“De chacun selon ses facultés, à chacun selon ses besoins” “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” --Louis Blanc (1811-1882) From “Plus de Girondins” (1851) p. 92 #writerslift #life #authors #love #art #coffee #diary #write #books #amwriting #quotes #louisblanc The slogan “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need” first appeared in the mid-19th century as a concise expression of a cooperative ideal. French socialist Louis Blanc used it in "Plus de Girondins" (c. 1851) to argue that society should organize labor and distribution so everyone contributes what they can and receives what they need. That wasn’t about simplistic equality of outcome, but about rethinking how a society treats work, welfare, and human dignity in a way grounded in mutual support and shared responsibility rather than cut-throat competition. The phrase later became famous because Karl Marx adopted it in his "Critique of the Gotha Programme" (1875), using it to describe how an advanced communist society might function once material abundance made scarcity obsolete. In Marx’s view, this principle would apply only after the productive forces of society had grown enough to satisfy everyone’s needs. Today, the phrase is often shorthand for ideas about economic justice and solidarity, and it’s been adapted and debated in political, philosophical, and cultural discussions ever since.
“De chacun selon ses facultés, à chacun selon ses besoins”
“From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.”
--Louis Blanc (1811-1882)
From “Plus de Girondins” (1851) p. 92
#writerslift #life #authors #love #art #coffee #diary #write #books #amwriting #quotes #louisblanc
