ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the psychological influences surrounding isolated or co-actively associated labour. The less powerful proprietors—and herein they differ from the labourers—can, to some extent, prevent the aggression of the strong, by uniting their capitals and thus mitigating their economic inferiority. The capitalistic class resorts accordingly to a more decisive method, whose application is again entrusted to the unproductive labourers. Labour, whose productivity is limited, either on account of its lack of association, or by reason of the checks imposed by compulsory association, is unable to dominate matter completely, or finds it accordingly unable to effectually control the forces of nature. Moral suasion is applied to the capitalists, to lead them to act in opposition to their conscious interest, as well as upon the labouring classes, to force them to act contrary to their real interests; but the methods of moral compulsion are completely changed.
