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第36章

on liberty-第36章

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by whom it shall be conducted; as those who are personally



interested in it。 This principle condemns the interferences; once so



common; of the legislature; or the officers of government; with the



ordinary processes of industry。 But this part of the subject has



been sufficiently enlarged upon by political economists; and is not



particularly related to the principles of this Essay。



  The second objection is more nearly allied to our subject。 In many



cases; though individuals may not do the particular thing so well;



on the average; as the officers of government; it is nevertheless



desirable that it should be done by them; rather than by the



government; as a means to their own mental education… a mode of



strengthening their active faculties; exercising their judgment; and



giving them a familiar knowledge of the subjects with which they are



thus left to deal。 This is a principal; though not the sole;



recommendation of jury trial (in cases not political); of free and



popular local and municipal institutions; of the conduct of industrial



and philanthropic enterprises by voluntary associations。 These are not



questions of liberty; and are connected with that subject only by



remote tendencies; but they are questions of development。 It belongs



to a different occasion from the present to dwell on these things as



parts of national education; as being; in truth; the peculiar training



of a citizen; the practical part of the political education of a



free people; taking them out of the narrow circle of personal and



family selfishness; and accustoming them to the comprehension of joint



interests; the management of joint concerns… habituating them to act



from public or semi…public motives; and guide their conduct by aims



which unite instead of isolating them from one another。 Without



these habits and powers; a free constitution can neither be worked nor



preserved; as is exemplified by the too…often transitory nature of



political freedom in countries where it does not rest upon a



sufficient basis of local liberties。 The management of purely local



business by the localities; and of the great enterprises of industry



by the union of those who voluntarily supply the pecuniary means; is



further recommended by all the advantages which have been set forth in



this Essay as belonging to individuality of development; and diversity



of modes of action。 Government operations tend to be everywhere alike。



With individuals and voluntary associations; on the contrary; there



are varied experiments; and endless diversity of experience。 What



the State can usefully do is to make itself a central depository;



and active circulator and diffuser; of the experience resulting from



many trials。 Its business is to enable each experimentalist to benefit



by the experiments of others; instead of tolerating no experiments but



its own。



  The third and most cogent reason for restricting the interference of



government is the great evil of adding unnecessarily to its power。



Every function superadded to those already exercised by the government



causes its influence over hopes and fears to be more widely



diffused; and converts; more and more; the active and ambitious part



of the public into hangers…on of the government; or of some party



which aims at becoming the government。 If the roads; the railways; the



banks; the insurance offices; the great joint…stock companies; the



universities; and the public charities; were all of them branches of



the government; if; in addition; the municipal corporations and



local boards; with all that now devolves on them; became departments



of the central administration; if the employes of all these



different enterprises were appointed and paid by the government; and



looked to the government for every rise in life; not all the freedom



of the press and popular constitution of the legislature would make



this or any other country free otherwise than in name。 And the evil



would be greater; the more efficiently and scientifically the



administrative machinery was constructed… the more skilful the



arrangements for obtaining the best qualified hands and heads with



which to work it。 In England it has of late been proposed that all the



members of the civil service of government should be selected by



competitive examination; to obtain for these employments the most



intelligent and instructed persons procurable; and much has been



said and written for and against this proposal。 One of the arguments



most insisted on by its opponents is that the occupation of a



permanent official servant of the State does not hold out sufficient



prospects of emolument and importance to attract the highest



talents; which will always be able to find a more inviting career in



the professions; or in the service of companies and other public



bodies。 One would not have been surprised if this argument had been



used by the friends of the proposition; as an answer to its



principal difficulty。 Coming from the opponents it is strange



enough。 What is urged as an objection is the safety…valve of the



proposed system。 If indeed all the high talent of the country could be



drawn into the service of the government; a proposal tending to



bring about that result might well inspire uneasiness。 If every part



of the business of society which required organised concert; or



large and comprehensive views; were in the hands of the government;



and if government offices were universally filled by the ablest men;



all the enlarged culture and practised intelligence in the country;



except the purely speculative; would be concentrated in a numerous



bureaucracy; to whom alone the rest of the community would look for



all things: the multitude for direction and dictation in all they



had to do; the able and aspiring for personal advancement。 To be



admitted into the ranks of this bureaucracy; and when admitted; to



rise therein; would be the sole objects of ambition。 Under this



regime; not only is the outside public ill…qualified; for want of



practical experience; to criticise or check the mode of operation of



the bureaucracy; but even if the accidents of despotic or the



natural working of popular institutions occasionally raise to the



summit a ruler or rulers of reforming inclinations; no reform can be



effected which is contrary to the interest of the bureaucracy。



  Such is the melancholy condition of the Russian empire; as shown



in the accounts of those who have had sufficient opportunity of



observation。 The Czar himself is powerless against the bureaucratic



body; he can send any one of them to Siberia; but he cannot govern



without them; or against their will。 On every decree of his they



have a tacit veto; by merely refraining from carrying it into



effect。 In countries of more advanced civilisation and of a more



insurrectionary spirit; the public; accustomed to expect everything to



be done for them by the State; or at least to do nothing for



themselves without asking from the State not only leave to do it;



but even how it is to be done; naturally hold the State responsible



for all evil which befalls them; and when the evil exceeds their



amount of patience; they rise against the government; and make what is



called a revolution; whereupon somebody else; with or without



legitimate authority from the nation; vaults into the seat; issues his



orders to the bureaucracy; and everything goes on much as it did



before; the bureaucracy being unchanged; and nobody else being capable



of taking their place。



  A very different spectacle is exhibited among a people accustomed to



transact their own business。 In France; a large part of the people;



having been engaged in military service; many of whom have held at



least the rank of non commissioned officers; there are in every


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