"elf, !hile dyin+ out, that

brou+ht into exi"tence the tool" !hich !ould be #eculiar to future cla""$"ocietie", fir"t ofall the &tate4 r+anic centrali2ation under the +uidance of !i"dom and 3no!led+e, !hich

!a" nece""arily #er"onified by the be"t member" of community (!i"e men, "haman",

!arrior"), became another thin+ under the "timulu" of the ri#enin+ "ocial form, of thene! mode of #roduction4

In ntiduhring En+el" hold" that, !ith the birth of cla""e", "The State, at which natural

groups of communities of one stoc had arrived at a first time only aiming at guardingtheir common interest


9/17

"ociety in a non$uto#ian manner4 hat matter" mo"t, continually lin3in+ the #a"t, #re"ent

and future to+ether allo!" u" to "#ot the ty#ical item" of tran"ition, !hich i" the main aim

of our !or3 no!4 ther!i"e, it%" im#o""ible to een ima+ine any reolutionary actiityhain+ "ome #ractical effect"4

In eery ri#e "ociety !e can find the material condition" !hich the ne! "ociety !ill"#rin+ from to be hidden, to+ether !ith ne! relation" that already relate to the need" of

the ne! "ociety4 It%" in"ide bour+eoi" "ociety it"elf that "uch material relation" are be+otten a" to be u"eful to the reolutionary cla"" for oerthro!in+ the exi"tin+ relation"4

ere it not "o, add" Marx, eery #ractical attem#t !ould be quixotic, li3e tiltin+ at

!indmill"4 ("ee ;rundrisse, cha#ter on money)4 .ctually, in ca#itali"tic "ociety at it"culmination, the mo"t dynamic, adancin+ mode of #roduction i"n%t re#re"ented by the

mo"t modern countrie", but by communi"m !hich i" already ex#re""in+ it"elf in them4 n

the other hand, the >ynamics of the numeric "equence, !here each n i" nece""arilyfollo!ed by an n85, tell" u" that communi"m can%t be yet dominant4 hi" i" the !ay the

"tatement "communism is necessary" ha" to be inter#reted, not in a #hilo"o#hical, uto#ian

or !or"e than either, a morali"tic fa"hion4

.t thi" #oint !e can "tate that !e not only 3no! the cate+orie" of bour+eoi" economy, butal"o tho"e of communi"t economy, and therefore !e can u"e the latter for com#rehendin+

the !hole multi$millenial cycle encom#a""in+ the #rimitie "ocial form" u# to deelo#ed

communi"m throu+h the fir"t, "till communi"tic, urban "ocietie", the trace" ofcommuni"m in eery 3ind of "ociety and the antici#ation" of future communi"m

ex#re""ed by the #re"ent one4 hu" !e !ill find that the "ocial becomin+ is but a

se%uence of social and political ruptures along a continuous transition of material

production and reproduction4

e !ill no lon+er "ee material hi"torical #roce"" a" a discrete "ucce""ion of ab"olute andab"tract form", but a" a continuous "ucce""ion of relatie and concrete one"4 =an+ua+e

it"elf can confirm our #ro#o"ition"6 ab"olute come" from "absolvere" , that i" loo"enin+from any tie" !ith the context, !ith !hat come" before and !hat come" after, !hile

ab"tract come" from "abstrahere" , that i" ta3in+ out, detachin+ from the context4

Coner"ely, concrete come" from "concrescere" , that i" +ro!in+ !ith the context, a"

a function of4 Material hi"torical #ro+re"" i" therefore an inariant continuum (in themathematic "en"e of the !ord), !here eery form can be read a" a function of4 .

