Lastly,theagreementofthesecreaturesisnatural;thatofmenisbycovenantonly,whichisartificial:andthereforeitisnowonderiftherebesomewhatelserequired,besidescovenant,tomaketheiragreementconstantandlasting;whichisacommonpowertokeeptheminaweandtodirecttheiractionstothecommonbenefit。
Theonlywaytoerectsuchacommonpower,asmaybeabletodefendthemfromtheinvasionofforeigners,andtheinjuriesofoneanother,andtherebytosecuretheminsuchsortasthatbytheirownindustryandbythefruitsoftheearththeymaynourishthemselvesandlivecontentedly,istoconferalltheirpowerandstrengthupononeman,orupononeassemblyofmen,thatmayreducealltheirwills,bypluralityofvoices,untoonewill:whichisasmuchastosay,toappointoneman,orassemblyofmen,tobeartheirperson;andeveryonetoownandacknowledgehimselftobeauthorofwhatsoeverhethatsobeareththeirpersonshallact,orcausetobeacted,inthosethingswhichconcernthecommonpeaceandsafety;andthereintosubmittheirwills,everyonetohiswill,andtheirjudgementstohisjudgement。Thisismorethanconsent,orconcord;itisarealunityofthemallinoneandthesameperson,madebycovenantofeverymanwitheveryman,insuchmannerasifeverymanshouldsaytoeveryman:Iauthoriseandgiveupmyrightofgoverningmyselftothisman,ortothisassemblyofmen,onthiscondition;thatthougiveup,thyrighttohim,andauthoriseallhisactionsinlikemanner。Thisdone,themultitudesounitedinonepersoniscalledaCOMMONWEALTH;inLatin,CIVITAS。
ThisisthegenerationofthatgreatLEVIATHAN,orrather,tospeakmorereverently,ofthatmortalgodtowhichweowe,undertheimmortalGod,ourpeaceanddefence。Forbythisauthority,givenhimbyeveryparticularmanintheCommonwealth,hehaththeuseofsomuchpowerandstrengthconferredonhimthat,byterrorthereof,heisenabledtoformthewillsofthemall,topeaceathome,andmutualaidagainsttheirenemiesabroad。AndinhimconsisteththeessenceoftheCommonwealth;which,todefineit,is:oneperson,ofwhoseactsagreatmultitude,bymutualcovenantsonewithanother,havemadethemselveseveryonetheauthor,totheendhemayusethestrengthandmeansofthemallasheshallthinkexpedientfortheirpeaceandcommondefence。
Andhethatcarryeththispersoniscalledsovereign,andsaidtohavesovereignpower;andeveryonebesides,hissubject。
Theattainingtothissovereignpowerisbytwoways。One,bynaturalforce:aswhenamanmakethhischildrentosubmitthemselves,andtheirchildren,tohisgovernment,asbeingabletodestroythemiftheyrefuse;orbywarsubduethhisenemiestohiswill,givingthemtheirlivesonthatcondition。Theother,iswhenmenagreeamongstthemselvestosubmittosomeman,orassemblyofmen,voluntarily,onconfidencetobeprotectedbyhimagainstallothers。ThislattermaybecalledapoliticalCommonwealth,orCommonwealthbyInstitution;andtheformer,aCommonwealthbyacquisition。Andfirst,IshallspeakofaCommonwealthbyinstitution。
......购买会员看全站小说,或者下载APP免费观看所有作品 点击立即下载,搜索"LEVIATHAN",免费读到尾