concerning civil government-第10章

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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。

　　87。　Man　being　born；　as　has　been　proved；　with　a　title　to　perfect

freedom　and　an　uncontrolled　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；　and　by　understanding　indifferent

rules　and　men　authorised　by　the　community　for　their　execution；　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　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　showed　it；　the　perfect

state　of　Nature。

　　88。　And　thus　the　commonwealth　comes　by　a　power　to　set　down　what

punishment　shall　belong　to　the　several　transgressions　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　entered　into　society　has

quitted　his　power　to　punish　offences　against　the　law　of　Nature　in

prosecution　of　his　own　private　judgment；　yet　with　the　judgment　of

offences　which　he　has　given　up　to　the　legislative；　in　all　cases

where　he　can　appeal　to　the　magistrate；　he　has　given　up　a　right　to

the　commonwealth　to　employ　his　force　for　the　execution　of　the

judgments　of　the　commonwealth　whenever　he　shall　be　called　to　it；

which；　indeed；　are　his　own　judgements；　they　being　made　by　himself　or

his　representative。　And　herein　we　have　the　original　of　the　legislative

and　executive　power　of　civil　society；　which　is　to　judge　by　standing

laws　how　far　offences　are　to　be　punished　when　committed　within　the

commonwealth；　and　also　by　occasional　judgments　founded　on　the

present　circumstances　of　the　fact；　how　far　injuries　from　without　are

to　be　vindicated；　and　in　both　these　to　employ　all　the　force　of　all　the

members　when　there　shall　be　need。

　　89。　Wherever；　therefore；　any　number　of　men　so　unite　into　one　society

as　to　quit　every　one　his　executive　power　of　the　law　of　Nature；　and

to　resign　it　to　the　public；　there　and　there　only　is　a　political　or

civil　society。　And　this　is　done　wherever　any　number　of　men；　in　the

state　of　Nature；　enter　into　society　to　make　one　people　one　body

politic　under　one　supreme　government：　or　else　when　any　one　joins

himself　to；　and　incorporates　with　any　government　already　made。　For

hereby　he　authorises　the　society；　or　which　is　all　one；　the　legislative

thereof；　to　make　laws　for　him　as　the　public　good　of　the　society

shall　require；　to　the　execution　whereof　his　own　assistance　（as　to

his　own　decrees）　is　due。　And　this　puts　men　out　of　a　state　of　Nature

into　that　of　a　commonwealth；　by　setting　up　a　judge　on　earth　with

authority　to　determine　all　the　controversies　and　redress　the

injuries　that　may　happen　to　any　member　of　the　commonwealth；　which

judge　is　the　legislative　or　magistrates　appointed　by　it。　And

wherever　there　are　any　number　of　men；　however　associated；　that　have　no

such　decisive　power　to　appeal　to；　there　they　are　still　in　the　state　of

Nature。

　　90。　And　hence　it　is　evident　that　absolute　monarchy；　which　by　some

men　is　counted　for　the　only　government　in　the　world；　is　indeed

inconsistent　with　civil　society；　and　so　can　be　not　form　of　civil

government　at　all。　For　the　end　of　civil　society　being　to　avoid　and

remedy　those　inconveniences　of　the　state　of　Nature　which　necessarily

follow　from　every　man's　being　judge　in　his　own　case；　by　setting　up　a

known　authority　to　which　every　one　of　that　society　may　appeal　upon　any

injury　received；　or　controversy　that　may　arise；　and　which　every　one　of

the　society　ought　to　obey。*　Wherever　any　persons　are　who　have　not　such

an　authority　to　appeal　to；　and　decide　any　difference　between　them

there；　those　persons　are　still　in　the　state　of　Nature。　And　so　is　every

absolute　prince　in　respect　of　those　who　are　under　his　dominion。



　　*　〃The　public　power　of　all　society　is　above　every　soul　contained

in　the　same　society；　and　the　principal　use　of　that　power　is　to　give

laws　unto　all　that　are　under　it；　which　laws　in　such　cases　we　must

obey；　unless　there　be　reason　showed　which　may　necessarily　enforce　that

the　law　of　reason　or　of　God　doth　enjoin　the　contrary。〃　Hooker；　Eccl。

Pol。；　i。　16。



　　91。　For　he　being　supposed　to　have　all；　both　legislative　and

executive；　power　in　himself　alone；　there　is　no　judge　to　be　found；　no

appeal　lies　open　to　any　one；　who　may　fairly　and　indifferently；　and

with　authority　decide；　and　from　whence　relief　and　redress　may　be

expected　of　any　injury　or　inconveniency　that　may　be　suffered　from　him；

or　by　his　order。　So　that　such　a　man；　however　entitled；　Czar；　or

Grand　Signior；　or　how　you　please；　is　as　much　in　the　state　of　Nature；

with　all　under　his　dominion；　as　he　is　with　the　rest　of　mankind。　For

