236 The Morality of Nature 



ally, by self-governing people. Therefore, the right rests 

 in certain functions of the individual, as distinguished from 

 certain other functions, but barring the motives which w^ould 

 permit the power reposed in him to be exercised by others, 

 he is free to perpetrate right or wrong, good or evil, in 

 truth or error, according to his own wisdom. His position 

 in this responsibility is clearly one in which his success de- 

 pends upon his fitness for it, which implies familiarity with 

 its conditions. When his responsible position has been 

 created by himself or by his forefathers, he has in his ex- 

 perience and heredity and education the needed understand- 

 ing of it. But when it has been imposed upon him ; or even 

 procured for him, without the previous creation of a legiti- 

 mate desire of his own for it, there is in the privilege only a 

 possibility ; an experimental opportunity to do good, without 

 any natural probability. 



The benefits of political liberty then depend upon right 

 perceptions and conduct by the individual, looking toward 

 his own self-preservation and happiness, with altruistic re- 

 gard for all humanity so far as that regard is acceptable. 

 Thus democracy, the most recently evolved system of or- 

 ganized human conduct, is seen in all parts returning upon 

 the responsibility of the individual, and deriving authority 

 from individual wisdom. 



This system, like all others, is subject to change and is 

 in fact tolerant of co-existent systems having parallel author- 

 ity. It is not conceivable that a system which imposes upon 

 its wisest members the duty of regard for others, would de- 

 bar them finally from accepting wisdom of any other source 

 from which it might appear. The attitude of altruistic 



