concerning civil government-第13节

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probably　be　much　better　on　a　throne；　where　perhaps　learning　and

religion　shall　be　found　out　to　justify　all　that　he　shall　do　to　his

subjects；　and　the　sword　presently　silence　all　those　that　dare　question

it。　For　what　the　protection　of　absolute　monarchy　is；　what　kind　of

fathers　of　their　countries　it　makes　princes　to　be；　and　to　what　a

degree　of　happiness　and　security　it　carries　civil　society；　where

this　sort　of　government　is　grown　to　perfection；　he　that　will　look　into

the　late　relation　of　Ceylon　may　easily　see。

　　93。　In　absolute　monarchies；　indeed；　as　well　as　other　governments

of　the　world；　the　subjects　have　an　appeal　to　the　law；　and　judges　to

decide　any　controversies；　and　restrain　any　violence　that　may　happen

betwixt　the　subjects　themselves；　one　amongst　another。　This　every　one

thinks　necessary；　and　believes；　he　deserves　to　be　thought　a　declared

enemy　to　society　and　mankind　who　should　go　about　to　take　it　away。

But　whether　this　be　from　a　true　love　of　mankind　and　society；　and

such　a　charity　as　we　owe　all　one　to　another；　there　is　reason　to　doubt。

For　this　is　no　more　than　what　every　man；　who　loves　his　own　power；

profit；　or　greatness；　may；　and　naturally　must　do；　keep　those　animals

from　hurting　or　destroying　one　another　who　labour　and　drudge　only

for　his　pleasure　and　advantage；　and　so　are　taken　care　of；　not　out　of

any　love　the　master　has　for　them；　but　love　of　himself；　and　the

profit　they　bring　him。　For　if　it　be　asked　what　security；　what　fence　is

there　in　such　a　state　against　the　violence　and　oppression　of　this

absolute　ruler；　the　very　question　can　scarce　be　borne。　They　are

ready　to　tell　you　that　it　deserves　death　only　to　ask　after　safety。

Betwixt　subject　and　subject；　they　will　grant；　there　must　be

measures；　laws；　and　judges　for　their　mutual　peace　and　security。　But　as

for　the　ruler；　he　ought　to　be　absolute；　and　is　above　all　such

circumstances；　because　he　has　a　power　to　do　more　hurt　and　wrong；　it　is

right　when　he　does　it。　To　ask　how　you　may　be　guarded　from　or　injury　on

that　side；　where　the　strongest　hand　is　to　do　it；　is　presently　the

voice　of　faction　and　rebellion。　As　if　when　men；　quitting　the　state

of　Nature；　entered　into　society；　they　agreed　that　all　of　them　but

one　should　be　under　the　restraint　of　laws；　but　that　he　should　still

retain　all　the　liberty　of　the　state　of　Nature；　increased　with　power；

and　made　licentious　by　impunity。　This　is　to　think　that　men　are　so

foolish　that　they　take　care　to　avoid　what　mischiefs　may　be　done　them

by　polecats　or　foxes；　but　are　content；　nay；　think　it　safety；　to　be

devoured　by　lions。

　　94。　But；　whatever　flatterers　may　talk　to　amuse　people's

understandings；　it　never　hinders　men　from　feeling；　and　when　they

perceive　that　any　man；　in　what　station　soever；　is　out　of　the　bounds　of

the　civil　society　they　are　of；　and　that　they　have　no　appeal；　on　earth；

against　any　harm　they　may　receive　from　him；　they　are　apt　to　think

themselves　in　the　state　of　Nature；　in　respect　of　him　whom　they　find　to

be　so；　and　to　take　care；　as　soon　as　they　can；　to　have　that　safety

and　security；　in　civil　society；　for　which　it　was　first　instituted；　and

for　which　only　they　entered　into　it。　And　therefore；　though　perhaps

at　first；　as　shall　be　showed　more　at　large　hereafter；　in　the　following

part　of　this　discourse；　some　one　good　and　excellent　man　having　got　a

pre…eminency　amongst　the　rest；　had　this　deference　paid　to　his　goodness

and　virtue；　as　to　a　kind　of　natural　authority；　that　the　chief　rule；

with　arbitration　of　their　differences；　by　a　tacit　consent　devolved

into　his　hands；　without　any　other　caution　but　the　assurance　they　had

of　his　uprightness　and　wisdom；　yet　when　time　giving　authority；　and；　as

some　men　would　persuade　us；　sacredness　to　customs；　which　the　negligent

and　unforeseeing　innocence　of　the　first　ages　began；　had　brought　in

successors　of　another　stamp；　the　people　finding　their　properties　not

secure　under　the　government　as　then　it　was*　（whereas　government　has　no

other　end　but　the　preservation　of　property）；　could　never　be　safe；

nor　at　rest；　nor　think　themselves　in　civil　society；　till　the

legislative　was　so　placed　in　collective　bodies　of　men；　call　them

senate；　parliament；　or　what　you　please；　by　which　means　every　single

person　became　subject　equally　with　other　the　meanest　men；　to　those

laws；　which　he　himself；　as　part　of　the　legislative；　had　established；

nor　could　any　one；　by　his　own　authority；　avoid　the　force　of　the　law；

when　once　made；　nor　by　any　pretence　of　superiority　plead　exemption；

thereby　to　license　his　own；　or　the　miscarriages　of　any　of　his

