贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > second treatise of government >

第14章

second treatise of government-第14章

小说: second treatise of government 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



 bonds more firm and lasting in man; than the other  species of animals; yet it would give one reason to enquire; why  this compact; where procreation and education are secured; and  inheritance taken care for; may not be made determinable; either  by consent; or at a certain time; or upon certain conditions; as  well as any other voluntary compacts; there being no necessity in  the nature of the thing; nor to the ends of it; that it should  always be for life; I mean; to such as are under no restraint of  any positive law; which ordains all such contracts to be  perpetual。      Sec。 82。  But the husband and wife; though they have but one  common concern; yet having different understandings; will  unavoidably sometimes have different wills too; it therefore  being necessary that the last determination; i。 e。  the rule;  should be placed somewhere; it naturally falls to the man's  share; as the abler and the stronger。  But this reaching but to  the things of their common interest and property; leaves the wife  in the full and free possession of what by contract is her  peculiar right; and gives the husband no more power over her life  than she has over his; the power of the husband being so far from  that of an absolute monarch; that the wife has in many cases a  liberty to separate from him; where natural right; or their  contract allows it; whether that contract be made by themselves  in the state of nature; or by the customs or laws of the country  they live in; and the children upon such separation fall to the  father or mother's lot; as such contract does determine。      Sec。 83。  For all the ends of marriage being to be obtained  under politic government; as well as in the state of nature; the  civil magistrate cloth not abridge the right or power of either  naturally necessary to those ends; viz。  procreation and mutual  support and assistance whilst they are together; but only decides  any controversy that may arise between man and wife about them。   If it were otherwise; and that absolute sovereignty and power of  life and death naturally belonged to the husband; and were  necessary to the society between man and wife; there could be no  matrimony in any of those countries where the husband is allowed  no such absolute authority。  But the ends of matrimony requiring  no such power in the husband; the condition of conjugal society  put it not in him; it being not at all necessary to that state。   Conjugal society could subsist and attain its ends without it;  nay; community of goods; and the power over them; mutual  assistance and maintenance; and other things belonging to  conjugal society; might be varied and regulated by that contract  which unites man and wife in that society; as far as may consist  with procreation and the bringing up of children till they could  shift for themselves; nothing being necessary to any society;  that is not necessary to the ends for which it is made。      Sec。 84。  The society betwixt parents and children; and the  distinct rights and powers belonging respectively to them; I have  treated of so largely; in the foregoing chapter; that I shall not  here need to say any thing of it。  And I think it is plain; that  it is far different from a politic society。

     Sec。 85。  Master and servant are names as old as history;  but given to those of far different condition; for a freeman  makes himself a servant to another; by selling him; for a certain  time; the service he undertakes to do; in exchange for wages he  is to receive: and though this commonly puts him into the family  of his master; and under the ordinary discipline thereof; yet it  gives the master but a temporary power over him; and no greater  than what is contained in the contract between them。  But there  is another sort of servants; which by a peculiar name we call  slaves; who being captives taken in a just war; are by the right  of nature subjected to the absolute dominion and arbitrary power  of their masters。  These men having; as I say; forfeited their  lives; and with it their liberties; and lost their estates; and  being in the state of slavery; not capable of any property;  cannot in that state be considered as any part of civil society;  the chief end whereof is the preservation of property。      Sec。 86。  Let us therefore consider a master of a family  with all these subordinate relations of wife; children; servants;  and slaves; united under the domestic rule of a family; which;  what resemblance soever it may have in its order; offices; and  number too; with a little common…wealth; yet is very far from it;  both in its constitution; power and end: or if it must be thought  a monarchy; and the paterfamilias the absolute monarch in it;  absolute monarchy will have but a very shattered and short power;  when it is plain; by what has been said before; that the master  of the family has a very distinct and differently limited power;  both as to time and extent; over those several persons that are  in it; for excepting the slave (and the family is as much a  family; and his power as paterfamilias as great; whether there be  any slaves in his family or no) he has no legislative power of  life and death over any of them; and none too but what a mistress  of a family may have as well as he。  And he certainly can have no  absolute power over the whole family; who has but a very limited  one over every individual in it。  But how a family; or any other  society of men; differ from that which is properly political  society; we shall best see; by considering wherein political  society itself consists。      Sec。 87。  Man being born; as has been proved; with a title  to perfect freedom; and an uncontrouled enjoyment of all the  rights and privileges of the law of nature; equally with any  other man; or number of men in the world; hath by nature a power;  not only to preserve his property; that is; his life; liberty and  estate; against the injuries and attempts of other men; but to  judge of; and punish the breaches of that law in others; as he is  persuaded the offence deserves; even with death itself; in crimes  where the heinousness of the fact; in his opinion; requires it。   But because no political society can be; nor subsist; without  having in itself the power to preserve the property; and in order  thereunto; punish the offences of all those of that society;  there; and there only is political society; where every one of  the members hath quitted this natural power; resigned it up into  the hands of the community in all cases that exclude him not from  appealing for protection to the law established by it。  And thus  all private judgment of every particular member being excluded;  the community comes to be umpire; by settled standing rules;  indifferent; and the same to all parties; and by men having  authority from the community; for the execution of those rules;  decides all the differences that may happen between any members  of that society concerning any matter of right; and punishes  those offences which any member hath committed against the  society; with such penalties as the law has established: whereby  it is easy to discern; who are; and who are not; in political  society together。  Those who are united into one body; and have a  common established law and judicature to appeal to; with  authority to decide controversies between them; and punish  offenders; are in civil society one with another: but those who 

have no such common appeal; I mean on earth; are still in the  state of nature; each being; where there is no other; judge for  himself; and executioner; which is; as I have before shewed it;  the perfect state of nature。        Sec。 88。  And thus the common…wealth comes by a power to set  down what punishment shall belong to the several transgressions  which they think worthy of it; committed amongst the members of  that society; (which is the power of making laws) as well as it  has the power to punish any injury done unto any of its members;  by any one that is not of it; (which is the power of war and  peace;) and all this for the preservation of the property of all  the members of that society; as far as is possible。  But though  every man who has entered into civil society; and is become a  member of a

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的