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MORAL_CHOICE

                               Mon May 31 2004 
                                              
From ANNA_KARENINA:
                                                 
   Oblonsky's tendency and opinions                                          
   were not his by deliberate                                                
   choice: they came of themselves,                                          
   just as he did not choose the            He soon felt that the realization 
   fashion of his hats or coats but         of his longing gave him only one 
   wore those of the current style.         grain of the mountain of bliss he 
                                            had anticipated.  That realization 
            -- part I ch III, p. 6          showed him the eternal error men 
                                            make by imagining that happiness 
                                            consists in the gratification of 
                                            their wishes. 
Oblonsky, speaking to Levin: 
                                            Soon he felt rising in his soul 
'Well, you see _you_ are very               a desire for desires -- 
consistent,' said Oblonsky.                 boredom. Involuntarily he began 
'It is both a virtue and a                  to snatch at every passing 
fault in you. You have a                    caprice, mistaking it for a 
consistent character yourself               desire and a purpose. 
and you wish all the facts of 
life to be consistent, but                         -- pIV, ch XIII, p. 422 
they never are.  For instance                         (about Vronsky) 
you despise public service 
because you want work always 
to correspond to its aims, and   
that never happens.  You also         Vronsky was particularly fortunate 
want the activity of each             in that he had a code of rules     
separate man to have an aim,          which clearly defined what should  
and love and family life              and should not be done.  This code 
always to coincide -- and that        covered a very small circle of     
doesn't happen either.  All           conditions, but it was             
the variety, charm and beauty         unquestionable, and Vronsky, never 
of life are made up of light          going beyond that circle, never for
and shade.'                           a moment hesitated to do what had  
                                      to be done.  The code categorically
     -- part I, ch XII, p. 39         determined that though the         
                                      card-sharper must be paid, the     
                                      tailor need not be; that one may   
                                      not lie to a man, but might to a   
                                      woman; that one must not deceive   
                                      anyone, except a husband; that one 
                                      must not forgive an insult but may 
                                      insult others, and so on. These    
                                      rules might be irrational and bad  
                                      but they were absolute, and in     
                                      complying with them Vronsky felt at
                                      ease and could carry his head high.
                                                                         
                                                     -- pIII, ch XX, p. 278

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