Final answer:
The "non-possessing class" refers to the proletariat or working class in a capitalist society, who do not own the means of production or the products of their labor, leading to alienation and creating the conditions for class struggle, as theorized by Engels and Marx.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Friedrich Engels refers to the "non-possessing class", he is describing the proletariat or the working class in a capitalist society. These individuals are characterized by having only their labor to offer, unlike the bourgeoisie who own the means of production.
The proletariat does not own the products of their labor, which are instead appropriated by the capitalists who employ them. This relationship leads to a form of alienation, where workers lose control over their actions and are unable to determine their destinies or own the value of what is produced by their labor.
Engels, writing with Karl Marx, argued that historical change is driven by the struggles between opposing social classes. In an industrialized society, this struggle is primarily between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.
Engels and Marx believed that this class conflict could eventually lead to a revolutionary change where the working class would overthrow the bourgeoisie, leading to a society where property is held in common and class divisions end. Thus, the term "non-possessing class" encapsulates the Marxist view of the proletariat's position in the capitalist system.