Book 9

           1.Injusticeisakindofblasphemy.Naturedesignedrationalbeingsforeachother’ssake:tohelp—notharm—oneanother,astheydeserve.Totransgressitswill,then,istoblasphemeagainsttheoldestofthegods.

           Andtolieistoblasphemeagainstittoo.Because"nature"meansthenatureofthatwhichis.Andthatwhichisandthatwhichisthecasearecloselylinked,sothatnatureissynonymouswithTruth—thesourceofalltruethings.Toliedeliberatelyistoblaspheme—theliarcommitsdeceit,andthusinjustice.Andlikewisetoliewithoutrealizingit.Becausetheinvoluntaryliardisruptstheharmonyofnature—itsorder.Heisinconflictwiththewaytheworldisstructured.Asanyoneiswhodeviatestowardwhatisopposedtothetruth—evenagainsthiswill.Naturegavehimtheresourcestodistinguishbetweentrueandfalse.Andheneglectedthem,andnowcan’ttellthedifference.

           Andtopursuepleasureasgood,andfleefrompainasevil—thattooisblasphemous.Someonewhodoesthatisboundtofindhimselfconstantlyreproachingnature—complainingthatitdoesn’ttreatthegoodandbadastheydeserve,butoftenletsthebadenjoypleasureandthethingsthatproduceit,andmakesthegoodsufferpain,andthethingsthatproducepain.Andmoreover,tofearpainistofearsomethingthat’sboundtohappen,theworldbeingwhatitis—andthatagainisblasphemy.