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102 PROBLEMS CONFRONTING RUSSIA
person, even the most ignorant and foolish, to express his
lack of esteem for us, and lo, our reputation for honour is
gone if we do not repair it by a duel. The conduct of a man
may be good and honourable, his conscience may be clean
and his intelligence great, but all that cannot save him from
losing his " honour" if another man, who perhaps has not
infringed the point d’honneur, but is in other respects a scamp,
a gambler, and altogether good for nothing, chooses to
belittle him in the eyes of his fellow-men. If such a man
insults him, the insult is taken as true and well founded
until it is washed out in blood. In short, the offended is
supposed to be what he was called by the offender if he has
not challenged him to a combat by duel. The men of
" honour " will despise him, ostentatiously avoid his society,
and so forth. " Duelling," says Schopenhauer, " tends to
place might for right. It is an easy matter for people with
limited intelligences to appeal to a decision by arms each
time they find themselves losers in arguments. If, for
instance, clever Cajus debates with stupid Sempronius on a
scientific question, and Cajus by better judgment and sounder
logic proves to be the superior debater, causing Sempronius
to appear in the public eye as the losing party, the latter
needs only to become rude and offensive, and the legitimate
and indubitable triumph of Cajus is annihilated if he does not
answer the rudeness of Sempronius by greater rudeness.
Sempronius, by these means, is in the eyes of the men of
’ honour ’ the victor. Truth, knowledge, intelligence, wit,
are of no avail. Rudeness beats them all. But if Cajus
answers with greater rudeness, a duel becomes inevitable,
and should Sempronius happen to be the better shot, he will
have it all his own way, and will be admired for his ’ victory ’
by the men of ’ honour.’ "
The best way of dealing with the duel is to recognise the
necessity for resorting to arbitration in affairs touching
honour if the parties do not like to appeal to the law. This
principle has already been introduced in Russia and other
countries by special regulations, and there is every reason
to believe that it will be further developed, especially if
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