The manifestations, such as lying, stealing and killing, that are virtues for animals are punishable offences for human beings
1563. But because the terrestrial human being is thus on its way away from the animal principles and conditions regarding the drive for self-preservation, it cannot "help itself" to whatever it likes, which means, "steal", like the "animal" does. It must not "lie" or "cheat" either, whereas the animal, on the contrary, is sometimes simply born to deceive its surroundings with its appearance. What do we make of a chameleon that assumes the changing colours of its surroundings? And what do we make of "stick insects" and the like? Unlike the animal, the terrestrial human being must not kill those fellow beings who are its competitors or rivals. For this reason "prisons" and "jails" have been established. These phenomena are thus measures that are used in the service of the transformation that turns "animals" into "human beings". People are "punished" if they use animal principles, principles that for animals are the very height of virtue.
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