Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 9.djvu/518

 500 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

stronger than during the struggle itself, and that it may even be reciprocated not less intensively by the oppressors, because hatred toward him who hates us is a sort of instinctive means of protection, perhaps because we are accustomed to hate him whom we have injured. Nevertheless, there was still in the rela- tionship a certain community, namely, that which begot the hos- tility. The common property assumed by the Lombards in the products of the previous inhabitants was at the same time an indisputable parallelism of interests. Inasmuch as divergence and harmony intertwined inextricably with each other at this point, the content of the former developed itself actually as the germ of later community. This form-type realized itself most gen- erally in the enslavement of the captured enemy, in place of his destruction. In this slavery resides, to be sure, in countless instances, the marginal case of that absolute hostility of temper the occasion for which, however, brings about a sociological relation, and therewith frequently enough its own ameliora- tion. The sharpening of the antithesis can, therefore, be directly provoked for the sake of its own removal. This not merely as heroic treatment, in confidence that the antagonism beyond a certain degree will be modified either by exhaustion or by insight into its foolishness ; but in monarchies sometimes a prince is given to the opposition as a leader. For example, this was done by Gustav Vasa. The opposition is strengthened thereby indeed ; this new center of gravity attracts elements which would other- wise have held themselves apart; at the same time, however, the opposition is by this very means held in certain check. While the government apparently gives the opposition inten- tional reinforcement, the force of the opposition is, nevertheless, by this means, actually broken.

Another marginal case appears to be given when the conflict is stimulated exclusively by love of fighting. The moment any stimulus prompts the struggle a desire to possess or to control, some contempt or revenge limitations arise not only from the object itself, or from the condition that is to be attained, to im- press upon the struggle common norms or reciprocal restrictions; but this struggle, in which the stake is something exterior to