登陆注册
5417100000009

第9章

Of the Liberty of Thought and Discussion.

THE TIME, it is to be hoped, is gone by, when any defence would be necessary of the "liberty of the press" as one of the securities against corrupt or tyrannical government. No argument, we may suppose, can now be needed, against permitting a legislature or an executive, not identified in interest with the people, to prescribe opinions to them, and determine what doctrines or what arguments they shall be allowed to hear. This aspect of the question, besides, has been so of and so triumphantly enforced by preceding writers, that it needs not be specially insisted on in this place. Though the law of England, on the subject of the press, is as servile to this day as it was in the time of the Tudors, there is little danger of its being actually put in force against political discussion, except during some temporary panic, when fear of insurrection drives ministers and judges from their propriety;* and, speaking generally, it is not, in constitutional countries, to be apprehended, that the government, whether completely responsible to the people or not, will often attempt to control the expression of opinion, except when in doing so it makes itself the organ of the general intolerance of the public.

Let us suppose, therefore, that the government is entirely at one with the people, and never thinks of exerting any power of coercion unless in agreement with what it conceives to be their voice. But Ideny the right of the people to exercise such coercion, either by themselves or by their government. The power itself is illegitimate.

The best government has no more title to it than the worst. It is as noxious, or more noxious, when exerted in accordance with public opinion, than when in opposition to it. If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.

Were an opinion a personal possession of no value except to the owner;if to be obstructed in the enjoyment of it were simply a private injury, it would make some difference whether the injury was inflicted only on a few persons or on many. But the peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race;posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.

* These words had scarcely been written, when, as if to give them an emphatic contradiction, occurred the Government Press Prosecutions of 1858. That ill-judged interference with the liberty of public discussion has not, however, induced me to alter a single word in the text, nor has it at all weakened my conviction that, moments of panic excepted, the era of pains and penalties for political discussion has, in our own country, passed away. For, in the first place, the prosecutions were not persisted in; and, in the second, they were never, properly speaking, political prosecutions.

The offence charged was not that of criticising institutions, or the acts or persons of rulers, but of circulating what was deemed an immoral doctrine, the lawfulness of Tyrannicide.

If the arguments of the present chapter are of any validity, there ought to exist the fullest liberty of professing and discussing, as a matter of ethical conviction, any doctrine, however immoral it may be considered. It would, therefore, be irrelevant and out of place to examine here, whether the doctrine of Tyrannicide deserves that title. I shall content myself with saying that the subject has been at all times one of the open questions of morals; that the act of a private citizen in striking down a criminal, who, by raising himself above the law, has placed himself beyond the reach of legal punishment or control, has been accounted by whole nations, and by some of the best and wisest of men, not a crime, but an act of exalted virtue; and that, right or wrong, it is not of the nature of assassination, but of civil war. As such, I hold that the instigation to it, in a specific case, may be a proper subject of punishment, but only if an overt act has followed, and at least a probable connection can be established between the act and the instigation. Even then, it is not a foreign government, but the very government assailed, which alone, in the exercise of self-defence, can legitimately punish attacks directed against its own existence.

It is necessary to consider separately these two hypotheses, each of which has a distinct branch of the argument corresponding to it. We can never be sure that the opinion we are endeavouring to stifle is a false opinion; and if we were sure, stifling it would be an evil still.

First: the opinion which it is attempted to suppress by authority may possibly be true. Those who desire to suppress it, of course deny its truth; but they are not infallible. They have no authority to decide the question for all mankind, and exclude every other person from the means of judging. To refuse a hearing to an opinion, because they are sure that it is false, is to assume that their certainty is the same thing as absolute certainty. All silencing of discussion is an assumption of infallibility. Its condemnation may be allowed to rest on this common argument, not the worse for being common.

