1892 Preface to the Second German Edition of The Condition of the Working Class in England

Preface by Engels to the second German edition of his book The Condition of the Working Class in England. Written in July 1892, first contained in the second German edition of The Condition of the Working Class in England, published in 1892 in Stuttgart.

At the end of the 19th century, driven by the rapid development of the productive forces of society brought about by the second scientific and technological revolution, the capitalist world underwent tremendous changes, and monopoly begun to infiltrate into all aspects of the economy and society, which led to the emergence of a new mode of competition and exploitation in the capitalist society, as well as the emergence of many new situations and challenges for the world proletarian movement. In this context, took the occasion of the release of the second German edition of The Condition of the Working Class in England to write this preface, exposing and explicating the new changes in the capitalist system. The Preface contains 36 paragraphs, and the main contents are as follows: First, Engels reviewed the changes of capitalism at that time. Engels pointed out that his description of English capitalism many years ago belongs “in many respects, to the past”, that the development of capitalism has caused it to lose the features “which characterize its early stages”, and that it has shown changes in its development trend, in the development of the world market, and in the attitude and manner in which the manufacturers treat the workers, which requires a new understanding of the new phenomena of capitalist society. However, Engels also emphasized that his exposure and critique of capitalism and its changing tendencies were still correct, even years later, and that he needed “not be ashamed of it on any count”. Second, Engels revealed the essence of many changes in the capitalist mode of production and operation. In his view, in order to make maximum profit and competitive advantage, the current bourgeoisie adopted “a new spirit” and “reforms” to improve the labor-capital relations, which made “manufacturing industry become apparently moralised”. However, “all these concessions to justice and philanthropy were nothing else but means to accelerate the concentration of capital in the hands of the few”, and as such, they did not, and of course, could not change the nature of capitalism. Third, Engels elaborated on the tactics of struggle of the workers’ movement under the current circumstances. Starting from the new situation that has arisen in the capitalist countries, especially the great development of universal suffrage in some European countries and the successes achieved by the working class in using it, he emphasized that the working-class parties should be adept at using the bourgeoisie's right to democracy and universal suffrage to wage a legitimate struggle in the service of achieving the goals of the proletariat.

1892 Preface to Second German Edition of The Condition of the Working Class in England is an important document in the history of Marxism. Engels keenly observed the new changes brought about by the scientific and technological revolution to capitalism, analyzed the essence of these new changes and the division of the ranks of the working class, and summarized the new experiences and new tactics of the workers’ movement in the new situation. It has provided a powerful ideological weapon and methodological insight for the working-class parties of all countries to analyze the changes in the revolutionary situation, to strengthen the self-construction of the parties and to lead the struggle against the bourgeoisie.