di"crete conce#tion of hi"tory i" bound to fall into a meta#hy"ical inter#retation of reality:

a continuou" conce#tion in"tead +ie" u" the chance of initiatin+ a dialectic" of3no!led+e4

hi" "aid, !e in no !ay !i"h to underalue the co+nitie #o!er of ab"traction, !ho"e u"e

our current often "tre""ed a" belon+in+ to the marxi"t method4 In apital there i"

re#re"ented an ab"tract #attern of ca#itali"m, but one of actual reality, not one of an ideaof reality4 In Marx%" abstract #attern there i" the real dynamic" of a "ociety in becomin+,

made u# !ith factorie" and a net of communication", !or3er" and ca#itali"t", in a

com#lex of reaction" all leadin+ nece""arily to non$ca#itali"m, non$alue, etc4 Ca#itali"mneither i" #hoto+ra#hed a" a "tatic ima+e nor i" it inter#reted, but in"tead "ho!n a"


10/17

moin+ from it" early ri"e until it" di""olution into the future communi"t "ociety4 For

Marx, !hom !e follo!, ab"tractin+ doe"n%t mean to detach from the context and then to

ab"oluti2e, li3e the bour+eoi" do (!hich i" a !ay of eternali2in+, after all), yet it mean" to"tri# off !hat%" accidental and unnece""ary4 For an ideali"t nothin+ i" le"" nece""ary than

the becoming , for a marxi"t here i" the riddle !hich it i" nece""ary to "ole in eery "ocial

form4

e%e "een earlier ho! the #roto$urban form" may be read by the bour+eoi" throu+h theideolo+ical filter of modern ca#itali"t "ociety, that hae tran"#o"ed into communi"t

"ocietie" li3e Caral the dominant cate+orie" of bour+eoi" "ociety, and !ho"e feature" are

fully a##lied to #henomena !hich at the time !ere quite mar+inal, "uch a" exchan+e,hierarchy, dii"ion of labour etc4 ;ere it i" eident their inability to u"e our < "o to "ay <

reali"tic ab"traction6 it i" not mi"ta3en to com#are "ocial cate+orie" belon+in+ to different

a+e": !e too do "o, !hen, for in"tance, !e analy2e mar+inal #henomena !ithin #rimitiecommuni"t "ociety a" antici#ation" of the follo!in+ economic$"ocial form4 he blunder i"

made !hen matchin+ "im#le analo+ie", after "na##in+ them "e#arately, a" if they !ere

motionle"" throu+h hi"tory, !herea" "ocial reality i" dynamic, and i" to be analy2ed a" aflo!in+ !hole4

o!, another o#eration ha" to be made, to try to "ee ho! the cate+orie" of our future

"ociety, that of developed communi"m, ran3 in the fir"t urban form"4 It could "eem

darin+, maybe "u#erfluou" and thi" ob'ection could be rai"ed6 hat It !a" "aid thatmercantile exchan+e re#re"ent" an inariant belon+in+ al"o to the "ocietie" !here

#rimitie communi"m !a" #reailin+, and no! do you !ant to #roe that een non$

mercantile exchan+e, ty#ical of "u#erior communi"m, i" an inariant you can find in

archaic "ocietie"4 >u"t "o4 In eery "ocial form mode" of #roduction o##o"in+ eachother are "u#erim#o"ed4 e%e already made thi" !or3 of inter#retation on the nature of

"ocietie" throu+hout thou"and" of year", !hen, for in"tance, !e dealt !ith urbani"m andarchitecture in the number" 8 and 9 of our reie!4 e%e dra!n the future form" fromtho"e #rimitie and, coner"ely, !e%e better under"tood the #a"t "ocietie" becau"e !e%e

reached the limit" of #o""ibilitie" of the #re"ent one, !hich i" con"trained to antici#ate

form" or to re"ume tho"e of the #a"t4 In the aboe$mentioned article", the fir"t urbanform" !ere examined not inde#endently at all, !ithout relation" !ith today%" city, and,

aboe all, tomorro!%" city, but a" a #art that can%t be detached from the !hole of hi"torical

continuity4 In thi" !ay the term communism, !hich ei+hty year" of counter$reolutionhae reduced to "omethin+ of an in"ult by no!, can recoer the breath #ro#er to it6 Infact

the inariant cate+orie" !hich !ill #reail in tomorro!%" "ocial life are the "ame a"

dominated in early man3ind, een if they !ill under+o a metamor#ho"i" and !ill act on a

unier"al "cale, rather than in a tribal circle4

. demo"tration of !hat !e%re "ayin+ i" the recent exhibition on the di"coerie",

excaation" and re"toration" of the ma+nificent Pom#eian fre"co" of More+ine4 e%e

read eerythin+6 it !a" a fie "tar hotel (on the to# of the hit #arade), a re"idence, a

