“Well, but suppose two men love the same girl?”
“Then one sacrifices his happiness to the happiness of the other.”
“But supposing she loves one of them?”
“Then the one whom she loves least sacrifices his feelings for the sake of her happiness.”
“Well, supposing she loves both, and both sacrifice themselves, whom would she take?”
“In that case the elders would decide the matter, and advise in such a way that the greatest happiness would come to all, with the greatest amount of love.”
“But it can’t be done in such a way; and the reason is because it is contrary to human nature.”
“Contrary to human nature! What is the nature of man? Man, besides being an animal, is a man, and it is true that such a relation to a woman is not consonant with man’s animal nature, but is consonant with his rational nature. And when he employs his reason in the service of his animal nature, he does worse than a beast—he descends to violence, to incest—a level to which no brute ever sinks. But when he employs his rational nature to the suppression of the animal, when the animal nature serves, then only he attains the well-being which satisfies him.”