Studies in conduct . f useducation and tradition and surrounding examplemake it morally impossible that we should bedeceived by them. It is perhaps startling to re-flect how many people are honest, say, not on firstprinciples, but simply through the influence oftradition. They have never gone further or deeperthan the tradition, and have scarcely thought aboutthe principles at all. The same may be said abouta good many other virtues of old and establishedrepute. And so, at a crisis in his life, a mamsconduct is vastly influenced by the general viewsentertained about similarly critical juncture
Studies in conduct . f useducation and tradition and surrounding examplemake it morally impossible that we should bedeceived by them. It is perhaps startling to re-flect how many people are honest, say, not on firstprinciples, but simply through the influence oftradition. They have never gone further or deeperthan the tradition, and have scarcely thought aboutthe principles at all. The same may be said abouta good many other virtues of old and establishedrepute. And so, at a crisis in his life, a mamsconduct is vastly influenced by the general viewsentertained about similarly critical junctures inthe case of other people. Julius Caesar crossedthe Rubicon dramatically and heroically, but hissoldiers crossed it like sheep. And this is thestyle in which the majority of us perform the samemomentous exploit. We put confidence in Caesar,or Mrs. Grundy, or whoever may be our favouriteleader, and plunge in without much thought,whether it is a Rubicon or a duckpond that lies infront of us. XIII. UNFAIR VEUY limited observation of the waysof the world is enough to show onehow the tremendous struggle for so-cial existence and supremacy is apt,in all but exceptionally generous natures, to deve-lop a certain meanness towards competitors. Thestruggle is so severe, and the powers and merits ofthe rivals are commonly so very nearly equal inthe balance, that the slightest favouring circum-stance is eagerly seized, without a too careful scru-tiny of the fairness or worthiness of taking suchan advantage. Nobody can be blamed for doinghis best to get on in the world; in other words, toprocure as much of reputation and wealth andpower, and all the other pleasant and desirablethings of the world, as he honestly can. It wouldbe a serious misfortune if men with superior powers 122 Studies in Conduct. were to give up using them, in order that theirpre-eminence might cease to hurt the feelings ofweaker brethren. Neither Christian charity norany other admitted virtue entails upon
Size: 1499px × 1667px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookpu, booksubjectconductoflife
