human
Well, I said,
gpt
Neighbour, he said,
human
Well?
gpt
This is the way to put it, said he:
human
We have been living for a hundred and fifty years, at least, more or less in our present manner, and a tradition or habit of life has been growing on us; and that habit has become a habit of acting on the whole for the best. It is easy for us to live without robbing each other. It would be possible for us to contend with and rob each other, but it would be harder for us than refraining from strife and robbery. That is in short the foundation of our life and our happiness.
gpt
Whereas in the old days, said I,
human
Yes, he said,
gpt
While they were alive?
human
No, said he,
gpt
But as to these days, I said;
human
Certainly not, said Hammond,
gpt
I see, said I;
human
How could we have them, said he,
gpt
I thought that I understood from something that fell from you a little while ago that you had abolished civil law. Is that so, literally?
human
It abolished itself, my friend, said he.
gpt
As I said before, the civil law-courts were upheld for the defence of private property; for nobody ever pretended that it was possible to make people act fairly to each other by means of brute force. Well, private property being abolished, all the laws and all the legal 'crimes' which it had manufactured of course came to an end. Thou shalt not steal, had to be translated into, Thou shalt work in order to live happily. Is there any need to enforce that commandment by violence?
human
Well, said I,