Theorists of Marxism-Leninism defined the bourgeoisie as a class of owners of the means of production who receive income from the appropriation of surplus value. Surplus value is formed at the expense of the difference between the costs of the entrepreneur and the profit received by him. In a broader sense, the bourgeoisie includes all owners of property that brings them profit.
The bourgeoisie as a class originated in Europe in the late Middle Ages. The word "bourgeois" then meant "city dweller." Under the conditions of feudal society, the bourgeoisie became the most socially active stratum, the driving force behind bourgeois revolutions. The first bourgeois revolution took place in the Netherlands in the 16th century, then the revolutionary movement spread throughout Europe. Its main requirement was the equality of all estates before the law and the limitation of the privileges of the feudal nobility. The famous slogan of the Great French Revolution “Freedom. Equality. Brotherhood”was nominated by representatives of the bourgeoisie. In Russia, the first bourgeois revolution took place in February 1917. Its result was the creation of a parliamentary republic, the abolition of titles and estates, the equality of all citizens before the law, the independence of the national borderlands. Later, all democratic gains were destroyed after the victory of the socialist revolution. After the collapse of the feudal system, social antagonism disappeared, since legally and politically, citizens of European countries became equal before the law. However, an economic antagonism was formed, generated by the inequality of property between the bourgeoisie and the poor part of society. A new oppressed class, the proletariat, is moving into the vanguard of the class struggle. Depending on the size of its property, the bourgeoisie is divided into large, medium and small. A layer of top managers adjoins the big bourgeoisie. The petty bourgeoisie is sometimes referred to as artisans and shopkeepers who own the means of production, but do not use hired labor. Thus, the petty bourgeoisie is a rather conventional concept. In countries where socialist revolutions took place, the bourgeois class, with the exception of small entrepreneurs, was eliminated. Recently, in the former socialist countries, in connection with the restoration of capitalism, a large and middle bourgeoisie is re-emerging.