Evening star., 1928-02-10

| Whatever Is right springs from one
of four sources, Cicero tells us In his
essay on Duties" either from wisdom
| justice, fortitude or temperance.
| 1T consists either in the perception
| of and skillful treatment of truth: ol
In maintaining good fellowship witt
men. giving to every one his due. anc
keeping faith In contracts and prom
ises: or In the greatness and strength
OF lofty and uncOnquered MIND. or II
| the order and measure that constitute
moderation and temperance" he de-
| clares. defining his sources.
SO, kind readers. we may all line our
selves up according to the Ciceroniar
ethics These did not differ very much
from the moral precepts of Chris
tianity. One OF the most striking
Emergencies occurs In the following;
THE first demand OF justice Is that
no one do harm to another unless pro-
voked by injury" This, OF course. Is
plainly counter to the teaching ol
Christ. but there are thousands OF
Christians in the world today who ac'
upon IL. nevertheless. SO 1T may be
said that Cicero knew human nature
very well.
He who has ambitions to be an hon
orable man owes a duty to others. 100
our Roman points out. This would be
called social service In our modern
Technology.
although Chrcmes. in Terence
plav. thinks nothing human indifferent
to him, yet because we perceive ano
feel the things prosperous and ad-
verse. which happen to ourselves more
keenlv than those that happen to
others. which we see. as 1t were. at
great distance, we decide concerning
them otherwise than we should con-
cerning ourselves In like case. There
fore those give good counsel who forbid
onr doing that as to the equity OF
which we have any doubt. For equity
Is self-eyident: doubt implies a suS-
picion of wrong" 49,,
What Cicero is getting at" as the
bovs say in school, Is that the nuitiai
conscience Of decent man or woman
knows almost instinctively when thine
is right. He may not always be SO sure
as TO whether proposed actloh
wrong. but as to the correctness OF
good action, seldom Is there any doup'
IN his mind.
Thus from the depths Of the centuries.
comes the echo of advice from one oi
the greatest of the ancients. a man IKE
unto ourselves in all ways, heroic IN
some ways. fallible In others. suggesting
to lis 10 have the courage OF our OWL
convictions, and to act, when a gooo
thought comes into our mind, not 10 DC
deferred from doing good because OF
| bashfulness, or what others may say.
X II ~
Although Cicero. In opening ms
treatise. declares that duty Is ditiicu.'
to define. he does define the term later
In the following words -.
Every purpose ought to be Tree allKe
| from rashness and from negligence. nof
ought anything to be done for which a
reason worthy OF approval cannot DC
given This. indeed, Is almost "a COM
plcte definition of duty"
The mind is thus given an important
place in the daily life OF human being
Upon this idea the education OF civilized
persons has rested solidly for 20 CEN
turies. Only in the last 10 years has a
different idea seemed to creep. at times,
into the educational fabric:
Cicero gives various stories OF Roman
chicanery. adding: "Shrewdness ike thls
Is TO be Stunned in transactions OF every
kind"
Wars, he said. are to be waged "in or
der to render it possible to live In peace
| without injury" This was the famous
'pcace OF the Romans" based solidly
upon the might of the Roman sword
Victory once gained, he continues
| those are TO be spared who have not
been cruel and inhuman In war
Cicero had embracing views OF human
duty. Since we pass our lives. not