!ealthy men%" club4 Probably bein+ un"ati"fied !ith a simple definition an ima+inatie 'ournali"t com#ared that "o$called hotel !ith an ance"tor of the mo"t modern lub (ed 4

e don%t rule out at once that thi" i", althou+h una!ere, the least stupid definition of the


11/17

triialitie" !e%e quoted aboe4 It i" certainly #o""ible to de"cribe an ancient buildin+ in

com#ari"on !ith "omethin+ modern, not unli3e money, labour and "o on, but one !ould

be lau+hed at, if one com#ared an ancient cubiculum hospitale, that i" the #art of thehou"e de"tined to the ho"#itality !hich !a" "acred for the ancient #eo#le", !ith a hotel

'u"t becau"e they hae the "ame etymolo+y, or el"e becau"e they are "omeho! #lace" for

+ue"t"4 It !ould be li3e com#arin+ an ancient cult #lace !ith a modern church 'u"t becau"e they%re both tem#le"4

;o!eer la! doe" not #rohibit darin+ lin3" bet!een buildin+" that maybe can hae a

common inariant you can%t "ee at the fir"t blu"h4 he re"ort$illa+e" of lub (ed on the

one hand are triial container" of the futile holiday" of thi" decayin+ ca#itali"m, but onthe other hand they re"emble, een if under metamor#ho"i", the #attern of "ome ancient

"tructure" for a communitarian life4 For in"tance, their common "#ace" for meal", ritual",

"tudy and +ame" extended quite further than their #riate one", "o ma3in+ themun"uitable for a modern nuclear family4 he "ame can be "aid about certain bo+u" time

"hare country illa+e" !ith centrali2ed "erice" and "o on4 If effectiely they ri"e a" a

re"ult of the ca#itali"t rent la! #eradin+ eery #ore of the #re"ent "ociety, they can "till be ie!ed a" a metamor#ho"i" of communi"tic "tructure" of an ancient abbey, !here

mon3" !ere +oin+ and comin+, but !here the centrali2ed or+ani2ation and collectie !ay

of life !a" "tricly held to+ether by the "ocial body lin3ed to the re+ula4

Communitarian life in the stateless societies

he main common feature bet!een the early urban form" and tomorro!%" city i" theirfunctional "tructure for a communitarian life4 Contrary to the anacroni"tic indiiduali"m

dominatin+ modern bour+eoi" "ociety < althou+h it i" the "ociety !hich ha" reached the

hi+he"t leel of "ociali2ation in re+ard to the #roductie #roce"" < tomorro!%" life !ill be

fully or+anic4 ." !e "a! in re+ard to the non$mercantile #rimitie "ocietie", mercantileexchan+e #layed a role, ho!eer extremely mar+inal, "o ri+ht no!, if !e%re not +oin+ to

fall into a uto#iani"m of ye"teryear, the item" of tomorro!%" "ocial life can%t but exi"t intoday"4 It%" an a"#ect !e found een on the que"tion of the tool" < that hae to be

"uitable < of reolution that mo"tly i" too ea"ily di"mi""ed a" a "im#le "ei2ure of #o!er4

