Page 23 - Ferry Tales

Milton

the consequences of different courses of action. True, humans can
act and react in the same way as animals, but that is not all they can
do. They can do things much better and much worse, in terms of
relating to the world, than any animal. Cruelty and greed, both
harmful behaviors, are purely human. You may find altruism and
compassion randomly among animals, but never enlightened self-
interest. As the poet reminds all who will listen,

The goods you get by doing well
Are not the kind you buy and sell;
By wealth alone no one can tell
You’ll not be going straight to Hell.

You have nothing but a deception or delusion—depending on
whether you have tried to convince others or only yourself of its
truth—to shield you from judgement. Every selfish, spiteful,
destructive action you took on your way up the ladder has been
recorded. The rung you reached before falling into the Court of the
Devil is of no importance.”
She won’t grant a word of what I’m saying. “No,” she insists. “If I
am something other than an animal, then I am a superior animal. No
higher power can presume to judge a force of nature. Is the weather
punished, when it destroys thousands of people in an hour? Wild
beasts or viruses, for attacking human beings? I cannot be held
responsible for following my inherent competitive instincts.”
“Then you deny your humanity. No matter how bestial you
become, you’ll have a hard time denying your birth species. I cannot
begin to imagine the humiliations to which you are about to be
subjected, as well as any well-earned physical pain. Here we are at the
far shore: see how fast our conversation made the journey go?
Pleased to be of service. Now, hop it.”
Ah, well: the bigger they are, the harder they fall. I’m glad to see
that you’ve calmed down. I’ll leave you to digging up old bones and
sniffing at brimstone—I’d better get back across the river to intercept
that discarnate character staggering toward the landing.

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