Gambling or, Fortuna, her Temple and Shrine: The True Philosophy and Ethics of Gambling

A traveler once sought to explore an unknown country. Compass he had not, and both chart and guide were wanting. In the distance a mountain loomed above the plain. To its summit our traveler made his way. From thence he beheld the region stretching away in all directions. The land he would traverse the eye could now sweep from center to circumference. It was not possible to know the landscape in detail, but the relative proportions, distances and boundaries were unfolded at his feet. So, when properly conceived, with the introduction to a book. A perspective of the topic is conducive to a better understanding of its scope and purpose. My object is to sustain the following propositions:

First.—Men have gambled in all ages of the world. That they will continue to do so is a reasonable presumption. To gamble would seem instinctive—inherent in the souls of mankind and fostered by the very nature of their environment. History reveals that all alike are possessed by this subtle passion—male and female, young and old, good and bad, wise and unwise, rich and poor, the exalted and the lowly. In every century may be seen a motley throng kneeling in devotion at the feet of Fortuna. Eagerly about her shrine press the mighty concourse of emperors, kings, chieftains, statesmen, ecclesiastics, savants, philosophers, poets, soldiers and the wayfaring. Now and ever will mankind court the mysterious and uncertain.

Second.—To define a wager is to defy intolerance of opinion. Truth is not absolute but relative. It is not to be established ex cathedra. Moralists are not in a position to denounce gambling per se. They are not yet agreed upon the unconditioned principles of right and wrong. Before it can speak with authority, moral philosophy must find an ultimate, self-evident and irrefragable foundation. That it is essentially criminal or necessarily vicious to invoke a chance has never been demonstrated. To live is to gamble. We all wager in one way or another. Luck is appealed to in every department of human activity. Everywhere uncertainty is the rule and certainty the exception. In the business world vast realms are specifically founded upon the doctrine of chances. If absolutely wrong, then gambling should be discountenanced in all persons under every circumstance. In whatever guise it should be condemned as a principle. Until this has been done society is not in a position to punish in one person what it permits or commends in another. In its treatment of gambling the law is now inconsistent, unjust and hypocritical.