a theologico-political treatise [part iv]-第3章

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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　with　a　light　heart：　for　we



have　shown　that　sovereigns　only　possess　this　right　of　imposing　their　will；



so　long　as　they　have　the　full　power　to　enforce　it：　if　such　power　be　lost



their　right　to　command　is　lost　also；　or　lapses　to　those　who　have　assumed　it



and　can　keep　it。　（51）　Thus　it　is　very　rare　for　sovereigns　to　impose



thoroughly　irrational　commands；　for　they　are　bound　to　consult　their　own



interests；　and　retain　their　power　by　consulting　the　public　good　and



acting　according　to　the　dictates　of　reason；　as　Seneca　says；　〃violenta



imperia　nemo　continuit　diu。〃　（52）　No　one　can　long　retain　a　tyrant's　sway。







（16：53）　In　a　democracy；　irrational　commands　are　still　less　to　be　feared：　for



it　is　almost　impossible　that　the　majority　of　a　people；　especially　if　it　be　a



large　one；　should　agree　in　an　irrational　design：　and；　moreover；　the　basis



and　aim　of　a　democracy　is　to　avoid　the　desires　as　irrational；　and　to　bring



men　as　far　as　possible　under　the　control　of　reason；　so　that　they　may　live　in



peace　and　harmony：　if　this　basis　be　removed　the　whole　fabric　falls　to　ruin。







（16：54）　Such　being　the　ends　in　view　for　the　sovereign　power；　the　duty　of



subjects　is；　as　I　have　said；　to　obey　its　commands；　and　to　recognize　no　right



save　that　which　it　sanctions。







＇16：4＇　（55）　It　will；　perhaps；　be　thought　that　we　are　turning　subjects　into



slaves：　for　slaves　obey　commands　and　free　men　live　as　they　like；　but　this



idea　is　based　on　a　misconception；　for　the　true　slave　is　he　who　is　led　away



by　his　pleasures　and　can　neither　see　what　is　good　for　him　nor　act



accordingly：　he　alone　is　free　who　lives　with　free　consent　under　the　entire



guidance　of　reason。







（16：56）　Action　in　obedience　to　orders　does　take　away　freedom　in　a　certain



sense；　but　it　does　not；　therefore；　make　a　man　a　slave；　all　depends　on　the



object　of　the　action。　（57）　If　the　object　of　the　action　be　the　good　of　the



state；　and　not　the　good　of　the　agent；　the　latter　is　a　slave　and　does



himself　no　good：　but　in　a　state　or　kingdom　where　the　weal　of　the　whole



people；　and　not　that　of　the　ruler；　is　the　supreme　law；　obedience　to　the



sovereign　power　does　not　make　a　man　a　slave；　of　no　use　to　himself；　but　a



subject。　（58）　Therefore；　that　state　is　the　freest　whose　laws　are　founded　on



sound　reason；　so　that　every　member　of　it　may；　if　he　will；　be　free　＇Endnote



27＇；　that　is；　live　with　full　consent　under　the　entire　guidance　of　reason。







（16：59）　Children；　though　they　are　bound　to　obey　all　the　commands　of　their



parents；　are　yet　not　slaves：　for　the　commands　of　parents　look　generally　to



the　children's　benefit。







（60）　We　must；　therefore；　acknowledge　a　great　difference　between　a　slave；　a



son；　and　a　subject；　their　positions　may　be　thus　defined。　（61）　A　slave　is　one



who　is　bound　to　obey　his　master's　orders；　though　they　are　given　solely　in



the　master's　interest：　a　son　is　one　who　obeys　his　father's　orders；　given



in　his　own　interest；　a　subject　obeys　the　orders　of　the　sovereign　power；



given　for　the　common　interest；　wherein　he　is　included。







（16：62）　I　think　I　have　now　shown　sufficiently　clearly　the　basis　of　a



democracy：　I　have　especially　desired　to　do　so；　for　I　believe　it　to　be　of　all



forms　of　government　the　most　natural；　and　the　most　consonant　with　individual



liberty。　（63）　In　it　no　one　transfers　his　natural　right　so　absolutely　that　he



has　no　further　voice　in　affairs；　he　only　hands　it　over　to　the　majority　of　a



society；　whereof　he　is　a　unit。　Thus　all　men　remain　as　they　were　in　the　state



of　nature；　equals。







（16：64）　This　is　the　only　form　of　government　which　I　have　treated　of　at



length；　for　it　is　the　one　most　akin　to　my　purpose　of　showing　the　benefits　of



freedom　in　a　state。







（65）　I　may　pass　over　the　fundamental　principles　of　other　forms　of



government；　for　we　may　gather　from　what　has　been　said　whence　their　right



arises　without　going　into　its　origin。　（66）　The　possessor　of　sovereign　power；



whether　he　be　one；　or　many；　or　the　whole　body　politic；　has　the　sovereign



right　of　imposing　any　commands　he　pleases：　and　he　who　has　either



voluntarily；　or　under　compulsion；　transferred　the　right　to　defend　him　to



another；　has；　in　so　doing；　renounced　his　natural　right　and　is　therefore



bound　to　obey；　in　all　things；　the　commands　of　the　sovereign　power；　and　will



be　bound　so　to　do　so　long　as　the　king；　or　nobles；　or　the　people　preserve　the



sovereign　power　which　formed　the　basis　of　the　original　transfer。　（67）　I　need



add　no　more。







＇16：5＇　（68）　The　bases　and　rights　of　dominion　being　thus　displayed；　we　shall



readily　be　able　to　define　private　civil　right；　wrong；　justice；　and



injustice；　with　their　relations　to　the　state；　and　also　to　determine　what



constitutes　an　ally；　or　an　enemy；　or　the　crime　of　treason。







（16：69）　By　private　civil　right　we　can　only　mean　the　liberty　every　man



possesses　to　preserve　his　existence；　a　liberty　limited　by　the　edicts　of　the



sovereign　power；　and　preserved　only　by　its　authority：　for　when　a　man　has



transferred　to　another　his　right　of　living　as　he　likes；　which　was　only



limited　by　his　power；　that　is；　has　transferred　his　liberty　and　power　of



self…defence；　he　is　bound　to　live　as　that　other　dictates；　and　to　trust　to



him　entirely　for　his　defence。　（70）　Wrong　takes　place　when　a　citizen；　or



subject；　is　forced　by　another　to　undergo　some　loss　or　pain　in　contradiction



to　the　authority　of　the　law；　or　the　edict　of　the　sovereign　power。







（16：71）　Wrong　is　conceivable　only　in　an　organized　community：　nor　can　it　ever



accrue　to　subjects　from　any　act　of　the　sovereign；　who　has　the　right　to　do



what　he　likes。　（72）　It　can　only　arise；　therefore；　between　private　persons；



who　are　bound　by　law　and　right　not　to　injure　one　another。　（73）　Justice



consists　in　the　habitual　rendering　to　every　man　his　lawful　due：　injustice



consists　in　depriving　a　man；　under　the　pretence　of　legality；　of　what　the



laws；　rightly　interp