of the origin of government-第1章

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Of　the　Origin　of　Government

by　David　Hume




　　　　Man　born　in　a　family；　is　compelled　to　maintain　society；　from
necessity；　from　natural　inclination；　and　from　habit。　The　same
creature；　in　his　farther　progress；　is　engaged　to　establish
political　society；　in　order　to　administer　justice；　without　which
there　can　be　no　peace　among　them；　nor　safety；　nor　mutual
intercourse。　We　are；　therefore；　to　look　upon　all　the　vast
apparatus　of　our　government；　as　having　ultimately　no　other　object
or　purpose　but　the　distribution　of　justice；　or；　in　other　words；
the　support　of　the　twelve　judges。　Kings　and　parliaments；　fleets
and　armies；　officers　of　the　court　and　revenue；　ambassadors；
ministers；　and　privy…counsellors；　are　all　subordinate　in　their
end　to　this　part　of　administration。　Even　the　clergy；　as　their
duty　leads　them　to　inculcate　morality；　may　justly　be　thought；　so
far　as　regards　this　world；　to　have　no　other　useful　object　of
their　institution。
　　　　All　men　are　sensible　of　the　necessity　of　justice　to　maintain
peace　and　order；　and　all　men　are　sensible　of　the　necessity　of
peace　and　order　for　the　maintenance　of　society。　Yet；
notwithstanding　this　strong　and　obvious　necessity；　such　is　the
frailty　or　perverseness　of　our　nature！　it　is　impossible　to　keep
men；　faithfully　and　unerringly；　in　the　paths　of　justice。　Some
extraordinary　circumstances　may　happen；　in　which　a　man　finds　his
interests　to　be　more　promoted　by　fraud　or　rapine；　than　hurt　by
the　breach　which　his　injustice　makes　in　the　social　union。　But
much　more　frequently；　he　is　seduced　from　his　great　and　important；
but　distant　interests；　by　the　allurement　of　present；　though　often
very　frivolous　temptations。　This　great　weakness　is　incurable　in
human　nature。
　　　　Men　must；　therefore；　endeavour　to　palliate　what　they　cannot
cure。　They　must　institute　some　persons；　under　the　appellation　of
magistrates；　whose　peculiar　office　it　is；　to　point　out　the
decrees　of　equity；　to　punish　transgressors；　to　correct　fraud　and
violence；　and　to　oblige　men；　however　reluctant；　to　consult　their
own　real　and　permanent　interests。　In　a　word；　OBEDIENCE　is　a　new
duty　which　must　be　invented　to　support　that　of　JUSTICE；　and　the
tyes　of　equity　must　be　corroborated　by　those　of　allegiance。
　　　　But　still；　viewing　matters　in　an　abstract　light；　it　may　be
thought；　that　nothing　is　gained　by　this　alliance；　and　that　the
factitious　duty　of　obedience；　from　its　very　nature；　lays　as
feeble　a　hold　of　the　human　mind；　as　the　primitive　and　natural
duty　of　justice。　Peculiar　interests　and　present　temptations　may
overcome　the　one　as　well　as　the　other。　They　are　equally　exposed
to　the　same　inconvenience。　And　the　man；　who　is　inclined　to　be　a
bad　neighbour；　must　be　led　by　the　same　motives；　well　or　ill
understood；　to　be　a　bad　citizen　and　subject。　Not　to　mention；　that
the　magistrate　himself　may　often　be　negligent；　or　partial；　or
unjust　in　his　administration。
　　　　Experience；　however；　proves；　that　there　is　a　great　difference
between　the　cases。　Order　in　society；　we　find；　is　much　better
maintained　by　means　of　government；　and　our　duty　to　the　magistrate
is　more　strictly　guarded　by　the　principles　of　human　nature；　than
our　duty　to　our　fellow…citizens。　The　love　of　dominion　is　so
strong　in　the　breast　of　man；　that　many；　not　only　submit　to；　but
court　all　the　dangers；　and　fatigues；　and　cares　of　government；　and
men；　once　raised　to　that　station；　though　often　led　astray　by
private　passions；　find；　in　ordinary　cases；　a　visible　interest　in
the　impartial　administration　of　justice。　The　persons；　who　first
attain　this　distinction　by　the　consent；　tacit　or　express；　of　the
people；　must　be　endowed　with　superior　personal　qualities　of
valour；　force；　integrity；　or　prudence；　which　command　respect　and
confidence：　and　after　government　is　established；　a　regard　to
birth；　rank；　and　station　has　a　mighty　influence　over　men；　and
enforces　the　decrees　of　the　magistrate。　The　prince　or　leader
exclaims　against　every　disorder；　which　disturbs　his　society。　He
summons　all　his　partizans　and　all　men　of　probity　to　aid　him　in
