For the nature of a man—through heredity—is to love life. No man destroys himself without a cause. He may go mad, he may be in great grief, he may be disappointed, jealous, angry. But there is always a cause when a man takes his own life. And, be the cause what it may, it belongs to environment. So that a man cannot even take his own life until heredity and environment cause him to do it.
But there is a second argument, to the effect that if we believe ourselves to be creatures of heredity and environment we shall cease to make any effort to be good, or to be better than we are.
Those who use such an argument do not understand the nature and power of environment. Environment is powerful for good as well as for evil.
Well. We have seen that it is impossible for us to cease to act. Now we are told that we shall cease to act well.
But our acting well or ill depends upon the nature of our heredity and environment.
If our heredity be good, and if our environment be good, we must act well: we cannot help it.
If our heredity be bad, and if our environment be bad, we must act ill: we cannot help it.
"What? Do you mean to say I cannot be good if I try?"
Is it not evident that you must have some good in you if you wish to try? That good is put there by heredity and environment.
"But even a bad man sometimes tries to be good."