The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-06-05
isy EMILE FAGUET.
Member Of the French Academy.

pA EahI n A<1AA~AA ~s~~~Ss
Before begin lis article II Will Be
necessary 10 say few words about
eudemonic moral and eudemonic pleas.
For sorue time both have bean
enjoying considerable popularity. They
may he considered as a beiated renais-
sancee of the antique epieurtsIn Epi-
cure and his disciples considered that
the geal towards Which every man
ought to strive, the only thing man
had to live for. was happiness. lie
added. however. that happiness was
to he found only In virtue, which car
ries us back to the doctrine that You
must do your duty for the pleasure
which il affords you. In doing thts,
his disciples oheyed the strange fasci-
nation. this form of superstitious ter
ror which moral inspires. Moral, AZ
Sietzsche wittily expresses 1t, Is the
"cirse of the philosophers. Moral in.
timidates or it arouses enthusiasm. AZ
ntimidates in SO far that, no matter
from what principles he starts, the
philosopher never dares to end in bow
Ing to 1t and he carefully arranges his
submission in advance. 1t arouses en-
thusiasm in this that no matter from
what principles the philosopher starts,
he wants to end by posing az god
or AT least as an apostle.
What a philosopher fears more than
anything in this world, is that some
one may arise to prove that his doc
trine leads to immoral conclusions, anu
what ne breads almost as much is that
someone may arise to prove that an.
other philosopher leads to conclusions
more moral than his own. 1t is thus
that all philosopher. have constructed
/ their building under the influence OF
moral hypnotzed by moral. ana
I Nietzsche, whom this seems to amuse
SO very much, does exactly the same
as the others, Philosophy is tho
travelling of the spirit III search Of
| knowledge. exceedingly varied travels
| which all end in stoicism.
Nobody more than the Epicureans
have submitted to this fascination.
| More Independent. some modern
| thinkers. especially the iterateurs the
piaywrghts. the novelists who must
try To please their male and female
readers. have put up the doctrine OF
the right of happiness and the duty
Of happiness. This is the title of a
chapter by John Lubbock. the most
moral of all philosophers in the world,
by the way; ii is the title Of a chap
ter by Madame Ellen Key. II is the
title OF a philosophical novel by Leon
/ Hendrix. In this philosophy man
ys7ust ssIgTr towards Individual s@ppS-
ness and aeed not think OF saer!he-
| ing himself for the general happiness.
/. Altrutsln- g an error~ and egotisln- a
duty What YOU first OF all must obey
is the categorical commands OF the ego
1t Is The duty of ever>*0eing TO 'live his
own life,' a very happy expression. as
ii indicates plainly that we should not
under the pretext of towing them OF
of helping them live the lives Of
! others" Examples given by ~ Elley
Key an artist has married a sim
pie minded woman. but later he meets
another woman who, being exceedingly
! intelligent and artistic herself. might
i inspire him instead of holding hin,
! back. Then he must leave his first
wife and follow the other woman,
woman has made a mistake marrying
man she did not realli. love, then
II on her way she meets The Grea,
Love" 1t IL her duty 10 seize this
promise. This certainty Of happiness.
Ellen Key has given the definite for
rnula of her philosophy In this maxim.
Humanity needs not only men ready IL
sacrifice their lives for an idea. but
also men Who have courage enough to
sacrifice others to their conception OF
duty" And the city is to be happy.
This philosophy which you might call
eudemonsnn. in its radical form has
this element of justice in Ii, that one
must not suppress egotism altogether, |
because this would mean to suppress
self. IL goes a little too far however. |
] think. in the glorfhcation of tho |
self saving as it does: BE God unto |
yourself"
We have seen that animals practice |
a part OF the moral OF the struggle |
against the self and part of the social |
moral Iou may say that there IS
nothing to Indicate that We should fol- /
low The example Of the animals. and |
that our superiority over them Is per-
haps Just this, that anSpasslonate I
and social moral is destined for the |
animals and immortality for men This
may be maintained. but still we must I
remember that man lives In society /
and by this very fact he Is obliged to ,
show4a certain minimum Of aitruisln. |
Ellen Keys human being is an angei, |
The angel of egotism and the earth is |
nor vet fit place for that sort OF !
angels,
The criminal in our poor human |
society Is iusf ''the man who has couf-
age enough to sacrifice others to his 7
own conception OF duty, We cali (
him criminal because he ulr0asses
Us. know this. but though