登陆注册
5155300000027

第27章

THAT IN A FREE STATE EVERY MAN MAY THINK WHAT HE LIKES, AND SAY WHAT HE THINKS.

[20:1] (1) If men's minds were as easily controlled as their tongues, every king would sit safely on his throne, and government by compulsion would cease; for every subject would shape his life according to the intentions of his rulers, and would esteem a thing true or false, good or evil, just or unjust, in obedience to their dictates. (2) However, we have shown already (Chapter XVII.) that no man's mind can possibly lie wholly at the disposition of another, for no one can willingly transfer his natural right of free reason and judgment, or be compelled so to do. (3) For this reason government which attempts to control minds is accounted tyrannical, and it is considered an abuse of sovereignty and a usurpation of the rights of subjects, to seek to prescribe what shall be accepted as true, or rejected as false, or what opinions should actuate men in their worship of God. (4) All these questions fall within a man's natural right, which he cannot abdicate even with his own consent.

(20:5) I admit that the judgment can be biassed in many ways, and to an almost incredible degree, so that while exempt from direct external control it may be so dependent on another man's words, that it may fitly be said to be ruled by him; but although this influence is carried to great lengths, it has never gone so far as to invalidate the statement, that every man's understanding is his own, and that brains are as diverse as palates.

(20:6) Moses, not by fraud, but by Divine virtue, gained such a hold over the popular judgment that he was accounted superhuman, and believed to speak and act through the inspiration of the Deity; nevertheless, even he could not escape murmurs and evil interpretations. (7) How much less then can other monarchs avoid them! (8) Yet such unlimited power, if it exists at all, must belong to a monarch, and least of all to a democracy, where the whole or a great part of the people wield authority collectively.

(9) This is a fact which I think everyone can explain for himself.

(20:10) However unlimited, therefore, the power of a sovereign may be, however implicitly it is trusted as the exponent of law and religion, itcan never prevent men from forming judgments according to their intellect, or being influenced by any given emotion. (11) It is true that it has the right to treat as enemies all men whose opinions do not, on all subjects, entirely coincide with its own; but we are not discussing its strict rights, but its proper course of action. (12) I grant that it has the right to rule in the most violent manner, and to put citizens to death for very trivial causes, but no one supposes it can do this with the approval of sound judgment.

(13) Nay, inasmuch as such things cannot be done without extreme peril to itself, we may even deny that it has the absolute power to do them, or, consequently, the absolute right; for the rights of the sovereign are limited by his power.

[20:2] (14) Since, therefore, no one can abdicate his freedom of judgment and feeling; since every man is by indefeasible natural right the master of his own thoughts, it follows that men thinking in diverse and contradictory fashions, cannot, without disastrous results, be compelled to speak only according to the dictates of the supreme power. (15) Not even the most experienced, to say nothing of the multitude, know how to keep silence. (16) Men's common failing is to confide their plans to others, though there be need for secrecy, so that a government would be most harsh which deprived the individual of his freedom of saying and teaching what he thought; and would be moderate if such freedom were granted.

(17) Still we cannot deny that authority may be as much injured by words as by actions; hence, although the freedom we are discussing cannot be entirely denied to subjects, its unlimited concession would be most baneful; we must, therefore, now inquire, how far such freedom can and ought to be conceded without danger to the peace of the state, or the power of the rulers; and this, as I said at the beginning of Chapter XVI., is my principal object. (18) It follows, plainly, from the explanation given above, of the foundations of a state, that the ultimate aim of government is not to rule, or restrain, by fear, nor to exact obedience, but contrariwise, to free every man from fear, that he may live in all possible security; in other words, to strengthen his natural right to exist and work - without injury to himself or others.

(20:19) No, the object of government is not to change men fromrational beings into beasts or puppets, but to enable them to develope their minds and bodies in security, and to employ their reason unshackled; neither showing hatred, anger, or deceit, nor watched with the eyes of jealousy and injustice. (20) In fact, the true aim of government is liberty.

