From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs

 From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs

The phrase "from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs" is often attributed to Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, though it is not a direct quote from their works. The idea encapsulates a key principle of communism as envisioned by Marx and Engels. The concept suggests a vision of a society in which individuals contribute to the best of their abilities and receive according to their needs, rather than the labor-for-wage system prevalent in capitalism.

The principle is believed to reflect the ultimate goal of a communist society where class distinctions, private property, and the state would have withered away, leading to a stateless and classless society. Marx and Engels outlined these ideas in works like "Critique of the Gotha Programme" and "The German Ideology," emphasizing the transformation of the social relations of production.

In essence, the phrase encapsulates the vision of a society in which economic distribution is based on need rather than profit, and where individuals contribute willingly according to their abilities, fostering a sense of communal cooperation and shared resources.