The man of the world, the happy man, who because of an offensive word or a slight matter throws away the life that has come to him from God, or who throws away the life of his fellow man, a life that belongs to God alone, is a hundred times guiltier than the wretch who, compelled by greed or sometimes by necessity, goes into someone’s home to steal what he covets and kills those who stand in his way. The latter is almost always an uneducated man with only imperfect notions of good and evil, whereas the dueler almost always belongs to  the more educated class. One kills brutally, the other with method and politeness, which makes society excuse him. I would even add that the dueler is infinitely guiltier than the wretch who yields to a sentiment of revenge and kills in a moment of exasperation. The dueler cannot use a fit of passion as an excuse,  because between the offense and the reparation, there is always time to reflect. Hence, he acts coldly and with premeditation; everything is calculated and studied in order to slay his adversary more surely. It is true that he also endangers his own life, and this is what justifies the duel in the eyes of the world, because it is seen as an act of courage and a disdain for one’s own life; however, is there true courage when one is sure of himself? The duel – a remnant of barbaric times, in which “might makes right” was the law – will disappear with a saner appreciation of the true point of honor, and to the degree that people put a more ardent faith in the future life.

Augustin (Bordeaux, 1861)