Memoirs of Bertha von Suttner: The Records of an Eventful Life (Vol. 2 of 2)Suttner, Bertha von
History
Memoirs of Bertha von Suttner: The Records of an Eventful Life (Vol. 2 of 2)
Suttner, Bertha von
Peace; Suttner, Bertha von, 1843-1914; Women -- Austria -- Biography
The difference between us bad professors and you, Baroness, is this,
that we are stating facts,—among them the _fact_ of the “Two Kinds of
Morals,”—while you are preaching to the world how it ought to be. I
always listen to your preaching with great pleasure. I should have no
objection, on the contrary I should be very happy, if the world would
change in accordance with your ideas. Only I am afraid that it does
not depend on the world to slough off its skin, and that your
moralizing is in reality a complaint lodged against the dear God in
heaven, who made the world as it is. Yes, if you could stir him to
bring out his work in a second revised edition, that would be really a
success!
By all means believe that if the world will only “have the will,” then
everything will come out all right! Because of taking that very
standpoint my son is in prison in Plötzensee. He, too, could not
comprehend that the State is so “unmoral” as to let the unemployed go
hungry while it has control of bread and nourishment in ample
sufficiency, this being in direct contravention of the commandment
about love for the neighbor. And so he went forth and gave the State a
castigation, calling it a “band of exploiters,” a “legally organized
horde of bandits.” From the standpoint of “the one and only morality”
he was perfectly right. Since he has been in prison I have refrained
from attacking this standpoint to his face. Why? Because this
enthusiasm for this “one and only morality,” the bringing about of
which he has been striving for, makes him happy and enables him easily
to endure all the trials and privations of his dungeon. And just for
the same reason I have no idea of attacking to your face the
standpoint which you accept; for in your endeavor to make this clear
to all the world you are certainly finding your greatest happiness.
How could I satisfy my conscience if I willingly disturbed your
happiness?
Go on your way, my dear Baroness, in peace; do not worry about the
Sigheles; do not read Gumplowicz’s “Conflict of the Races”; it might
cause you sad hours; and do remain always what you are,—the champion
of a beautiful idea! In order to fulfill that mission stick to the
persuasion that this idea is the truth, the sole and only truth. And
of this belief may no professorial chatter ever rob you!
With this wish, I remain with the sincerest respect
Your most faithful
Gumplowicz
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account