.lready in thi" bour+eoi" "ociety !e can "ee flo!", o#eration", een exchan+e" of a non$

mercantile 3ind, li3e for in"tance in the #roduction #roce"" in"ide a factory4 hat%" !hy, a"late a" in Marx%" time (and =enin%" and of the Communi"t =eft) the a#olo+i"t" of the

future "ociety !hich they under"tood to be a re"ult of a #ro+re""ie improvement of the

ca#itali"t one or een of it" rebuildin+ throu+h men%" +ood !ill, hae attributed to our

hi"torical current the theory of the society)factory4 oday their latter$day co$thin3er",after a bia"ed readin+ of our article on hou"in+, couldn%t 3ee# bac3 the ur+e of attributin+

to u" a theory of the society)hotel , of the society)refectory, or, a" "aid @o"a =uxembur+,

a" +reat a" "he !a", to =enin, of a society)barracs4 If the ea+le =uxembur+ "ometime"indul+ed in flutterin+ a" lo! a" chic3en" do, today%" critician" of a neither uto#ian nor

reformi"t communi"m do not een touch the hei+ht" of our dome"tic "ham of a bird4

hey%re quite unea"y at di+e"tin+ the conce#t of inariance, thou+h it belon+" to man%"herita+e of 3no!led+e (;e+el6 the true stays in the whole), and continually confu"e


12/17

inariant cate+orie" and tran"formation" by ta3in+ them "e#arately, and "o end u#

mi"erably failin+ to +ra"# !hat differentiate" &aint Peter%" cathedral from ?arna3%" +reat

tem#le, D4 4 -u"h from Cheo#e, Mount Palomar from &tonehen+e4

on$mercantile exchan+e !ill "ho! it"elf, in the future "ociety, not li3e it doe" today

in"ide a factory, !here there i" al!ay" the ri+id de"#oti"m of #roduction under bour+eoi"control, and !here eery #roductie cycle i" a" an i"land in a mercantile "ea, but rather

li3e a "#readin+ of !hat no! i" only embryonic6 in the !hole "ociety there !on%t be anyexchan+e on a alue$ba"e, but a flo! of thin+" and actiitie", counted on the ba"e of their

quantity and en'oyed on the ba"e of their quality4 >u"t li3e in the fir"t "till communi"tic

urban communitie", of !hich !e hae archeolo+ic te"timony and often een !rittendocumentation (on #a#yri, table", etc) of their moement" of thin+" and #er"on" without

marets based on exchange)value4

o the defamer" of communi"m (to !hom een "ome "elf$#roclaimed communi"t"

belon+) tomorro!%" "ociety a" it i" de"cribed "ince Marx%" time i" ie!ed a" a "ociety of

levelling , !hile it !ill be quite the o##o"ite6 a "ociety of the #o"itie differences, 'u"t li3ein the fir"t communi"tic "ocietie"4 hey ca"t the "ociety$factory in the future by extendin+

!hat little "u#erficial they can "ee in the #re"ent factory, "o failin+ to "ei2e the dee#meanin+ of the total reolutionary and irreer"ible ru#ture indu"try brou+ht into the

#roductie #roce""e"4 =i3e!i"e, to the archeaolo+i"t" and hi"torian" the ancient "ocietie"

brou+ht bac3 into the li+ht by excaation" can%t but be "ocietie"$tem#le, "ocietie"$#alaceor later "ocietie"$&tate4 Factory, hotel, refectory, tem#le and #alace re#re"ent certainly

"ome inariant", but the tran"formation" they under+o oer time detect "omethin+ much

dee#er than "u#erficial analo+ie"4

. #lace can be dedicated to reli+iou" #ractice", and thi" i" a common feature to many

"ocietie", but it differ" a lot, for in"tance, bet!een the neolitic d!ellin+" of 7*** year"a+o found in Catal ;JyJ3 in ur3ey, and the hu+e E+y#tian com#ound" of the IInd

millennium -4C4 he former i" a built u# area fully mirrorin+ #rimitie communi"m,!here in all the buildin+" reli+iou" rite" !ere had, !all" #ainted, altar" rai"ed, the dead

buried under the floor: the latter are enormou" architectural !or3", !here much the "ame

ha##ened, but in an ambience of extended and enlar+ed "ocial #ractice", !ith more

e"tabli"hed litur+ie" due to the commencin+ dii"ion into cla""e", in a "ociety already"ha#ed by a ma"" #roduction that !a" centrali2ed and "ubmitted to a rather deelo#ed

united #lan, een #roidin+ for a #ublic "toc3#ile for di"tribution4

=et%" d!ell on an hi"torical ca"e #articularly "uited to our "tudy ina"much a" it i" ty#ical

of the #ha"e" of reolutionary tran"ition4 hi" i" the "ocial "tructure the architect" refer tothe "o$called city$#alace, that i", the ciili2ation of Crete at the time of the Minoan

communitie" "ince the IIIth millennium -4C4 (but een in the Middle Ea"t there are "uch

