"That is a convenient arrangement. Instinct then is the only foundation
for your duty, and the continuance of humanity is the only sanction of
your instinct. I will leave you to listen to your instinct, and
sympathize as much as you like, but for my part I joyfully renounce
this duty; the only punishment I should be afraid of is the destruction
of mankind, and that is not likely to happen in my lifetime."
"There is another punishment," said Mayboom solemnly, "that I take this
bottle of champagne away from you on account of--your bad behavior."
While he spoke he took away the bottle, and Barinskoi tried to get it
back again; a little struggle ensued. Dorfling put an end to it by an
emphatic "Please don't do that." Turning to Wilhelm he went on:
"I do not believe in your idea of duty; you place instinct at the
foundation. I use another word. I call your instinct the foreboding
that each has of its being, and its outflow toward the eternal
phenomenon of principle. At all events, that seems to suffice for a
foundation. But I conceive duty to be quite a different thing. You
limit your view to self-culture, and have love for your
fellow-creatures, but no desire to instruct them. Now, I think that
culture should begin with oneself, but end with others. That is my idea
of love for humanity. One need hardly go out of oneself to do this. One
can influence things remote without disturbing oneself. Just think of
the magnet; it is an immense source of influence, called example. It
sets an astonishing example without moving out of itself--an example
which cannot be overlooked, and powerfully affects the imagination."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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