同类推荐
  • 十六汤品

    十六汤品

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 月幢了禅师语录

    月幢了禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 王直方诗话

    王直方诗话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说阿遬达经

    佛说阿遬达经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明伦汇编交谊典僚属部

    明伦汇编交谊典僚属部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 冷魅公主复仇葬心恋

    冷魅公主复仇葬心恋

    她们是闻风丧胆的王!她冷漠无情;她可爱无良;她抚媚多情!令人心痛的背叛使她们走在一起,也是这背叛造就了今天的杀手至尊。冷是他的代名词,花心是他的代名词,温柔是他的代名词。三位绝美的MM和三位帅到极点的GG会擦出怎样的火花?这爱情到最后到底是喜是悲?是爱还是恨?
  • 举世独尊

    举世独尊

    传说,混沌大帝死去之时盘古从他的身体里爬出来,从此盘古肩负起了开天辟地的任务,然而开天辟地何等容易,因此,他边开天边停下来喘气,然而这些神秘的气息在盘古不经意的时候悄悄的凝聚……他是拯救世界的空间之主,盘古的气息凝聚成的第四空间竟能为他所用?慕容林一朝翻身,势要翻覆个天地,把所有让他不爽的人通通踩在脚下!
  • 城与人

    城与人

    在一个商场门口,我的一辆自行车又被偷了。这是我来到这座城后短短两个月里失窃的第二辆车子。我攥着那把已经失去意义的车钥匙,一遍又一遍地在商场门口逡巡,期望着我的自行车像一个走失的孩子一样重新回到我的身边。看到模样近似的,我就走近去看个仔细。我的举止引起了商场门口那个看管车子老太太的注意,这个像稻草人一样形同虚设的看车人一定把我当作了她假想中的一个偷车贼。这一点我从她狐疑的眼神里看了出来。我连忙向老太太声明我是在找我的车子。老太太说,我已经看你转了好几个圈子了,你的车子肯定找不到了。她说这是今天下午失窃的第五辆车子了。
  • 铁鹰出击

    铁鹰出击

    不论白天黑夜,在风驰电掣的旅客列车上,他们面对一幕幕的惊心动魄。不管春夏秋冬,在人潮如流的火车站里,他们识破邪恶,保卫一方平安。不畏山高路远,在偏僻荒凉的大山和莽原深处,他们巡守一颗永恒的心。没错!他们就是全球最独特的一支警队~中国铁路警察。如果你感兴趣,那就请你跟随我的叙述,走进一段又一段的传奇人生,去体验一个不一样的新视界……QQ读者群:929158807(欢迎加入)
  • 大乘法界无差别论

