a theologico-political treatise [part iv]-第2节

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（16：19）　It　follows　from　what　we　have　said　that　the　right　and　ordinance　of



nature；　under　which　all　men　are　born；　and　under　which　they　mostly　live；　only



prohibits　such　things　as　no　one　desires；　and　no　one　can　attain：　it　does　not



forbid　strife；　nor　hatred；　nor　anger；　nor　deceit；　nor；　indeed；　any　of



the　means　suggested　by　desire。







（16：20）　This　we　need　not　wonder　at；　for　nature　is　not　bounded　by　the　laws　of



human　reason；　which　aims　only　at　man's　true　benefit　and　preservation；　her



limits　are　infinitely　wider；　and　have　reference　to　the　eternal　order　of



nature；　wherein　man　is　but　a　speck；　it　is　by　the　necessity　of　this　alone



that　all　individuals　are　conditioned　for　living　and　acting　in　a　particular



way。　（21）　If　anything；　therefore；　in　nature　seems　to　us　ridiculous；　absurd；



or　evil；　it　is　because　we　only　know　in　part；　and　are　almost　entirely



ignorant　of　the　order　and　interdependence　of　nature　as　a　whole；　and　also



because　we　want　everything　to　be　arranged　according　to　the　dictates　of　our



human　reason；　in　reality　that　which　reason　considers　evil；　is　not　evil　in



respect　to　the　order　and　laws　of　nature　as　a　whole；　but　only　in　respect　to



the　laws　of　our　reason。







（16：22）　Nevertheless；　no　one　can　doubt　that　it　is　much　better　for　us　to　live



according　to　the　laws　and　assured　dictates　of　reason；　for；　as　we　said；　they



have　men's　true　good　for　their　object。　（23）　Moreover；　everyone　wishes　to



live　as　far　as　possible　securely　beyond　the　reach　of　fear；　and　this　would　be



quite　impossible　so　long　as　everyone　did　everything　he　liked；　and　reason's



claim　was　lowered　to　a　par　with　those　of　hatred　and　anger；　there　is　no　one



who　is　not　ill　at　ease　in　the　midst　of　enmity；　hatred；　anger；　and　deceit；



and　who　does　not　seek　to　avoid　them　as　much　as　he　can。　＇16：3＇　（24）　When　we



reflect　that　men　without　mutual　help；　or　the　aid　of　reason；　must　needs　live



most　miserably；　as　we　clearly　proved　in　Chap。　V。；　we　shall　plainly　see　that



men　must　necessarily　come　to　an　agreement　to　live　together　as　securely　and



well　as　possible　if　they　are　to　enjoy　as　a　whole　the　rights　which　naturally



belong　to　them　as　individuals；　and　their　life　should　be　no　more　conditioned



by　the　force　and　desire　of　individuals；　but　by　the　power　and　will　of　the



whole　body。　（25）　This　end　they　will　be　unable　to　attain　if　desire　be



their　only　guide　（for　by　the　laws　of　desire　each　man　is　drawn　in　a　different



direction）；　they　must；　therefore；　most　firmly　decree　and　establish　that　they



will　be　guided　in　everything　by　reason　（which　nobody　will　dare　openly　to



repudiate　lest　he　should　be　taken　for　a　madman）；　and　will　restrain　any



desire　which　is　injurious　to　a　man's　fellows；　that　they　will　do　to　all　as



they　would　be　done　by；　and　that　they　will　defend　their　neighbour's　rights　as



their　own。







（16：26）　How　such　a　compact　as　this　should　be　entered　into；　how　ratified　and



established；　we　will　now　inquire。







（27）　Now　it　is　a　universal　law　of　human　nature　that　no　one　ever　neglects



anything　which　he　judges　to　be　good；　except　with　the　hope　of　gaining　a



greater　good；　or　from　the　fear　of　a　greater　evil；　nor　does　anyone　endure　an



evil　except　for　the　sake　of　avoiding　a　greater　evil；　or　gaining　a　greater



good。　（28）　That　is；　everyone　will；　of　two　goods；　choose　that　which　he　thinks



the　greatest；　and；　of　two　evils；　that　which　he　thinks　the　least。　（29）　I　say



advisedly　that　which　he　thinks　the　greatest　or　the　least；　for　it　does　not



necessarily　follow　that　he　judges　right。　（30）　This　law　is　so　deeply



implanted　in　the　human　mind　that　it　ought　to　be　counted　among　eternal　truths



and　axioms。







（16：31）　As　a　necessary　consequence　of　the　principle　just　enunciated；　no　one



can　honestly　promise　to　forego　the　right　which　he　has　over　all　things



＇Endnote　26＇；　and　in　general　no　one　will　abide　by　his　promises；　unless　under



the　fear　of　a　greater　evil；　or　the　hope　of　a　greater　good。　（32）　An　example



will　make　the　matter　clearer。　（33）　Suppose　that　a　robber　forces　me　to



promise　that　I　will　give　him　my　goods　at　his　will　and　pleasure。　（34）　It　is



plain　（inasmuch　as　my　natural　right　is；　as　I　have　shown；　co…extensive　with



my　power）　that　if　I　can　free　myself　from　this　robber　by　stratagem；　by



assenting　to　his　demands；　I　have　the　natural　right　to　do　so；　and　to　pretend



to　accept　his　conditions。　（35）　Or　again；　suppose　I　have　genuinely　promised