correcting　and　redressing　it：　and　he　is　readily　followed　by　all
indifferent　persons　in　the　execution　of　his　office。　He　soon
acquires　the　power　of　rewarding　these　services；　and　in　the
progress　of　society；　he　establishes　subordinate　ministers　and
often　a　military　force；　who　find　an　immediate　and　a　visible
interest；　in　supporting　his　authority。　Habit　soon　consolidates
what　other　principles　of　human　nature　had　imperfectly　founded；
and　men；　once　accustomed　to　obedience；　never　think　of　departing
from　that　path；　in　which　they　and　their　ancestors　have　constantly
trod；　and　to　which　they　are　confined　by　so　many　urgent　and
visible　motives。
　　　　But　though　this　progress　of　human　affairs　may　appear　certain
and　inevitable；　and　though　the　support　which　allegiance　brings　to
justice；　be　founded　on　obvious　principles　of　human　nature；　it
cannot　be　expected　that　men　should　beforehand　be　able　to　discover
them；　or　foresee　their　operation。　Government　commences　more
casually　and　more　imperfectly。　It　is　probable；　that　the　first
ascendant　of　one　man　over　multitudes　begun　during　a　state　of　war；
where　the　superiority　of　courage　and　of　genius　discovers　itself
most　visibly；　where　unanimity　and　concert　are　most　requisite；　and
where　the　pernicious　effects　of　disorder　are　most　sensibly　felt。
The　long　continuance　of　that　state；　an　incident　common　among
savage　tribes；　enured　the　people　to　submission；　and　if　the
chieftain　possessed　as　much　equity　as　prudence　and　valour；　he
became；　even　during　peace；　the　arbiter　of　all　differences；　and
could　gradually；　by　a　mixture　of　force　and　consent；　establish　his
authority。　The　benefit　sensibly　felt　from　his　influence；　made　it
be　cherished　by　the　people；　at　least　by　the　peaceable　and　well
disposed　among　them；　and　if　his　son　enjoyed　the　same　good
qualities；　government　advanced　the　sooner　to　maturity　and
perfection；　but　was　still　in　a　feeble　state；　till　the　farther
progress　of　improvement　procured　the　magistrate　a　revenue；　and
enabled　him　to　bestow　rewards　on　the　several　instruments　of　his
administration；　and　to　inflict　punishments　on　the　refractory　and
disobedient。　Before　that　period；　each　exertion　of　his　influence
must　have　been　particular；　and　founded　on　the　peculiar
circumstances　of　the　case。　After　it；　submission　was　no　longer　a
matter　of　choice　in　the　bulk　of　the　community；　but　was　rigorously
exacted　by　the　authority　of　the　supreme　magistrate。
　　　　In　all　governments；　there　is　a　perpetual　intestine　struggle；
open　or　secret；　between　AUTHORITY　and　LIBERTY；　and　neither　of
them　can　ever　absolutely　prevail　in　the　contest。　A　great
sacrifice　of　liberty　must　necessarily　be　made　in　every
government；　yet　even　the　authority；　which　confines　liberty；　can
never；　and　perhaps　ought　never；　in　any　constitution；　to　become
quite　entire　and　uncontroulable。　The　sultan　is　master　of　the　life
and　fortune　of　any　individual；　but　will　not　be　permitted　to
impose　new　taxes　on　his　subjects：　a　French　monarch　can　impose
taxes　at　pleasure；　but　would　find　it　dangerous　to　attempt　the
lives　and　fortunes　of　individuals。　Religion　also；　in　most
countries；　is　commonly　found　to　be　a　very　intractable　principle；
and　other　principles　or　prejudices　frequently　resist　all　the
authority　of　the　civil　magistrate；　whose　power；　being　founded　on
opinion；　can　never　subvert　other　opinions；　equally　rooted　with
that　of　his　title　to　dominion。　The　government；　which；　in　common
appellation；　receives　the　appellation　of　free；　is　that　which
admits　of　a　partition　of　power　among　several　members；　whose
united　authority　is　no　less；　or　is　commonly　greater　than　that　of
any　monarch；　but　who；　in　the　usual　course　of　administration；　must
act　by　general　and　equal　laws；　that　are　previously　known　to　all
the　members　and　to　all　their　subjects。　In　this　sense；　it　must　be
owned；　that　liberty　is　the　perfection　of　civil　society；　but　still
authority　must　be　acknowledged　essential　to　its　very　existence：
and　in　those　contests；　which　so　often　take　place　between　the　one
and　the　other；　the　latter　may；　on　that　account；　challenge　the
preference。　Unless　perhaps　one　may　say　（and　it　may　be　said　with
some　reason）　that　a　circumstance；　which　is　essential　to　th