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TRAGMENTS OF A PRISONER'S DIARY
demn the conquest of one people by another, nevertheless prove the greatness of their forefathers on the strength of their over-scas dominions. Stealing being a modest form of conquest, is, of course, an act of violence, but precisely for that very rcason, it is creditable and a matter of pride. If everybody had the moral courage to steal, there would be no thief in the world.
To return to the point. If I act under the first impulsc, that is, under the law of my being, I am usually successful in satisfying my hunger. The inference is that to act so represents a correct judgment of the situation. I might act differently, solicit the owner's permission. The first difficulty is the inability of man to understand mc. As soon as I say: “Mew Mew", he drives me away without any consideration of what I might want. He does not stop to think that an animal also becomes hungry and must satisfy it by hook or crook. He also acts under impulse; but his impulse is not natural like mine. It is conditioned. He acts automatically to defend his bowl of milk against depredation. He was not born with the bowl of milk. It is not a part of his physical being as hunger, or desire, if you likc, is mine. Hunger or desire is God-given. If you are religious, or believe in the teleological view of the world, you cannot deny this without contradicting your faith or philosophy. Any physical impulse is God. given. Property, on the contrary, is acquired by
