s adore symbols, worshipping the symbol more than the principle it is supposedto set forth, is for the egoist but a rather inharmonious piece of patch-work; and anybody may walk on it or spit on it if theywill, without exciting his emotion any more than if it were a tarpaulin that they walked upon or .spat upon. The principles that itsymbolizes, he will maintain as far as it seems to his advantage to maintain them; but if the principles require him to kill people orbe killed himself, you will have to demonstrate to him just what benefit he will gain by killing or being killed, before you canpersuade him to uphold them.When the judge enters court in his toggery, (judges and ministers and professors know the value of toggery in impressing thepopulace) the egoist is unterrified. He has not even any respect for "The Law." If the law happens to be to his advantage, hewill avail himself of it; if it invades his liberty he will transgress it as far as he thinks it wise to do so. But he has no regard for itas a thing supernal. It is to him the clumsy creation of them who still "sit in darkness."Nor does he bow the knee to Morality - Sacred Morality! Some of its precepts he may accept, if he chooses to do so; but youcannot scare him off by telling him it is not "right." He usually prefers not to kill or steal; but if he must kill or steal to savehimself, he will do it with a good heart, and without any qualms of "conscience." And "morality" will never persuade him toinjure others when it is of no advantage to himself. He will not be found among a band of "white caps," flogging and burningpoor devils, because their actions do not conform to the dictates of "morality," though they have injured none by such actions;nor will he have any hand in persecuting helpless girls, and throwing them out into the street, when he has received no ill at theirhands.To his friends - to those who deserve the truth from him, - he will tell the truth; but you cannot ...
