पृष्ठ 317 / 734

The answer to the second of the two questions indicated above,

"whether it is possible for a man to deal unjustly by himself,"

is obvious from what has been already stated.

In the first place, one class of Justs is those which are

enforced by law in accordance with Virtue in the most extensive

sense of the term: for instance, the law does not bid a man kill

himself; and whatever it does not bid it forbids: well, whenever

a man does hurt contrary to the law (unless by way of requital of

hurt), voluntarily, i.e. knowing to whom he does it and

wherewith, he acts Unjustly. Now he that from rage kills himself,

voluntarily, does this in contravention of Right Reason, which

the law does not permit. He therefore acts Unjustly: but towards

whom? towards the Community, not towards himself (because he

suffers with his own consent, and no man can be Unjustly dealt

with with his own consent), and on this principle the Community

punishes him; that is a certain infamy is attached to the suicide

as to one who acts Unjustly towards the Community.