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第15章

on liberty-第15章

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from reason; and; as a discipline to the mind; they were in every



respect inferior to the powerful dialectics which formed the



intellects of the 〃Socratici viri〃; but the modern mind owes far



more to both than it is generally willing to admit; and the present



modes of education contain nothing which in the smallest degree



supplies the place either of the one or of the other。 A person who



derives all his instruction from teachers or books; even if he



escape the besetting temptation of contenting himself with cram; is



under no compulsion to hear both sides; accordingly it is far from a



frequent accomplishment; even among thinkers; to know both sides;



and the weakest part of what everybody says in defence of his



opinion is what he intends as a reply to antagonists。



  It is the fashion of the present time to disparage negative



logic… that which points out weaknesses in theory or errors in



practice; without establishing positive truths。 Such negative



criticism would indeed be poor enough as an ultimate result; but as



a means to attaining any positive knowledge or conviction worthy the



name; it cannot be valued too highly; and until people are again



systematically trained to it; there will be few great thinkers; and



a low general average of intellect; in any but the mathematical and



physical departments of speculation。 On any other subject no one's



opinions deserve the name of knowledge; except so far as he has either



had forced upon him by others; or gone through of himself; the same



mental process which would have been required of him in carrying on an



active controversy with opponents。 That; therefore; which when absent;



it is so indispensable; but so difficult; to create; how worse than



absurd it is to forego; when spontaneously offering itself! If there



are any persons who contest a received opinion; or who will do so if



law or opinion will let them; let us thank them for it; open our minds



to listen to them; and rejoice that there is some one to do for us



what we otherwise ought; if we have any regard for either the



certainty or the vitality of our convictions; to do with much



greater labour for ourselves。







  It still remains to speak of one of the principal causes which



make diversity of opinion advantageous; and will continue to do so



until mankind shall have entered a stage of intellectual advancement



which at present seems at an incalculable distance。 We have hitherto



considered only two possibilities: that the received opinion may be



false; and some other opinion; consequently; true; or that; the



received opinion being true; a conflict with the opposite error is



essential to a clear apprehension and deep feeling of its truth。 But



there is a commoner case than either of these; when the conflicting



doctrines; instead of being one true and the other false; share the



truth between them; and the nonconforming opinion is needed to



supply the remainder of the truth; of which the received doctrine



embodies only a part。 Popular opinions; on subjects not palpable to



sense; are often true; but seldom or never the whole truth。 They are a



part of the truth; sometimes a greater; sometimes a smaller part;



but exaggerated; distorted; and disjointed from the truths by which



they ought to be accompanied and limited。 Heretical opinions; on the



other hand; are generally some of these suppressed and neglected



truths; bursting the bonds which kept them down; and either seeking



reconciliation with the truth contained in the common opinion; or



fronting it as enemies; and setting themselves up; with similar



exclusiveness; as the whole truth。 The latter case is hitherto the



most frequent; as; in the human mind; one…sidedness has always been



the rule; and many…sidedness the exception。 Hence; even in revolutions



of opinion; one part of the truth usually sets while another rises。



Even progress; which ought to superadd; for the most part only



substitutes; one partial and incomplete truth for another; improvement



consisting chiefly in this; that the new fragment of truth is more



wanted; more adapted to the needs of the time; than that which it



displaces。 Such being the partial character of prevailing opinions;



even when resting on a true foundation; every opinion which embodies



somewhat of the portion of truth which the common opinion omits; ought



to be considered precious; with whatever amount of error and confusion



that truth may be blended。 No sober judge of human affairs will feel



bound to be indignant because those who force on our notice truths



which we should otherwise have overlooked; overlook some of those



which we see。 Rather; he will think that so long as popular truth is



one…sided; it is more desirable than otherwise that unpopular truth



should have one…sided assertors too; such being usually the most



energetic; and the most likely to compel reluctant attention to the



fragment of wisdom which they proclaim as if it were the whole。



  Thus; in the eighteenth century; when nearly all the instructed; and



all those of the uninstructed who were led by them; were lost in



admiration of what is called civilisation; and of the marvels of



modern science; literature; and philosophy; and while greatly



overrating the amount of unlikeness between the men of modern and



those of ancient times; indulged the belief that the whole of the



difference was in their own favour; with what a salutary shock did the



paradoxes of Rousseau explode like bombshells in the midst;



dislocating the compact mass of one…sided opinion; and forcing its



elements to recombine in a better form and with additional



ingredients。 Not that the current opinions were on the whole farther



from the truth than Rousseau's were; on the contrary; they were nearer



to it; they contained more of positive truth; and very much less of



error。 Nevertheless there lay in Rousseau's doctrine; and has



floated down the stream of opinion along with it; a considerable



amount of exactly those truths which the popular opinion wanted; and



these are the deposit which was left behind when the flood subsided。



The superior worth of simplicity of life; the enervating and



demoralising effect of the trammels and hypocrisies of artificial



society; are ideas which have never been entirely absent from



cultivated minds since Rousseau wrote; and they will in time produce



their due effect; though at present needing to be asserted as much



as ever; and to be asserted by deeds; for words; on this subject; have



nearly exhausted their power。



  In politics; again; it is almost a commonplace; that a party of



order or stability; and a party of progress or reform; are both



necessary elements of a healthy state of political life; until the one



or the other shall have so enlarged its mental grasp as to be a



party equally of order and of progress; knowing and distinguishing



what is fit to be preserved from what ought to be swept away。 Each



of these modes of thinking derives its utility from the deficiencies



of the other; but it is in a great measure the opposition of the other



that keeps each within the limits of reason and sanity。 Unless



opinions favourable to democracy and to aristocracy; to property and



to equality; to cooperation and to competition; to luxury and to



abstinence; to sociality and individuality; to liberty and discipline;



and all the other standing antagonisms of practical life; are



expressed with equal freedom; and enforced and defended with equal



talent and energy; there is no chance of both elements obtaining their



due; one scale is sure to go up; and the other down。 Truth; in the



great practical concerns of life; is so much a question of the



reconciling and combining of opposites; that very few have minds



sufficiently capacious and impartial to ma

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