wherever　any　two　men　are；　who　have　no　standing　rule　and　common　judge

to　appeal　to　on　earth；　for　the　determination　of　controversies　of　right

betwixt　them；　there　they　are　still　in　the　state　of　Nature；　and　under

all　the　inconveniencies　of　it；　with　only　this　woeful　difference　to　the

subject；　or　rather　slave　of　an　absolute　prince。*　That　whereas；　in

the　ordinary　state　of　Nature；　he　has　a　liberty　to　judge　of　his

right；　according　to　the　best　of　his　power　to　maintain　it；　but　whenever

his　property　is　invaded　by　the　will　and　order　of　his　monarch；　he　has

not　only　no　appeal；　as　those　in　society　ought　to　have；　but；　as　if　he

were　degraded　from　the　common　state　of　rational　creatures；　is　denied　a

liberty　to　judge　of；　or　defend　his　right；　and　so　is　exposed　to　all　the

misery　and　inconveniencies　that　a　man　can　fear　from　one；　who　being

in　the　unrestrained　state　of　Nature；　is　yet　corrupted　with　flattery

and　armed　with　power。



　　*　〃To　take　away　all　such　mutual　grievances；　injuries；　and　wrongs…

i。e。；　such　as　attend　men　in　the　state　of　Nature；　there　was　no　way

but　only　by　growing　into　composition　and　agreement　amongst

themselves　by　ordaining　some　kind　of　government　public；　and　by

yielding　themselves　subject　thereunto；　that　unto　whom　they　granted

authority　to　rule　and　govern；　by　them　the　peace；　tranquillity；　and

happy　estate　of　the　rest　might　be　procured。　Men　always　knew　that　where

force　and　injury　was　offered；　they　might　be　defenders　of　themselves。

They　knew　that；　however　men　may　seek　their　own　commodity；　yet　if

this　were　done　with　injury　unto　others；　it　was　not　to　be　suffered；　but

by　all　men　and　all　good　means　to　be　withstood。　Finally；　they　knew　that

no　man　might；　in　reason；　take　upon　him　to　determine　his　own　right；　and

according　to　his　own　determination　proceed　in　maintenance　thereof；

in　as　much　as　every　man　is　towards　himself；　and　them　whom　he　greatly

affects；　partial；　and　therefore；　that　strifes　and　troubles　would　be

endless；　except　they　gave　their　common　consent；　all　to　be　ordered　by

some　whom　they　should　agree　upon；　without　which　consent　there　would　be

no　reason　that　one　man　should　take　upon　him　to　be　lord　or　judge　over

another。〃　Hooker；　ibid。　10。



　　92。　For　he　that　thinks　absolute　power　purifies　men's　blood；　and

corrects　the　baseness　of　human　nature；　need　read　but　the　history　of

this；　or　any　other　age；　to　be　convinced　to　the　contrary。　He　that　would

have　been　insolent　and　injurious　in　the　woods　of　America　would　not

probably　be　much　better　on　a　throne；　where　perhaps　learning　and

religion　shall　be　found　out　to　justify　all　that　he　shall　do　to　his

subjects；　and　the　sword　presently　silence　all　those　that　dare　question

it。　For　what　the　protection　of　absolute　monarchy　is；　what　kind　of

fathers　of　their　countries　it　makes　princes　to　be；　and　to　what　a

degree　of　happiness　and　security　it　carries　civil　society；　where

this　sort　of　government　is　grown　to　perfection；　he　that　will　look　into

the　late　relation　of　Ceylon　may　easily　see。

　　93。　In　absolute　monarchies；　indeed；　as　well　as　other　governments

of　the　world；　the　subjects　have　an　appeal　to　the　law；　and　judges　to

decide　any　controversies；　and　restrain　any　violence　that　may　happen

betwixt　the　subjects　themselves；　one　amongst　another。　This　every　one

thinks　necessary；　and　believes；　he　deserves　to　be　thought　a　declared

enemy　to　society　and　mankind　who　should　go　about　to　take　it　away。

But　whether　this　be　from　a　true　love　of　mankind　and　society；　and

such　a　charity　as　we　owe　all　one　to　another；　there　is　reason　to　doubt。

For　this　is　no　more　than　what　every　man；　who　loves　his　own　power；

profit；　or　greatness；　may；　and　naturally　must　do；　keep　those　animals

from　hurting　or　destroying　one　another　who　labour　and　drudge　only

for　his　pleasure　and　advantage；　and　so　are　taken　care　of；　not　out　of

any　love　the　master　has　for　them；　but　love　of　himself；　and　the

profit　they　bring　him。　For　if　it　be　asked　what　security；　what　fence　is

there　in　such　a　state　against　the　violence　and　oppression　of　this

absolute　ruler；　the　very　question　can　scarce　be　borne。　They　are

ready　to　tell　you　that　it　deserves　death　only　to　ask　after　safety。

Betwixt　subject　and　subject；　they　will　grant；　there　must　be

measures；　laws；　and　judges　for　their　mutual　peace　and　security。　But　as

for　the　ruler；　he　ought　to　be　absolute；　and　is　above　all　such

circumstances；　because　he　has　a　power　to　do　more　hurt　and　wrong；　it　is

right　when　he　does　it。　To　ask　how　you　may　be　guarded　from　or　injury　on

that　side；　where　the　strongest　hand　is　to　do　it；　is　presently　the