"Communism is inequality, but not as property is. Property is exploitation of the weak by the strong. Communism is exploitation of the strong by the weak"
- Pierre-Joseph Proudhon
About this Quote
This quote by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon is a critique of the capitalist system of residential property ownership. He argues that residential property is a form of exploitation, where the solid benefit from the weak. Communism, on the various other hand, is a form of inequality, however it is not based on the exploitation of the weak by the strong. Rather, it is based upon the exploitation of the solid by the weak. This suggests that the strong are not able to benefit from the weak, and instead, the weak are able to make the most of the strong. This is a radical concept, as it tests the traditional power characteristics of capitalist cultures. Proudhon's quote is a tip that inequality does not need to be based upon exploitation, and that there are alternative systems of economic organization that can be a lot more equitable.
About the Author