LEVIATHAN

第42章

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第42章

LEVIATHAN Thomas Hobbes

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LEVIATHAN
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  AndIdoubtnotbutmanymenhavebeencontentedtoseethelatetroublesinEnglandoutofanimitationoftheLowCountries,supposingthereneedednomoretogrowrichthantochange,astheyhaddone,theformoftheirgovernment。Fortheconstitutionofman’snatureisofitselfsubjecttodesirenovelty:whenthereforetheyareprovokedtothesamebytheneighbourhoodalsoofthosethathavebeenenrichedbyit,itisalmostimpossibletobecontentwiththosethatsolicitthemtochange;andlovethefirstbeginnings,thoughtheybegrievedwiththecontinuanceofdisorder;likehotbloodsthat,havinggottentheitch,tearthemselveswiththeirownnailstilltheycanendurethesmartnolonger。

  Andastorebellioninparticularagainstmonarchy,oneofthemostfrequentcausesofitisthereadingofthebooksofpolicyandhistoriesoftheancientGreeksandRomans;fromwhichyoungmen,andallothersthatareunprovidedoftheantidoteofsolidreason,receivingastronganddelightfulimpressionofthegreatexploitsofwarachievedbytheconductorsoftheirarmies,receivewithalapleasingideaofalltheyhavedonebesides;andimaginetheirgreatprosperitynottohaveproceededfromtheemulationofparticularmen,butfromthevirtueoftheirpopularformofgovernmentnotconsideringthefrequentseditionsandcivilwarsproducedbytheimperfectionoftheirpolicy。Fromthereading,Isay,ofsuchbooks,menhaveundertakentokilltheirkings,becausetheGreekandLatinwritersintheirbooksanddiscoursesofpolicymakeitlawfulandlaudableforanymansotodo,providedbeforehedoithecallhimtyrant。Fortheysaynotregicide,thatis,killingofaking,buttyrannicide,thatis,killingofatyrant,islawful。FromthesamebookstheythatliveunderamonarchconceiveantheopinionthatthesubjectsinapopularCommonwealthenjoyliberty,butthatinamonarchytheyareallslaves。Isay,theythatliveunderamonarchyconceivesuchanopinion;notthattheyliveunderapopulargovernment:fortheyfindnosuchmatter。Insum,Icannotimaginehowanythingcanbemoreprejudicialtoamonarchythantheallowingofsuchbookstobepubliclyread,withoutpresentapplyingsuchcorrectivesofdiscreetmastersasarefittotakeawaytheirvenom:whichvenomIwillnotdoubttocomparetothebitingofamaddog,whichisadiseasethatphysicianscallhydrophobia,orfearofwater。Forashethatissobittenhasacontinualtormentofthirst,andyetabhorrethwater;andisinsuchanestateasifthepoisonendeavouredtoconverthimintoadog;sowhenamonarchyisoncebittentothequickbythosedemocraticalwritersthatcontinuallysnarlatthatestate,itwantethnothingmorethanastrongmonarch,whichneverthelessoutofacertaintyrannophobia,orfearofbeingstronglygoverned,whentheyhavehim,theyabhor。

  Astherehavebeendoctorsthatholdtherebethreesoulsinaman;sotherebealsothatthinktheremaybemoresouls,thatis,moresovereigns,thanoneinaCommonwealth;andsetupasupremacyagainstthesovereignty;canonsagainstlaws;andaghostlyauthorityagainstthecivil;workingonmen’smindswithwordsanddistinctionsthatofthemselvessignifynothing,butbewray,bytheirobscurity,thattherewalkethassomethinkinvisibly

  anotherkingdom,asitwereakingdomoffairies,inthedark。NowseeingitismanifestthatthecivilpowerandthepoweroftheCommonwealthisthesamething;andthatsupremacy,andthepowerofmakingcanons,andgrantingfaculties,impliethaCommonwealth;itfolloweththatwhereoneissovereign,anothersupreme;whereonecanmakelaws,andanothermakecanons;theremustneedsbetwoCommonwealths,ofoneandthesamesubjects;whichisakingdomdividedinitself,andcannotstand。Fornotwithstandingtheinsignificantdistinctionoftemporalandghostly,theyarestilltwokingdoms,andeverysubjectissubjecttotwomasters。Forseeingtheghostlypowerchallengeththerighttodeclarewhatissin,itchallengethbyconsequencetodeclarewhatislaw,sinbeingnothingbutthetransgressionofthelaw;andagain,thecivilpowerchallengingtodeclarewhatislaw,everysubjectmustobeytwomasters,whobothwillhavetheircommandsbeobservedaslaw,whichisimpossible。Or,ifitbebutonekingdom,eitherthecivil,whichisthepoweroftheCommonwealth,mustbesubordinatetotheghostly,andthenthereisnosovereigntybuttheghostly;ortheghostlymustbesubordinatetothetemporal,andthenthereisnosupremacybutthetemporal。Whenthereforethesetwopowersopposeoneanother,theCommonwealthcannotbutbeingreatdangerofcivilwaranddissolution。Forthecivilauthoritybeingmorevisible,andstandingintheclearerlightofnaturalreason,cannotchoosebutdrawtoitinalltimesaveryconsiderablepartofthepeople:andthespiritual,thoughitstandinthedarknessofSchooldistinctionsandhardwords;yet,becausethefearofdarknessandghostsisgreaterthanotherfears,cannotwantapartysufficienttotrouble,andsometimestodestroy,aCommonwealth。Andthisisadiseasewhichnotunfitlymaybecomparedtotheepilepsy,orfallingsicknesswhichtheJewstooktobeonekindofpossessionbyspirits,inthebodynatural。Forasinthisdiseasethereisanunnaturalspiritorwindintheheadthatobstructeththerootsofthenervesand,movingthemviolently,takeththemotionwhichnaturallytheyshouldhavefromthepowerofthesoulinthebrain;therebycausethviolentandirregularmotions,whichmencallconvulsions,intheparts;insomuchashethatisseizedtherewithfallethdownsometimesintothewater,andsometimesintothefire,asamandeprivedofhissenses:soalsointhebodypolitic,whenthespiritualpowermoveththemembersofaCommonwealthbytheterrorofpunishmentsandhopeofrewards,whicharethenervesofit,otherwisethanbythecivilpower,whichisthesouloftheCommonwealth,theyoughttobemoved;andbystrangeandhardwordssuffocatestheirunderstanding;itmustneedstherebydistractthepeople,andeitheroverwhelmtheCommonwealthwithoppression,orcastitintothefireofacivilwar。

  Sometimesalsointhemerelycivilgovernmenttherebemorethanonesoul:aswhenthepoweroflevyingmoney,whichisthenutritivefaculty,hasdependedonageneralassembly;thepowerofconductandcommand,whichisthemotivefaculty,ononeman;andthepowerofmakinglaws,whichistherationalfaculty,ontheaccidentalconsent,notonlyofthosetwo,butalsoofathird:thisendangereththeCommonwealth,sometimesforwantofconsenttogoodlaws,butmostoftenforwantofsuchnourishmentasisnecessarytolifeandmotion。

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