dependants。　No　man　in　civil　society　can　be　exempted　from　the　laws　of

it。　For　if　any　man　may　do　what　he　thinks　fit　and　there　be　no　appeal　on

earth　for　redress　or　security　against　any　harm　he　shall　do；　I　ask

whether　he　be　not　perfectly　still　in　the　state　of　Nature；　and　so　can

be　no　part　or　member　of　that　civil　society；　unless　any　one　will　say

the　state　of　Nature　and　civil　society　are　one　and　the　same　thing；

which　I　have　never　yet　found　any　one　so　great　a　patron　of　anarchy　as

to　affirm。*（2）



　　*　〃At　the　first；　when　some　certain　kind　of　regimen　was　once

appointed；　it　may　be　that　nothing　was　then　further　thought　upon　for

the　manner　of　governing；　but　all　permitted　unto　their　wisdom　and

discretion　which　were　to　rule　till；　by　experience；　they　found　this　for

all　parts　very　inconvenient；　so　as　the　thing　which　they　had　devised

for　a　remedy　did　indeed　but　increase　the　sore　which　it　should　have

cured。　They　saw　that　to　live　by　one　man's　will　became　the　cause　of　all

men's　misery。　This　constrained　them　to　come　unto　laws　wherein　all

men　might　see　their　duty　beforehand；　and　know　the　penalties　of

transgressing　them。〃　Hooker；　Eccl。　Pol。　i。　10。

　　*（2）　〃Civil　law；　being　the　act　of　the　whole　body　politic；　doth

therefore　overrule　each　several　part　of　the　same　body。〃　Hooker；　ibid。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　VIII

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Of　the　Beginning　of　Political　Societies



　　95。　MEN　being；　as　has　been　said；　by　nature　all　free；　equal；　and

independent；　no　one　can　be　put　out　of　this　estate　and　subjected　to　the

political　power　of　another　without　his　own　consent；　which　is　done　by

agreeing　with　other　men；　to　join　and　unite　into　a　community　for

their　comfortable；　safe；　and　peaceable　living；　one　amongst　another；　in

a　secure　enjoyment　of　their　properties；　and　a　greater　security　against

any　that　are　not　of　it。　This　any　number　of　men　may　do；　because　it

injures　not　the　freedom　of　the　rest；　they　are　left；　as　they　were；　in

the　liberty　of　the　state　of　Nature。　When　any　number　of　men　have　so

consented　to　make　one　community　or　government；　they　are　thereby

presently　incorporated；　and　make　one　body　politic；　wherein　the

majority　have　a　right　to　act　and　conclude　the　rest。

　　96。　For；　when　any　number　of　men　have；　by　the　consent　of　every

individual；　made　a　community；　they　have　thereby　made　that　community

one　body；　with　a　power　to　act　as　one　body；　which　is　only　by　the　will

and　determination　of　the　majority。　For　that　which　acts　any

community；　being　only　the　consent　of　the　individuals　of　it；　and　it

being　one　body；　must　move　one　way；　it　is　necessary　the　body　should

move　that　way　whither　the　greater　force　carries　it；　which　is　the

consent　of　the　majority；　or　else　it　is　impossible　it　should　act　or

continue　one　body；　one　community；　which　the　consent　of　every

individual　that　united　into　it　agreed　that　it　should；　and　so　every　one

is　bound　by　that　consent　to　be　concluded　by　the　majority。　And

therefore　we　see　that　in　assemblies　empowered　to　act　by　positive

laws　where　no　number　is　set　by　that　positive　law　which　empowers

them；　the　act　of　the　majority　passes　for　the　act　of　the　whole；　and

of　course　determines　as　having；　by　the　law　of　Nature　and　reason；　the

power　of　the　whole。

　　97。　And　thus　every　man；　by　consenting　with　others　to　make　one　body

politic　under　one　government；　puts　himself　under　an　obligation　to

every　one　of　that　society　to　submit　to　the　determination　of　the

majority；　and　to　be　concluded　by　it；　or　else　this　original　compact；

whereby　he　with　others　incorporates　into　one　society；　would　signify

nothing；　and　be　no　compact　if　he　be　left　free　and　under　no　other

ties　than　he　was　in　before　in　the　state　of　Nature。　For　what　appearance

would　there　be　of　any　compact？　What　new　engagement　if　he　were　no

farther　tied　by　any　decrees　of　the　society　than　he　himself　thought　fit

and　did　actually　consent　to？　This　would　be　still　as　great　a　liberty　as

he　himself　had　before　his　compact；　or　any　one　else　in　the　state　of

Nature；　who　may　submit　himself　and　consent　to　any　acts　of　it　if　he

thinks　fit。

　　98。　For　if　the　consent　of　the　majority　shall　not　in　reason　be

received　as　the　act　of　the　whole；　and　conclude　every　individual；

nothing　but　the　consent　of　every　individual　can　make　anything　to　be

the　act　of　the　whole；　which；　considering　the　infirmities　of　health　and

avocations　of　business；　which　in　a　number　though　much　less　than　that

of　a　commonwealth；　will　necessarily　keep　many　away　from　the　public

assembly；　and　the　variety　of　opinions　and　contrariety　of　interests

which　unavoidably　happen　in　all　collections　of　men；　it