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VALIDITY IN NATURE
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goodwill as Cicero indicated. Diversity in nature is reflected in differences between individuals. Its unity is reflected in the fact that man's basic ends or needs are universally the same.
The oneness of nature has as its counterpart the oneness of mankind. Man is in essence of the universal and by accident of the particular. Nature acts as a unit, a totality. Man is a part of nature. If man acts in accord with nature, he will seek unity with his fellowmen as his inclusive end or goal. Thus the good for man is that which unites ; evil is that which divides. Love or non-violence unites on the one hand, and hate or violence divides men on the other.
The third characteristic of nature which has nonviolence as its implication is the cause-effect relationship. It is this which gives reality its unity. In the physical world every action brings about an equivalent reaction. This is the principle of equivalence. For every thing that happens there is a cause ; every cause produces an equivalent effect. Causality is the law of human conduct as well as natural events. Every human action bears fruit in this life or the next. Further, the nature of the action determines the nature of the re-action. Actions evoke similar re-actions. This is the law of identity. Every action has consequence, and the kind of consequences is determined by the nature of the action. As you do, so it is done unto you. Every person is accountable for his actions. No one is exempt from the law of cause and effect. While one cannot stop the seeds of past action from bearing fruit, one can determine what seeds he will plant now.
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