The term “bourgeoisie” designates the dominant social class of the capitalist system and is formed by owners of goods or capital.
The bourgeoisie appears at the end of the Middle Ages, with the expansion of commerce and medieval cities.
The word comes from “burgos”, which meant “fortress” or “small towns”.
The concept of the bourgeoisie changed over time:in the Middle Ages it was merchants; and during the Industrial Revolution, bankers and entrepreneurs.
Emergence of the bourgeoisie
At the end of the Middle Ages, Europe was going through changes in the political, economic, social and cultural fields.
During this period, the feudal system declined and the amount of land ceased to be a sign of wealth. From now on, it would be the amount of money that would make a person rich.
At the same time, politics changed. Feudal lords no longer have power and this power passes to the king (absolutism), in the process of formation of national monarchies. Even religion undergoes changes with the outbreak of the Protestant Reformation.
In this new period, a group of people emerges who will dedicate themselves, especially, to commerce and commercial transactions. The place of work will be the cities, called burgos and, therefore, those who live there will be known as “bourgeois”.
The bourgeois defended values that were foreign to medieval society such as personal freedom, free trade, religious and civil rights.
At the same time, Europe was experiencing the so-called “Commercial Renaissance” through the Crusades and the overseas expansion of the 15th and 16th centuries.
All of this made it possible to expand trade relations, as well as develop the cities' internal trade, driven by fairs.
In such a way, the growth of the cities was an important factor for the formation of the bourgeoisie. The bourgeois met in the “Guils” or “Corporations de Oficio” which consisted of professional associations that defended the interests of their members.
From the strengthening of trade, the nobility, former holder of power, is losing ground to the bourgeoisie. Serfs, who previously worked for the nobility and clergy, saw social, economic and political ascension in commerce.
Thus, the bourgeois class is consolidated and begins to demand space in politics. This happens through several revolutions, in which we can highlight the French Revolution, in 1789, and the Industrial Revolution, which took place in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Bourgeoisie and proletariat
In the Marxist theory, developed by the Germans Karl Marx (1818-1883) and Friedrich Engels (1820-1895), the bourgeoisie and the proletariat represent two social classes with opposing interests.
The bourgeoisie is the ruling class of the capitalist system, as it holds the power and the means of production. The proletariat, on the other hand, represents the dominated class, since the only thing left for it to do is sell its labor power to the bourgeoisie.
In this way, bourgeois and proletariat would always be in struggle and that would be what would bring about changes in society.
See also :Marxism
mercantile bourgeoisie
The term “Mercantile Bourgeoisie” designates those who adopted mercantilist ideas, namely:capital accumulation, favorable balance and metalism. these ideas.
This group appears from the 15th century, in Europe, and was one of the consequences of the Commercial, Cultural and Urban Renaissance.
The feudal system was declining, either due to population growth, new technologies and the search for oriental products. Thus, little by little, the feudal system was replaced by a primitive capitalism, mercantilism.
The bourgeois sought enrichment and social mobility, something that was impossible within feudal society, where birth determined one's place.
See also :Commercial Renaissance
Industrial Bourgeoisie
The Industrial Bourgeoisie, as its name implies, represents one of the social classes that emerged with the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century.
This group was very important in this period, as it was the bourgeoisie that made it possible to use machines to increase production. This happened as they invested in the purchase of machinery and raw materials, as well as in the hiring of employees.
However, the profits obtained by the first industries were obtained thanks to the exploitation of workers in long working hours.
We have more texts on the subject for you :
- Urban Renaissance
- Bourgeois Revolutions
- Industrial Revolution
- Formation of National Monarchies