someone　that　for　the　space　of　twenty　days　I　will　not　taste　food　or　any



nourishment；　and　suppose　I　afterwards　find　that　was　foolish；　and　cannot　be



kept　without　very　great　injury　to　myself；　as　I　am　bound　by　natural　law　and



right　to　choose　the　least　of　two　evils；　I　have　complete　right　to　break　my



compact；　and　act　as　if　my　promise　had　never　been　uttered。　（36）　I　say　that　I



should　have　perfect　natural　right　to　do　so；　whether　I　was　actuated　by　true



and　evident　reason；　or　whether　I　was　actuated　by　mere　opinion　in　thinking　I



had　promised　rashly；　whether　my　reasons　were　true　or　false；　I　should　be　in



fear　of　a　greater　evil；　which；　by　the　ordinance　of　nature；　I　should　strive



to　avoid　by　every　means　in　my　power。







（16：37）　We　may；　therefore；　conclude　that　a　compact　is　only　made　valid　by　its



utility；　without　which　it　becomes　null　and　void。　（38）　It　is；　therefore；



foolish　to　ask　a　man　to　keep　his　faith　with　us　for　ever；　unless　we　also



endeavour　that　the　violation　of　the　compact　we　enter　into　shall　involve　for



the　violator　more　harm　than　good。　（39）　This　consideration　should　have　very



great　weight　in　forming　a　state。　（40）　However；　if　all　men　could　be　easily



led　by　reason　alone；　and　could　recognize　what　is　best　and　most　useful　for　a



state；　there　would　be　no　one　who　would　not　forswear　deceit；　for　everyone



would　keep　most　religiously　to　their　compact　in　their　desire　for　the　chief



good；　namely；　the　shield　and　buckler　of　the　commonwealth。　（41）　However；　it



is　far　from　being　the　case　that　all　men　can　always　be　easily　led　by　reason



alone；　everyone　is　drawn　away　by　his　pleasure；　while　avarice；　ambition；



envy；　hatred；　and　the　like　so　engross　the　mind　that；　reason　has　no　place



therein。　（42）　Hence；　though　men　make　…　promises　with　all　the　appearances　of



good　faith；　and　agree　that　they　will　keep　to　their　engagement；　no　one　can



absolutely　rely　on　another　man's　promise　unless　there　is　something　behind



it。　（43）　Everyone　has　by　nature　a　right　to　act　deceitfully。　and　to　break　his



compacts；　unless　he　be　restrained　by　the　hope　of　some　greater　good；　or　the



fear　of　some　greater　evil。







（16：44）　However；　as　we　have　shown　that　the　natural　right　of　the　individual



is　only　limited　by　his　power；　it　is　clear　that　by　transferring；　either



willingly　or　under　compulsion；　this　power　into　the　hands　of　another；　he　in



so　doing　necessarily　cedes　also　a　part　of　his　right；　and　further；　that　the



Sovereign　right　over　all　men　belongs　to　him　who　has　sovereign　power；



wherewith　he　can　compel　men　by　force；　or　restrain　them　by　threats　of　the



universally　feared　punishment　of　death；　such　sovereign　right　he　will



retain　only　so　long　as　he　can　maintain　his　power　of　enforcing　his　will；



otherwise　he　will　totter　on　his　throne；　and　no　one　who　is　stronger　than　he



will　be　bound　unwillingly　to　obey　him。







（16：45）　In　this　manner　a　society　can　be　formed　without　any　violation　of



natural　right；　and　the　covenant　can　always　be　strictly　kept　…　that　is；　if



each　individual　hands　over　the　whole　of　his　power　to　the　body　politic；　the



latter　will　then　possess　sovereign　natural　right　over　all　things；　that　is；



it　will　have　sole　and　unquestioned　dominion；　and　everyone　will　be　bound　to



obey；　under　pain　of　the　severest　punishment。　（46）　A　body　politic　of　this



kind　is　called　a　Democracy；　which　may　be　defined　as　a　society　which　wields



all　its　power　as　a　whole。　（47）　The　sovereign　power　is　not　restrained　by　any



laws；　but　everyone　is　bound　to　obey　it　in　all　things；　such　is　the　state　of



things　implied　when　men　either　tacitly　or　expressly　handed　over　to　it　all



their　power　of　self…defence；　or　in　other　words；　all　their　right。　（48）　For　if



they　had　wished　to　retain　any　right　for　themselves；　they　ought　to　have　taken



precautions　for　its　defence　and　preservation；　as　they　have　not　done　so；



and　indeed　could　not　have　done　so　without　dividing　and　consequently　ruining



the　state；　they　placed　themselves　absolutely　at　the　mercy　of　the　sovereign



power；　and；　therefore；　having　acted　（as　we　have　shown）　as　reason　and



necessity　demanded；　they　are　obliged　to　fulfil　the　commands　of　the　sovereign



power；　however　absurd　these　may　be；　else　they　will　be　public　enemies；　and



will　act　against　reason；　which　urges　the　preservation　of　the　state　as　a



primary　duty。　（49）　For　reason　bids　us　choose　the　least　of　two　evils。







（16：50）　Furthermore；　this　danger　of　submitting　absolutely　to　the　dominion



and　will　of　another；　is　one　which　may　be　incurred　wit