Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1905-02-16
CHAPTER v.
SIMPLE DUTY.


subject that HnnUyS them
WV they call our attention To
some pigeon on the roof Civ
ing food to its little one or some
COachman down in the street who is
abusing his horse Sometimes they
even muliciOusly propose one Of those
alarming questions that put the minds
Of parents on the rack: all this to Iii.
vert attention from the distressing
topic. | fear that in the face of duty
we are big children. ami when that is
the theme seek subtcrfugrS to distract
us
The first sophiSm consists in asking
ourselves IL there is such thing as
duty in the abstract. or il this word
does not cover one of thU numerous IL
lusionS Of our forefathcrs: for duly.
in truth, SuppuScS liberty. and the qucs.
ton Of liberty leads rs into mctsphyS-
les. How can we talk Of liberty 80
long as this grave problem Of free will
is not solved? Theoretically there is
no objection 70 This. aud il life were Il
theory and we were here to work out
Il complete system Of the universe it
would be absurd to concern ourselves
with duty until we had clarified the
subject Of liberty. determined its con.
ditluns. fixed its limits.
Eut life is not q theory. In this qucs,
ton of practical morality, as in the
others. life has preceded hypothesis
and there is no room 10 believe that
she ever yields it place. This liberty
relative. ! admit. like everything we
are acquainted with, for that matter
this duty whose existence we question
is none the less the basis of all the
judgments We pass upon ourselves and
our fellow men. We hold each other
10 Il certain extent responsible for on
deeds and exploits.
The most ardent theOrlst, once out
side of his theory. Scrupics not Il whit
TO approve or diSapprovc the acts OF
others, to take measures against his
enemies, 10 appeal TO The generosity
aud justice Of those he would dissuadC
from IN unworthy step. one can nc
more rid himself of the notion Of NOR
al obligation than of that of time OF
space. and as surely as we must re
sign ourselves 10 walking before We
know how To define this space through
which we move and this time thai
measures our movements, so surely
must we submit to moral obligation be
fore having put our finger on its deeI
| hidden roots. Moral law dominates
man whether he respects or defes it
| See how il is in everyday life-cacl
! one is ready to cast his stone ut hin
| who neglectS Il plain duty even if ht
/ allege that he has not yet arrived a
| philOsophiC gertrude. Everybody vii
| say to him, and with excellent reason
"Sir, we are men before everything
First play your part, do your duty Al
citizen, father, son. After that yOl
| shall return to the course of your med
itations."
However, let US be well understood
| We should not wish to turn any on,
away from scrupulOus research int,
the foundations of morality. ~
thought which leads men to concern
themselves once more with these gTaY
questions could be useless or indif'er
ent. We simply challenge the thinke
to find n way to wait till he has III
earthed these foundations before n
does an act Of humanity, of honest.
or dishonesty, OF valOr or cowardice
And most of all do we wish To formu
late reply for all the insmcere VIII
have never tried to philosOplLzc and 70
ourselves when we would offer on
state Of philosophic doubt in justifca
ton Of our practical omissions. FroI
the simple fact that we are men, bC
fore all theorizing, positive or negative
about duty, we have the peremptor!
law to conduct ourselves like men
There is no getting out Of it.
But he little knows the resources o
the human heart who counts on tn
| effect Of such reply. II matters no
that it Is itself unnnswcmble. II can
| not keep other questions from arising
The sum of our prereXts for eyudin
duty Is equal 10 che sum Of the sand
Of the sen or the stars OF heaven.
We take refuge. then, behind dut.
that IS obscure, difficult, contradictory
And these are certainly words to cal
up painful memories. To be a man o