#lace")4 he #alacial com#ound" of Mino" hae #eculiar feature" !hen com#ared !iththe buildin+" that in a cla""$diided "ociety the dominant cla""e" u"e for liin+ and

rei+nin+ !ith it" court4 hey are ery different from the later Micenian buildin+" on the

mainland, !ith their cyclo#ic !all" (tho"e, to be clear, de"cribed by ;omer)4 ;ere i"ex#re""ed an architecture of a cla""$diided "ociety by then, able to ex#re"" a form of


13/17

central #o!er, a" rou+h a" it !a", and to obtain an early formation of the cla""ic Dreece%"

city$&tate4

he Minoan #alace" haen%t !all", are o#en: they extend !ith their ramification",aenue", #ortico" into the "urroundin+", to the #oint of inte+ration !ith the enironment4

hey are al"o lin3ed to "maller unit", "ometime" habitation" for one family, a" if theterritory !ere a" one !ith the hou"e under eery re"#ect4 @ather com#lex buildin+",

rai"ed !ith a clear unitary #lan, een if throu+hout thou"and" of year" "eeral rebuildin+"hae follo!ed one another4 he u"e of "ome room" ("tore", bathroom", laboratorie") i"

ea"y to +ue"", other room" are a hard riddle to "ole, li3e tho"e "u##o"ed to be dedicated

to cult, #lay, theatre, meetin+" and to the manife"tation" of it" o!n #o!er by a centre !hich 'u"t had to be there4 he "et "ho!" a rather eolute and com#lex "ocial life, nearer

to #rimitie communi"m than the life de"cibed by the later homerian !ritin+", een if in

the Iliad and dy""ey there are many trace" +oin+ bac3 to the !orld #receedind the a+eof the tale"4

herefore, the Minoan com#ound" aren%t the ex#re""ion of a &tate #o!er or a clericaltheocracy, but of a "ociety, !here life, #roduction, "cience and reli+ion are "hared by all:

and that%" !hat i" "tron+ly reflected by it" architecture, eidently4 -ut here a+ainarcheolo+i"t" haen%t been able to con"ider the cate+orie" a" inariant" under+oin+

tran"formation", "catterin+ li+ht$heartedly fancy name" amon+ the room", and fixin+

them oer decade" by a "cholarly tradition4 .rea" !hich are "u##o"ed to hae cult ob'ect"are "trai+htfor!ardly named tem#le, a +reat room !ith a little "eat made out of the !all

become the hall of the throne: a +reater area i" obiou"ly the 3in+%" hall, if a little bit

"maller i" the queen%" hall: a #reciou" thin+, !ho 3no!" if it !a" hidden there durin+ a

ran"ac3in+, cau"e the room !here it !a" found to be named the trea"ure room: a littlelumber$room "tandin+ a"ide !ill be the cu"tom" office: a +reat #lace !ith tier" !ill be

undoubtedly the theatre: a #aed road leadin+ to the #alace !ill be the "acred !ay: alittle molded "tatue !ill be a +odde"" or el"e a queen by the !him of it" finder: a"tore of clay table" burnt by a fire !ill be the accountin+ centre (and !hy not

databa"e for the "et of "hele")4

&uch #iece" of information a" to be certain and reliable are fe!, !hen u"in+ a method of

"urey #roidin+ u" "cenario" "#oiled by ideolo+y4 n the !hole, ho!eer, !e can dra!enou+h information for an under"tandin+ of the "ocial dynamic"4 e can, for in"tance,

unmi"ta3ably notice a real &tate #o!er to be ab"ent, at lea"t in the cla""ical "en"e of

