The great difficulty is that if we are our own, then our moral horizons cannot be given, only chosen. And that means that the only assurance we can ever have that we are living morally must come from within ourselves. No one can absolve you or pardon you. As we’ll see in the next chapter, the best other people can do is offer their opinion. Similarly, no one has the right or ability to tell you what your life means, why it matters, or what your purpose is. Of course, a lot of people have suggestions. They may even be quite forceful in persuading you to devote your life to the environment or to
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