Marx Didn’t Call for Sharing Everything Equally — That was Jesus

“From each according to ability, to each according to need” is about what we need, not what we want

Photo by Hennie Stander on Unsplash

In 1875, Karl Marx wrote one of his most-quoted and most-misunderstood lines, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” His socialist readers knew that was a slogan with roots in the New Testament. Its meaning was clear to them: Since we have different abilities and needs, people who can help others should make sure we all have what we need.

Marx’s critics fail to see the saying is only about need. It does not mean we must give everyone whatever they want. It means we should all have the necessities for the pursuit of happiness:

“In communist society, where nobody has one exclusive sphere of activity but each can become accomplished in any branch he wishes, society regulates the general production and thus makes it possible for me to do one thing today and another tomorrow, to hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening, criticise after dinner, just as I have a mind, without ever becoming hunter, fisherman, herdsman or critic.” —Karl Marx, 1845

Marx’s good friend and collaborator explained why there’s no practical way to share everything…