Звездный десант
Chapter 8
Idon’teverexpecttobehauledupinfrontofajudgeandsentencedtoaflogging;youbehaveyourselfandsuchthingsdon’thappen.Idon’tseeanythingwrongwithoursystem;it’salotbetterthannotbeingabletowalkoutdoorsforfearofyourlife—why,that’shorrible!"
"Iagree.Younglady,thetragicwrongnessofwhatthosewell-meaningpeopledid,contrastedwithwhattheythoughttheyweredoing,goesverydeep.Theyhadnoscientifictheoryofmorals.Theydidhaveatheoryofmoralsandtheytriedtolivebyit(Ishouldnothavesneeredattheirmotives)buttheirtheorywaswrong—halfofitfuzzy-headedwishfulthinking,halfofitrationalizedcharlatanry.Themoreearnesttheywere,thefartheritledthemastray.Yousee,theyassumedthatManhasamoralinstinct."
"Sir?ButIthought—Buthedoes!Ihave."
"No,mydear,youhaveacultivatedconscience,amostcarefullytrainedone.Manhasnomoralinstinct.Heisnotbornwithmoralsense.Youwerenotbornwithit,Iwasnot—andapuppyhasnone.Weacquiremoralsense,whenwedo,throughtraining,experience,andhardsweatofthemind.Theseunfortunatejuvenilecriminalswerebornwithnone,evenasyouandI,andtheyhadnochancetoacquireany;theirexperiencesdidnotpermitit.Whatis‘moralsense’?Itisanelaborationoftheinstincttosurvive.Theinstincttosurviveishumannatureitself,andeveryaspectofourpersonalitiesderivesfromit.
