Man is only a reed,the weakest in nature; but he is a thinking reed.There is no need for the whole universe to take up arms to crush him:a vapor,a drop of water is enough to kill him.But even if the universe were to crush him,man would still be nobler than his slayer,because he knows that he is dying and the advantage the universe has over him.The universe knows nothing of this.All our dignity consists,then,in thought.By it we must elevate ourselves,and not by space and time which we cannot fill.Let us endeavour,then,to think well; this is the principle of morality.