    大乘法界无差别论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 侯门毒女腹黑夫

    侯门毒女腹黑夫

    穿越前:她是现代最优秀的医学天才、商界女强人、书法绘画大家、金牌律师,多重身份下,真正的身份——是国安部反间谍卧底!冷漠强悍,手段毒辣!穿越后:她是侯门嫡女,深藏不露,表面无害,但是——腹黑毒辣才是真相!惹到她的人都会死得很惨!--------侯府嫡出三小姐,顶着侯门嫡女的头衔,打着未来太子妃的旗号,却是雪天国第一草包,嚣张跋扈,胸无点墨。惨遭太子退婚,为了挽回太子的心,不惜赤身爬上太子的床,沦为雪天国最大的笑柄。不堪忍受嘲笑,从此疯疯癫癫。大夫人佛口蛇心,表面是将她送到庵堂静养,实则命人虐打。再次睁开眼睛,寒光乍现,她已经不是原来的那个她!前尘往事早已厌倦,与其活在尔虞我诈的斗争中,不如做个疯癫无害的米虫。可是,侯府内,一波又一波的阴谋陷害,一再触动她的底线。看来,她这辈子离清静生活,依然很遥远!好吧,既然她们不想活,那我就好好惩治惩治这帮活腻的女人!她早已不是以前的软柿子,轻笑间掀起了血雨腥风,手段毒辣!嫡姐抢我嫁妆是吧?让你永远嫁不出去,也不难!嫁不出去的人,再多的嫁妆,也无非是徒增伤心罢了!身体主人可是雪天国第一美人,这么美的女人居然也会被人退婚,还活活被人逼成了疯子?哦~原来太子是看上了她的妹妹!渣男渣女,好好等着吧!被逼疯的感受,我会加倍奉还!她向来遵循人不犯我,我不犯人的原则。不能怪她手段毒辣,只怪渣男渣女一心求死,她只是很“好心”的“帮帮”他们罢了!本以为,解决了渣男渣女,就可以自由自在的逍遥天下,见识一下武侠小说中所谓的江湖,可是——为什么身后,总有一个甩不掉的尾巴?一路上,这雪天国的第一奇才,竟然一直在上演“变身术”!江湖美男榜第一名?七大恶人的义子?天下第一的关门弟子?天下第一庄庄主?隐世神医?东漓国的太子…某女傻眼,不得不承认,自己过去的卧底身份再多,也拼不过这个变态了!且看,一双纤纤玉手与一双温暖大手如何共同绘制一副江山秀丽图,共同弹奏一曲逍遥江湖行…喜欢本文的亲们,请【加入书架】支持晨晨!熊抱!o(∩_∩)o-----------推荐润月晨完结文--------《天才御兽师》《极品师兄缠不休》《极品男仆缠不休》《风家七小姐》《白发魅王爷》
  • 紫血剑皇

    紫血剑皇

    “天地不公,那我敬这天有什么用;人心险薄,那我尊这礼法又有什么用?当我剑指天穹之日,便是这世间换天之时!”萧凌天对天骂道。天在这时似乎变得更黑了,天上的紫雷似乎变得更加愤怒了,一道道的亮光闪过天际好像一群毒蛇般锁定了他,几欲待发。……………………
  • 时光与你有染

    时光与你有染

    古董收藏家傅时谨粉丝千万,微博10条,关注数0。某天,关注数突然变成1。当事人一直没反应,粉丝们将她的微博扒了个底儿朝天,这一扒可不得了!这名字很挫的“你好好想想”来头可不小,某知名歌手和她互关,某集团官微是她的粉丝,几天前,连“平安西京”也关注了她……某天后,向来低调的傅时谨晒了两本结婚证,并@你好好想想。最后,你好好想想是谁?
  • 优秀小学生应该知道的礼仪小常识

    优秀小学生应该知道的礼仪小常识

    一本书无法改变整个世界,但可能会塑造孩子的一生。《优秀小学生:应该知道的礼仪小常识》以礼仪小故事、你来评对错、礼仪小常识的形式,讲述小学生应该知道的个人形象,家庭、生活,校园、学习,社会交往,外出、公共,媒介使用,涉外等方面的礼仪小常识,紧密结合新时代、新风尚以及现代礼仪,同时容纳传统礼仪的精粹。《优秀小学生:应该知道的礼仪小常识》是市场上第一本培养礼仪小公民的经典读本,能在轻松的课外阅读中帮助小学生知书识礼、全面发展,为将来成为高素质、有教养的新世纪人才打下坚实的基础。
  • 风雪多瑙河

    风雪多瑙河

    他不是冒险家,却有着冒险家的无惧;他不是侠客,却有着侠客的肝胆;他不是慈善家,却有着慈善家的爱心。这就是欧洲著名侨领张曼新的真实写照。这部长篇传记,运用独具特色的艺术架构和表现手法,浓墨重彩而又生动地再现了九十年代初张曼新挈妇携子勇闯东欧以及他出国前后种种奇特的生活遭际和天方夜谭般的传奇。本书,将带给您一个充满独特情感世界的精神领域!