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Hobbes tells us that war consists not in Battle only, but in that tract of time wherein the Will to Battle is so manifest that, scenting bloodlust in his fellows and himself, Man can no longer trust civilization’s pledge to keep the peace.
“I, Vivien Ancelet, hereby undertake upon my human dignity that I will execute with faith and vigor the office of President of the Humanist Hive.”
Hence the honest and necessary plea: terra ignota. I did the deed, but I do not myself know whether it was a crime.
All the land’s horses and all the land’s men
lines which, try as I might, I can neither unread nor refute: “Hobbes says that neither passion nor action may be called a sin until they know some law that forbids them, and that, where there are no man-made laws, the immutable and eternal Laws of Nature and Reason state that all men must and may, by whatever means we can, defend ourselves.” I shivered, finding myself stared at. “Such a Law of Nature could not convict O.S. Can Romanova?”
Even standing on the same floor as his guests and guards, so imperious was Caesar’s stance that my mind insists he held a scepter in his hand, though I believe it was, in fact, an apple.
April the twelfth is a High Holiday, the highest, Yuri’s Night, the day mankind first broke Earth’s eggshell and touched our rightful Space—a day for hope, for thanks, for recommitment to the Great Project.
“‘Collected Laws of the Universal Free Alliance,’” he read aloud. “‘Section One: the Universal Human Law Code. No Law or Right may be justly called Universal which is in any way relative, debatable, dispensable, or based on any belief or custom whose universality is not proved by those guides of Reason and Necessity which are truly unchanging in all generations of the human race. “‘Authorities, which have many names, among them Government, State, and Hive, are created by a compact of members desiring to be governed by common law and defended by common force. Each such Authority has just scope
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“‘Likewise it lies not within the just scope of such an Authority to use its force against any person who is not its subject, unless that person has violated one of its subjects. Further, when the subject of one Authority violates the subject of another, the Necessity of Peace demands that the Authority governing the victim not use its force against the violator without first laboring in good faith to reach a compromise of punishment and action acceptable to both Authorities. “‘It is therefore concluded that no such Authority may justly be the source of any Universal Law. “And yet, because it
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“‘Paragraph five: And yet, because it lies within the power of a human being to inflict such damage upon the human race as to compromise its future, and to inflict such damage upon Nature as to endanger all present and future life, and to inflict such damage upon the Produce of Civilization as to undo the life’s labors of past and present generations, and to commit intolerable crimes which so outrage the common conscience of humankind that they cannot be suffered, it is therefore necessary that certain Universal Laws bind all human beings to that necessary minimum of restrictions upon their
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“‘… it is therefore necessary that certain Universal Laws bind all human beings to that necessary minimum of restrictions upon their general license without which civilization and the species itself cannot endure. These Universal Laws being necessary it is also necessary that there exist an Authority capable of enforcing them.’
‘Therefore the Human Assembly, embodied in the Senate of the Universal Free Alliance, assembled in accordance with the Carlyle Compromise, proclaims this LIST OF UNIVERSAL LAWS, which represents the extreme minimum of restrictions which Reason and Experience prove necessary for the continued welfare of the human race. [Amendment of 11/12/2239: Except for the Eighth Law] all human beings are equally subject to these Universal Laws, and all Authorities established by the human species for its governance and protection are equally empowered to enforce them upon those who have chosen to subject
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“‘Whosoever should plan to violate one of these Universal Laws but does not attempt to carry out the act may not be prosecuted or punished in any way by the Universal Free Court, but the Court may take appropriate measures to prevent the execution of such a plan.’
“‘Whosoever, not being of sound and mature mind, should violate or attempt to violate one of these Universal Laws may not be punished in any way by the Universal Free Court, yet if said person is expected to commit more such actions, and if no other Authority takes action to prevent the commitment thereof, the Universal Free Court may take the minimum action necessary to prevent said actions, for the sake of all humanity. “‘As the Object of these Universal Laws is the continuance of human civilization, not any judicial agenda of correction, retribution, or moral enforcement, so the Spirit of
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In darker ages Justice stood alone before courthouses, but in Carlyle’s vision her sister Temperance stands to one side holding back her sword, while from the other side Reason lifts away her blindfold, so Justice can finally see the contents of her scales.
“‘The Code of Universal Laws, commonly known as Black Laws: “‘First Law: It is an intolerable crime to take an action likely to cause extensive or uncontrolled loss of human life or suffering of human beings. [Clarification by Senatorial Consult 2144–3: proselytizing outside Reservations violates this law.] “‘Second Law: It is an intolerable crime to do significant and measurable damage to Nature or the Produce of Civilization, or to take an action likely to result in extensive or uncontrolled destruction of the same. “‘Third Law: It is an intolerable crime to kill or seriously harm a Minor.
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Menestius: “What’s next, sir?” Achilles: “Next we build a training camp. You’re not an army yet.” Eudorus: “We’ve been training.” Achilles: “I’m about to punch you in the face.” Eudorus: “What?” Achilles: “You say you’ve been training. I’m about to punch you in the face. Block.” Eudorus: “Okay. Readyyykkhgghhhh!”
The child of such a pair should have ridden on sphinx-back across an Earth that did not deserve to touch his feet, while on his coat the avatars of human intellect should war like angels through the cityscape of man’s cyclopean unconscious. Instead he whined.
The pair have crossed swords, I suspect, or had sex. Or both. It can be difficult to tell the difference.
How many fewer—set-set and Servicer alike—might have died in Odessa if the Hives had shared the Blacklaw custom that one may not lynch anyone without first asking the best-informed person in town whether we’re being idiots?
The only other interruption worth mentioning was that Madame’s confessor, two hours into her recital, attempted to bludgeon her to death with a censer.
“Though my return here makes narrative sense, and narrative is a powerful force in the world, at least for me.”
«You know what isn’t funny, Mycroft? Declaring war on the whole world without warning anyone!» «I know.»
we both believe that humans can, with time and industry, do anything, but one thing humans can definitely do is throw old dreams away.
the breakfast-scented darkness of Papa’s uniform
As Machiavelli observed, Rome showed, tyrant after tyrant, how those reared in palatine luxury, expecting to be master of the world, basely abused the godlike authority that fell to them unearned, while those promoted through merit—Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius—made judicious use of the Imperium of which they considered themselves, not owners, but custodians. It is not power that corrupts, but the belief that it is yours.
This is not the moment to rashly reject the one institution which has done the most to protect the best age yet forged by humankind. It is the moment to use that institution as we forge a better one.”