En+el"% !or3 about the ori+in of family and #ro#erty and then &tate4 In the Minoan"ociety (and li3e!i"e in many other "ocietie" of tran"ition) there i" no &tate4 Carin+ about

the common intere"t" and defence a+ain"t the out"ide had not yet moed a!ay from the

collectie body, and didn%t "tand in front of it a" a dominance4 ." a re"ult, een theconce#tion of diinity had not yet moed a!ay from the eeryday life, had not yet

become &tate reli+ion4

The obstacle of "religion"


14/17

&ome hold that the alternatie to the city$#alace !ould be the city$"anctuary, but thi"

i" a bour+eoi"i2ation of ancient "ociety a" !ell6 the "ame a" !e !ere "#ea3in+ of

=ourde"4 @eli+ion, li3e &tate, i" certainly it"elf an inariant cate+ory oer thou"and" ofyear", but it i" to be dealt !ith li3e all the re"t4 e find it already in #rimitie man, or at

lea"t !e call "ome manife"tation" of hi" life thi", but it "ho!" it"elf in form" "ub"tantially

different a" com#ared !ith !hat reli+ion i" in #atriarchal "ocietie", !here real theocracie"can be found, +oernin+ in one +od$father%" name, a heaenly #ro'ection, ea"ily

reco+ni2ed, of the dominant cla""4

he reli+ion characteri2in+ the !ide hi"torical arc of #rimitie communi"m i" a fanta"y

of both bour+eoi" archeaolo+i"t" and #aleontolo+i"t"4 -ut "ome of them hae alreadyrebutted their conformi"m4 For in"tance, =eroi$Dourhan "ay" thi" about reli+ion in the

#rehi"toric a+e6 "3t's abusive to try to apply to the men of the early times the multisecular

conclusions of the intellectualistic thining of a scholarly minority and search forofferings, sacrifices and cults? Sufficiently certain data are


15/17

animal" and lettin+ her"elf be honoured !ith the "acred #ro"titution (there i" not een a

name to define thi" holy #ractice)6 no one could com#are her to the Madonna4

In our article about Caral !e had quoted the archaeolo+i"t "u#eri"or to the e"caation"of the #eruian city, a" "ayin+6 "The life of the inhabitants in aral was going on among

complex ceremonies and rituals. @eligion conditioned the behaviour of everyone, indoorand outdoor, thus maring the whole of the social and political organi1ation" 4 It%" obiou"

that, in an or+anic "ociety, !hat i" no! inter#reted a" it" reli+ion couldn%t be "e#aratedfrom the eeryday life of the collectie body4 herefore !e can%t "#ea3 < neither for the

minoic "ociety nor for Caral, but not een for the ancient E+i#t, for the fir"t urban form"

in the Middle Ea"t and in the Indo alley < of #rie"t +oernment or theocracy4

he form" of cult, that i" the remnant" tran"formed oer time of #ractice" meant to #ut

man in harmony !ith nature, !ere one !ith life, #roduction and "cience, !hich in turn

!ere the herita+e and #raxi" of the !hole community4 he"e #ractice", "uriin+ in the

#roto$urban form" "till intert!ined !ith #rimitie communi"m, mu"t not be confu"ed

!ith the late character" of the +reat reli+ion" "uriin+ until no!, !hich #a""ed throu+hthe for+e of the cla""e" follo!in+ one another in the #o!er4 /efinin+ them a" reli+ion i"

li3e definin+ a" ca#ital the +olden #iece on !hich fir"t the =ydian 3in+ im#re""ed hi""eal4

e in"i"t on the reli+iou" a"#ect becau"e the modern conce#tion of ancient "ocietie" i"

"oa3ed !ith bia"e" o!in+ to the fact that their remnant" are mo"tly architecture" and

material" concernin+ reli+ion and #o!er, !hich often are more or le"" arbitrarilyconnected4 For mo"t "cholar" reli+ion i" a conce#t dra!n not een from chri"tiani"m, but

from the medieal #atri"tic, !hich re$"ha#ed a chri"tiani"m "uitable to the ne! "ocial

reality a" it !a" ta3in+ it" o!n "ha#e4 @eli+ion i" therefore applied from the out"ide to the

