The author of the present volume "History of Socialism and Communism from Plato to the French Revolution," Georg Adler (May 28, 1863, in Posen; September 15, 1908, in Berlin), was a German national economist. In addition to economic historical studies, he dedicated himself to the history of ideas and the problems of socialism. A significant aspect of his work was the publication of the main works of socialism and social policy since 1904. In primitive communism, production was solely for personal use, without any significant surplus for exchange or trade (subsistence economy). Consumer goods were almost exclusively produced for immediate use within one's own group. Money and private ownership of social means of production (tools and production facilities) were unknown. This self-sufficient economic model leads to an accumulation of goods.