CHAPTERIX
INhumanaffairseverythinghappensbychance——thatis，indefianceofhumanideas，andwithoutanydirectionofanintelligence。Amanbathesinapool，acrocodileseizesandlacerateshisflesh。Ifanyonemaintainsthatanintelligencedirectedthatcruelty，Icanonlyreplythathismindisunderanillusion。Amaniscaughtbyarevolvingshaftandtorntopieces，limbfromlimb。Thereisnodirectingintelligenceinhumanaffairs，noprotection，andnoassistance。Thosewhoactuprightlyarenotrewarded，buttheyandtheirchildrenoftenwanderintheutmostindigence。Thosewhodoevilarenotalwayspunished，butfrequentlyflourishandhavehappychildren。Rewardsandpunishmentsarepurelyhumaninstitutions，andifgovernmentberelaxedtheyentirelydisappear。Nointelligencewhateverinterferesinhumanaffairs。Thereisamostsenselessbeliefnowprevalentthateffort，andwork，andcleverness，perseveranceandindustry，areinvariablysuccessful。Werethisthecase，everymanwouldenjoyacompetence，atleast，andbefreefromthecaresofmoney。Thisisanillusionalmostequaltothesuperstitionofadirectingintelligence，whicheveryfactandeveryconsiderationdisproves。
HowcanIadequatelyexpressmycontemptfortheassertionthatallthingsoccurforthebest，forawiseandbeneficentend，andareorderedbyahumaneintelligence!Itisthemostutterfalsehoodandacrimeagainstthehumanrace。EveninmybrieftimeIhavebeencontemporarywitheventsofthemosthorriblecharacter；aswhenthemothersintheBalkanscasttheirownchildrenfromthetraintoparishinthesnow；aswhenthePrincessAlicefoundered，andsixhundredhumanbeingsweresmotheredinfoulwater；aswhenthehecatomboftwothousandmaidenswereburnedinthechurchatSantiago；aswhenthemiserablecreaturestoreatthewallsoftheViennatheatre。Consideronlythefateswhichovertakethelittlechildren。Humansufferingissogreat，soendless，soawfulthatIcanhardlywriteofit。I
couldnotgointohospitalsandfaceit，assomedo，lestmymindshouldbetemporarilyovercome。Thewholeandtheworsttheworstpessimistcansayisfarbeneaththeleastparticleofthetruth，soimmenseisthemiseryofman。Itisthedutyofallrationalbeingstoacknowledgethetruth。Thereisnottheleasttraceofdirectingintelligenceinhumanaffairs。Thisisafoundationofhope，because，ifthepresentconditionofthingswereorderedbyasuperiorpower，therewouldbenopossibilityofimprovingitforthebetterinthespiteofthatpower。Acknowledgingthatnosuchdirectionexists，allthingsbecomeatonceplastictoourwill。
ThecreditgivenbytheunthinkingtothestatementthatallaffairsaredirectedhasbeenthebaneoftheworldsincethedaysoftheEgyptianpapyriandtheoriginofsuperstition。Solongasmenfirmlybelievethateverythingisfixedforthem，solongisprogressimpossible。Ifyouargueyourselfintothebeliefthatyoucannotwalktoaplace，youcannotwalkthere。