同类推荐
  • 秋日题窦员外崇德里

    秋日题窦员外崇德里

    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。
  • 刺灸心法要诀

    刺灸心法要诀

    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。
  • 福盖正行所集经

    福盖正行所集经

    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。
  • 永嘉禅宗集注

    永嘉禅宗集注

    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。
  • 艺增篇

    艺增篇

    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
  • 绝代一世召唤师

    绝代一世召唤师

    天地变幻,风云水起,谁与争锋?傻子?废物?六识回归的她,顶着傲骨归来,契神兽!炼神丹!她怎会是废物?!她坚韧、狡猾,只为拥有更强大的实力!说她杀气太重,难以走上巅峰之道?还说她年少轻狂?她只淡然回应一句,“那我便以杀证道!谁与争锋?”[男强+女强+男女主身心干净+爽文1v1+不弃坑+亲们放心入坑!]
  • 地狱蝴蝶

    地狱蝴蝶

    余丽虹拉着皮箱走下出租车,拿出钥匙正要开门,却见门虚掩着。她心里诧异,老公也太大意了,竟忘了锁门?推门进屋,余丽虹突然看到眼前飘起一片黑云,黑云层层叠叠地朝着她扑过来,像一片诡异可怕的黑斗篷,又如招魂时飞扬的纸钱一般。余丽虹捂住胸口后退两步,定定神,见竟然是黑色的蝴蝶。无数只黑蝴蝶扑扇着翅膀,大的像婴儿手掌,小的如同豆粒,它们瞪着猩红的眼睛,看上去极为恐怖。余丽虹反应很快,后退两步打开大门,然后脱下外套抡起来,往外轰着这些蝴蝶。可这些黑蝴蝶似乎格外留恋她的居所,它们朝墙上撞着,沿着楼梯上楼,不停地飞舞,却逃避着窗口。
  • 跑偏的游戏愿望师

    跑偏的游戏愿望师

    “什么,当愿望师需要成为一名全职业大师,不是biu一下就完成愿望的么?”“瓦特?愿望师什么时候还有月老的兼职?”“干脆让我拯救世界得了……额,我只是开玩笑的,别当真。游戏要是关服了,咱们换个游戏耍不行么?不行,好吧,那咱们还是造游戏吧——”
  • 逆天狂后之废柴太嚣张

    逆天狂后之废柴太嚣张

    国家龙组超S级特工,代号为零的最高级别绝密杀手锏,君云月,执行高危S级任务一百零八次未曾失手,却在前往N星执行刺杀任务途中飞船忽然爆炸身亡,一朝穿越,魂附于君家极品废柴花痴三小姐之身,在这个以魔力为尊的傲天大陆,会产生怎样的格局逆转?既来之,则安之!欺负我的,千倍奉还!苍天有眼,让本小姐来此,是龙的,给我卧着!是虎的,给我趴着!惹怒了本小姐,让你吃不了兜着走,走不了爬着滚!不能凝聚魔力?没关系!本小姐会洗髓,一洗之下,惊讶发现,尼玛,自己竟然是五系全属性天才,各系元素魔法信手沾来,像玩过家家!没有学过魔法?小意思!本小姐记忆力超强,见过的招式都能记下来,不但会自学还会改造魔法技能,随便用几招都能虐死你!对大陆不了解?这哪能算事!本小姐契约了唐脉花仙兽,粉红色的小天使兽兽成天跟在身后叫娘亲,还让共享它“沉睡智者”的全部智慧!从今天起,偶便是大陆顶级智者,无所不知。订了婚的世子不要咱?我压根看不上他!本小姐身边从来不缺美男护花使者,更有那高高在上的巅峰神殿殿主凌君绝追在身边大喊,“本殿的女人,谁敢动!”那高冷痴情男子还说:你若不离不弃,我必生死相依。看在小绝子如此忠犬的份上,还拥有超强神级修为,家有几座金山,坐拥数十城池,那就勉强让他留在身边,充当免费保镖,累了当成方便靠枕,凑合着用吧!【爽文+女强男强+宠文+玄幻+轻松爆笑+萌娃+萌宝+一对一+恭迎收藏】简介无力,请看正文,坑品有保证!O(∩_∩)O哈!精彩必看:一,偶是废柴吗?君家三小姐,是揽月城家喻户晓的第一花痴兼废柴。星辰学院一年一度的选拔赛上,她对学院天才学生金风道:对付你,一招便够。金风不信,结果被君云月一招清理出擂台。最后的大决赛上。她对学院三大天才高手笑道:你们三个,一起上吧,本小姐时间宝贵。三大高手大喊:开什么国际玩笑。最后,三人不到三分钟便被全部清理出擂台,而且,每人都断了好几根肋骨。众人惊艳!靠,这样的废柴?窝们也想当!二,偶要当土豪!霸气高冷男:月儿,你想早日变成傲天大陆最有钱的豪门吗,这里有一个快速变豪门的最简单方法。君云月疑惑:什么方法?某男主撇嘴:嫁给我,让你瞬间成土豪。君云月不屑:不用嫁给你,在揽月城,姐也是一个杠杠的土豪。某男主委屈:难道你没听出,我这是在求婚吗?君云月无语:土鳖,滚!想个浪漫方式,再来!
  • 晚妍归去,不负胥华

