On the PMC discourse:

“Before ending my words, allow me also to very briefly touch upon the question of definition of the working class, a question that seems to be an important topic of discussion in Russian communist and revolutionary movement.”

“It is a known fact that, some revisionist thinkers have tried to broaden the definition of working class and have included the great and growing mass of technical intelligentsia in it.“

“But they forget that, under capitalism, as in all class societies based on the exploitation of direct producers, monopoly and control over knowledge, over what Marx called 'intellectual means of production' remain in the hands of the ruling classes, that is of the bourgeoisie.“

As capitalism develops,

a) both the mass of the working class and of technical intelligentsia becomes greater and the composition of these social categories becomes more complex and diversified,”

“b) the ratio of wage laborers employed in production in general and in industry (the so-called blue-collar workers) in particular decreases, while the ratio of wage laborers employed in the service sector (the so-called white collar workers) increases,”

“c) cultural and technical level of the working class rises and workers tend more and more to perform jobs, which acquire the characteristics of mental labor to a certain extent and”

“d) a sizable portion of the growing mass of technical intelligentsia, who quite often are part of 'collective laborer', get closer to the workers, both in terms of earnings (or their share in social product) and in terms of their position vis-a-vis the means of production.”

“BUT, these do not in the least mean that,

1. Lenin's definition of the concept of class* has been outmoded and the definition of the working class should be broadened so as to include the whole body or the great majority of technical intelligentsia and,”

“2. the barriers between the working class and technical intelligentsia are being abolished, these two are being wedded into one and the same social category and the antithesis between manual and mental labor is fading or being nullified.”

“Under capitalism, the bearers of knowledge and technical skill have a double function or aspect. On the one hand, the technical intelligentsia, or rather the upper and middle echelons of this stratum act as assistants of the bourgeoisie in the production process;“

“their main economic and social function is the rationalization of capitalist system of exploitation and supervision and administration of workers in the name of the bourgeoisie.“

“In all capitalist countries, there is a whole stratum of managers, administrators, planners, advertisers, experts, supervisors, advisors etc. who are an organic part of the bourgeoisie.“

“The fact that, they, in general do not own the means of production, does not change their social or class character. This portion of the technical intelligentsia is totally bourgeois, with regard to its economic and social functions, standard of living and world outlook.“

“The lower echelons of the technical intelligentsia, however, are part of the 'collective laborer', assist in the production of surplus value and capital, and consequently are exploited by the bourgeoisie and therefore share some of the characteristics of the working class.“

“This portion of the technical intelligentsia, therefore tends to act together with the working class and tends to become one of its allies. This, however won't make them part of the working class. Why?“

“Because, despite certain joint or common characteristics, the working class and technical intelligentsia remain two separate social categories, divided antithetically in line with the social division of labor.“

“And it cannot be otherwise under capitalism, which is characterized by the antagonistic contradiction between the bourgeoisie and the working class.“

“This means that the social division of labor will continue to exist and the relationship between manual and mental labor will also remain antagonistic in character, as long as capitalism and the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie stands.”

“The antithesis between manual and Mental labor will start to fade only under socialism, under the dictatorship of the proletariat and will completely disappear only under communism.”

“* "Classes are large groups of people differing from each other by the place they occupy in a historically determined system of social production, by their relation (in most cases fixed and formulated in law) to the means of production,“

“by their role in the social organisation of labour, and consequently, by the dimensions of the share of social wealth of which they dispose and the mode of acquiring it.“

“Classes are groups of people one of which can appropriate the labour of another owing to the different places they occupy in a definite system of social economy." ("A Great Beginning", Collected Works, Vol.29, p.421)”