#rotohi"toric "ociety a" an ab"tract idea, detached from any reference to the concretereality4 In"tead of the reli+ion" follo!in+ one another in material reality, !e are +ien an

.b"olute @eli+ion re"tin+ quietly in the !orld of idea"4 hu" eery difference amon+ theconcrete reli+ion" i" blurred by !ay of a fru"tratin+ lac3 of dialectic"4

E"#ecially concernin+ ancient "ociety, ery fe! "o far are the "cholar" !ho hae mana+ed

to e"ca#e the tra# of bour+eoi"i2in+ their "ocial #henomena4 -ut een "ome hi"torical

de"cri#tion" +oin+ alon+ !ith certain #ro'ect" of ambiental recoery "uch a" the ar"enalof enice or much more recent "ite" of indu"trial archaeolo+y, !hen !e read them,

+ae u" +oo"e fle"h4

Communism never suppressed

hat !e%e "o far "aid, thou+h it i" to be deelo#ed by further !or3", "hould allo! a

"ufficient under"tandin+ that communi"m can%t be "u##re""ed becau"e it i" a #art ofhuman becomin+, a#art from any force !hich "eem" #re#ared to #reent it4 .ctually, no

one can counter it !ithout, at the "ame time, hel#in+ it" becomin+4 hen the #re""in+

adance of & ca#itali"m di"inte+rated the bi+ &oiet "hed, #a""ed off a" communi"m,that impressive ha##enin+ !a"n%t a ictory of ca#itali"m at all, but of the adancin+


16/17

communi"m4 ur current had #redicted it for year"4 Communi"m%" death, a" "aid the

a#olo+i"t" of the bour+eoi" !orld, !hich i" really the one dyin+, !a" nothin+ other than a

clean "!ee# of all the "cum left ob"tructin+ the !ay to reolution4 hat the &. did,"hall not need to be re$done by the communi"t moement4 hi" a##lie" al"o to the many

eent" occurin+ !hen ca#itali"m ha" "!e#t a!ay old thin+", a" already de"cribed in the

fir"t cha#ter" of the (anifesto4 .!ay !ith the bi+ @u""ian bear, a!ay !ith the "talini"t #artie", a!ay !ith the cor#oratie trade$union", a!ay !ith the old que"tion" connected to

the #a"t reolutionary cycle4 hat do you !ant anymore a" a demon"tration that

ca#itali"m i" the only dead thin+

-y ma3in+ "ub'ectie the i""ue of communi"m (em#loyer" a+ain"t !or3er", communi"t"a+ain"t bour+eoi") a bad turn i" done to the theoretical herita+e of human reolution,

!hich i", a" !e "aid, the millenary arc bet!een #rimitie communi"m and deelo#ed

communi"m4 It%" "im#ly non"en"e to thin3 that the reolutionary moement "hould entailat any time a #hy"ical "tru++le bet!een "u##orter" of a certain "y"tem !ithout alue,

money, atc4 and "u##orter" of the "y"tem of money, #ro#erty and ex#loitation4 It%" true the

economical "tru++le i" nothin+ but an eeryday ciil micro$!ar, a" Marx "ay", but the #oint to "ei2e i" that the cla"" "tru++le neer die", communi"m neer die", not becau"e

"ome !ant thi" to be "o, but becau"e communi"m i" #art of our "#ecie"% nature, and our

"#ecie" ha" neer renounced communi"m, not een in the short time of the cla""$diided

