CHAPTER TWO—THE LAWS OF MAN
COMMON law and common usage all the world over hold men answerable for their acts, and blame or punish them when those acts transgress the laws of custom.
Human law, like the divine law, is based upon the false idea that men know what is right and what is wrong, and have power to choose the right.
Human law, like divine law, classifies men as good and bad, and punishes them for doing "wrong."
But men should not be classified as good and bad, but as fortunate and unfortunate, as weak and strong.
And the unfortunate and weak should not be blamed, but pitied; should not be punished but helped.
The just and wise course is to look upon all wrong-doers as we look upon the ignorant, the diseased, the insane, and the deformed.
Many of our wrong-doers are ignorant, or diseased, or insane, or mentally deformed. But there are some who are base or savage by nature. These should be regarded as we regard base or savage animals: as creatures of a lower order, dangerous, but not deserving blame nor hatred. And this is the sound view, as I shall show, because these unhappy creatures are nearer to our brutish ancestors than other men, the ancient strain of man's bestial origin cropping out in them through no fault of their own.
Religion says man is the product of God; science says he is the product of "heredity" and "environment." The difference does not matter much to my case. The point is that man does not create himself, and so is not to blame for his nature, and, therefore, is not to blame for his acts.