I don’t know how Napoleon differentiates between rights and interests. Don’t they overlap because it’s in a person’s interest to protect their rights? That said protecting your rights often involves risk, and while protecting your interests sometimes does, it seems that fighting for your interests will see some sort of reward or profit, while fighting for your rights is fighting for principles and dignity, so while you will still have your pride you may not have much else.
The inverse of this statement is sometimes true when applied to other people, since we sometimes fight for the rights of others but seldom do what is in their best interest when it conflicts with our own.
Napoleon’s statement depicts humans as selfish, which I don’t disagree with, but it’s an interesting type of selfishness. Could it be said that fighting for your rights is also selfish, because it is often in the interest of oneself?
I don’t have much to say in response to this. I don’t find it that interesting of a dichotomy because of its lack of specificity. It sounds like something someone says just to sound thoughtful and profound. I wonder if when this was said he knew it would be remembered. It certainly sounds like that’s what he wanted.
This type of cynicism is bothersome to me, but I’m not sure why because I’m cynical about most things. I’m even cynical about his motivation when saying this, since I just accused him of saying it just to say something that sounded a certain way.
I wonder if Napoleon took issue with this statement of fact, if he would rather live in a world of men who fought harder for their rights, or if he liked things this way because it makes people easier to herd. You can pander to their interests more easily than you can uphold their rights.
MT
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