“Wherever there is an ascendant class, a large portion of the morality emanates from its class interests and its class feelings of superiority.”
The entirety of the book entails the socialist writings of Ernest Everhard and his struggle to undo capitalism for the working class. The statement showcases how capitalism is a structure made to favor the interests of the upper class while the proletarians suffer. Through Avis’ accounts of his father’s writings, the book stresses the Marxist views that show the unsustainable nature of capitalism. In that, in order for the capitalists to sustain their power, they will eventually do away with egalitarianism to secure their interest.
“Then the business game is to make profits out of others, and to prevent others from making profits out of you.”
The quotation further accentuates the theme of socialism versus capitalism by affirming the inequality in the distribution of wealth. Ernest charts how business moguls manipulated the system in order to eliminate the small scale industries to create the Oligarchy. Through this, they bring more power to themselves by ensuring monopolistic interests are met while the working class suffers the injustices. Thus, this causes an unequal distribution in the economy where the rich get richer while the proletarians go below the poverty line.