"ocietie"4

In the cour"e of decade" of thou"and" of year" communi"t ex#erience" ha" neer been

ab"ent, on the contrary, in the dar3e"t moment" of hi"tory they hae been the main tool

for re$launchin+ "ocial #roductie force", li3e, for in"tance, in all the form" of a"ian and

euro#ean monarchi"m, the combatant order" a" !ell4 he occa"ion" !hen communi"mha" manife"ted and "till manife"t" it"elf are more numerou" than !e recalled at the

be+innin+ of our article, and een than it i" u"ually ima+ined: they can be +rou#ed in"et" encom#a""in+ the #rimitie "ocietie", uto#ia", "urial"Hantici#ation", reali2ation"of the future, etc4

ur current "ho!ed ho! im#oeri"hed ul+ar communi"m i" in it" hain+ not een a

faint idea of the"e +randio"e conce#t": a" a re"ult, it can in no !ay reach the totalitarian

marxi"t i"ion denyin+ eery exi"tin+ form4 It can%t hel# "to##in+ at the tran"fer of #ro#erty, meant a" a reformation ex#ro#riatin+ the ca#itali"t" to the adanta+e of a

common #ro#erty, that i" !ide"#read to all the #roletariat4 hi" i" the conce#tion, for

in"tance, !hich at most can be reached by the moement made u# !ith million" of #er"on" feelin+ a+uely a "en"e of commercial equity and 'u"tice and faourable to anti$

+lobili2ation #o"ition"4 he "ame moement that mo"t of the anarchi"t" and "elf$

#roclaimed communi"t" tailed4

hi" "ociety ha" nothin+ to be "aed, it%" more than enou+h to #ic3 u# it" ri#e fruit"4 o dothat, you need to be equi##ed !ith #ro+ramme", men and mean" "uitable to it4 ;ence

come" our critici"m to tho"e thin3in+ that bour+eoi"ie i" +uilty !ith their lac3 of

"ucce""4 hu" they #er"onali2e it and feel they are bein+ o##re""ed by it, !ho"e action""u##o"edly are 'u"t em#loyer attac3" on #roletariat to lay u#on the latter any cri"e"4


17/17

.nd the"e +uy", in return, !ould li3e the #roletariat to counter$attac3, once "en"iti2ed

and +uided by them"ele", of cour"e4 -ut the +reat reolutionary ru#ture" "e#aratin+ the

a+e" doe"n%t de#end on !ill", reci#e", ex#edient" and #re$e"tabli"hed or+ani2ationalform" due to indiidual" or +rou#"4 It ta3e" a +reat material moement to arou"e all the

indiidual" !ho, in the end, are the tool" reolution u"e" to ma3e hi"tory4 hu" only

then !ill they be drien to feel li3e a #art of an immen"e and millenary "#an lin3in+ #rimitie communi"m to a deelo#ed one: to become in tune !ith the antici#ation"

effectiely breachin+ into the ader"ary frame!or3 !ith a hu+e de"tructie #otential: to

+ather to+ether their force" by 'oinin+ the real movement until, at la"t, formin+ thehi"torical or+ani"m of the cla"", !hich can lead and addre"" it to!ard" thi" aim4o let

one"elf to be dra++ed on in a /ar!inian "en"e by the concrete "ituation" i"n%t #ro#er to

a communi"t4 o #ut it brutally, !ith Marx and En+el", it i"n%t #ro#er een to a man4 It i"

#ro#er to an animal4

Transition

3 don't now whether by reason of favour or hostility gods have denied them gold and

silver. $owever 3 may not hold that the mines in ;ermany don't produce gold or silverA

who has ever tried some drillings2 They don't see for possessing and using them. Silver pots from ambassadors are lied not unlie clay ones. They choose their ings after

nobleness of soul and their leaders after bravery. ings don't exert at will an unlimited

power and leaders command by way of admiration and example rather than ofimposition. 4riests alone can sentence to death, and that not by punishment or by a

leader's hint, but only by god's order. 3t's the custom of the tribe to bring spontaneously

and individually livestocs and fruits of the land to he who excels& and he accepts them as

a sign of honour and also as a supply for his needs. They are pleased above all with gifts from neighbouring peoples, which are sent not only by individuals but also by

communitiesA select horses, arms, metal studs and collars. But by now we have tought

them to receive also some money. (acitu", The ;ermany)

Documents

Communistic Persistences