    晚妍归去,不负胥华

    因为儿时救命之恩,她殿前求旨嫁他为妻,却不料被他弃之如敝履。他的心中只有白莲花表妹,她为他付出生命,却只换来胎儿流产……绝地重生,沙场重逢。命运的齿轮将他们推向何方?
  • 与自己相处

    与自己相处

    《与自己相处》指出随着城市的发展、生活压力的加大、网络科技的发达等因素,人们的社会价值观、交流沟通方式、交友方式等都在发生着巨变,人与人之间的感觉也越发疏离,于是很多人都产生了一种孤独感。事实上,“人生而孤独”。在孤独的人生旅程,人们往往寻找安慰,寄托渴望,将人生依附于他人,也因此迷失自我,深感空虚和痛苦。本书通过对家庭生活、职场,婚姻、人际关系等日常生活的多个维度进行心理解析,教会我们如何更好地处理孤独感,更好地与自己相处。
  • 蝶妖

    蝶妖

    一世缘,三生情,情还何人?从一只毛毛虫到成为蝶妖,她认识了雕精,桃花,蛛王锻造一世缘。一颗九龙转牵扯一段恩怨,恩怨改变了她的命运,扯出三世情。他偏爱于她,他钟爱与她,他痴爱于她,而她,你是花儿,我是蝶···本书会保持日更6000字的速度,请亲们放心收藏,读的愉快,谢谢
  • 天命贵妻,佞相的悍妇填房

    天命贵妻,佞相的悍妇填房

    【正文已完结,番外进行中。。。】当凶残女穿越成下堂妇,怎一个精彩了得。前婆婆隔空传话:“我儿要娶得是体面的千金小姐,纵是妾侍你都不要妄想。”前相公痛心疾首:“你我情深似海,妾侍又如何?你何苦要去介意那世俗名分?”某千金笑里藏刀:“妹妹即已被休弃,万万不要做那些不要脸面的事,和我相公藕、断、丝、连。”县太爷姿态甚高:“看你模样还算周正,既是续弦,不下蛋亦没什么关系。”某弃妇冷笑连连:“赚钱是第一,收拾这些杂碎乃顺手。”片段二:“顾四儿,去把爷昨儿藏在靴子里五十两银票取出。”某贪官悄声吩咐道,“中丞大人邀爷吃花酒,身为男人不能失了体面。”“什么?”小厮震惊侧目,“爷您真不知死活。”
  • 抹布

    抹布

    被视为女人河的那条大河套因长年干涸而堆满了生活垃圾。葫芦镇的女人们失去了聚会的天堂。镇子上新生的一代放弃了父辈们的政治热情,三五个人聚在一起共谋国家大事的爱好和传统未能继承下来。没有人围坐在一起听老人讲“瞎话”——鬼怪故事了,至于以“放香屁”为标志的葫芦镇的民间文学早已无人问津了。他说,在他看来,葫芦镇只是一个“在”,而且“在在者的在中存在着”。他的话,除了伊十谁也不懂。
  • 慕家养女初成人

    慕家养女初成人

    世界上最美亦是最毒的情话,是你那句,我养你!可我却信了,那年,与你初遇,就不可救药的爱上你……却不敢说出口!苏家悦,在我慕天和的世界里,并没有计划把你留太久!我即可把你宠上天,亦能把你踩下地!没关系,这本是我欠你的!