贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > concerning civil government >

第19章

concerning civil government-第19章

小说: concerning civil government 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



of discretion; and then he is a free man; at liberty what government

he will put himself under; what body politic he will unite himself to。

For if an Englishman's son born in France be at liberty; and may do

so; it is evident there is no tie upon him by his father being a

subject of that kingdom; nor is he bound up by any compact of his

ancestors; and why then hath not his son; by the same reason; the same

liberty; though he be born anywhere else? Since the power that a

father hath naturally over his children is the same wherever they be

born; and the ties of natural obligations are not bounded by the

positive limits of kingdoms and commonwealths。

  119。 Every man being; as has been showed; naturally free; and

nothing being able to put him into subjection to any earthly power;

but only his own consent; it is to be considered what shall be

understood to be a sufficient declaration of a man's consent to make

him subject to the laws of any government。 There is a common

distinction of an express and a tacit consent; which will concern

our present case。 Nobody doubts but an express consent of any man;

entering into any society; makes him a perfect member of that society;

a subject of that government。 The difficulty is; what ought to be

looked upon as a tacit consent; and how far it binds… i。e。; how far

any one shall be looked on to have consented; and thereby submitted to

any government; where he has made no expressions of it at all。 And

to this I say; that every man that hath any possession or enjoyment of

any part of the dominions of any government doth hereby give his tacit

consent; and is as far forth obliged to obedience to the laws of

that government; during such enjoyment; as any one under it; whether

this his possession be of land to him and his heirs for ever; or a

lodging only for a week; or whether it be barely travelling freely

on the highway; and; in effect; it reaches as far as the very being of

any one within the territories of that government。

  120。 To understand this the better; it is fit to consider that every

man when he at first incorporates himself into any commonwealth; he;

by his uniting himself thereunto; annexes also; and submits to the

community those possessions which he has; or shall acquire; that do

not already belong to any other government。 For it would be a direct

contradiction for any one to enter into society with others for the

securing and regulating of property; and yet to suppose his land;

whose property is to be regulated by the laws of the society; should

be exempt from the jurisdiction of that government to which he

himself; and the property of the land; is a subject。 By the same

act; therefore; whereby any one unites his person; which was before

free; to any commonwealth; by the same he unites his possessions;

which were before free; to it also; and they become; both of them;

person and possession; subject to the government and dominion of

that commonwealth as long as it hath a being。 Whoever therefore;

from thenceforth; by inheritance; purchases permission; or otherwise

enjoys any part of the land so annexed to; and under the government of

that commonweal; must take it with the condition it is under… that is;

of submitting to the government of the commonwealth; under whose

jurisdiction it is; as far forth as any subject of it。

  121。 But since the government has a direct jurisdiction only over

the land and reaches the possessor of it (before he has actually

incorporated himself in the society) only as he dwells upon and enjoys

that; the obligation any one is under by virtue of such enjoyment to

submit to the government begins and ends with the enjoyment; so that

whenever the owner; who has given nothing but such a tacit consent

to the government will; by donation; sale or otherwise; quit the

said possession; he is at liberty to go and incorporate himself into

any other commonwealth; or agree with others to begin a new one in

vacuis locis; in any part of the world they can find free and

unpossessed; whereas he that has once; by actual agreement and any

express declaration; given his consent to be of any commonweal; is

perpetually and indispensably obliged to be; and remain unalterably

a subject to it; and can never be again in the liberty of the state of

Nature; unless by any calamity the government he was under comes to be

dissolved。

  122。 But submitting to the laws of any country; living quietly and

enjoying privileges and protection under them; makes not a man a

member of that society; it is only a local protection and homage due

to and from all those who; not being in a state of war; come within

the territories belonging to any government; to all parts whereof

the force of its law extends。 But this no more makes a man a member of

that society; a perpetual subject of that commonwealth; than it

would make a man a subject to another in whose family he found it

convenient to abide for some time; though; whilst he continued in

it; he were obliged to comply with the laws and submit to the

government he found there。 And thus we see that foreigners; by

living all their lives under another government; and enjoying the

privileges and protection of it; though they are bound; even in

conscience; to submit to its administration as far forth as any

denizen; yet do not thereby come to be subjects or members of that

commonwealth。 Nothing can make any man so but his actually entering

into it by positive engagement and express promise and compact。 This

is that which; I think; concerning the beginning of political

societies; and that consent which makes any one a member of any

commonwealth。

                              Chapter IX

           Of the Ends of Political Society and Government



  123。 IF man in the state of Nature be so free as has been said; if

he be absolute lord of his own person and possessions; equal to the

greatest and subject to nobody; why will he part with his freedom;

this empire; and subject himself to the dominion and control of any

other power? To which it is obvious to answer; that though in the

state of Nature he hath such a right; yet the enjoyment of it is

very uncertain and constantly exposed to the invasion of others; for

all being kings as much as he; every man his equal; and the greater

part no strict observers of equity and justice; the enjoyment of the

property he has in this state is very unsafe; very insecure。 This

makes him willing to quit this condition which; however free; is

full of fears and continual dangers; and it is not without reason that

he seeks out and is willing to join in society with others who are

already united; or have a mind to unite for the mutual preservation of

their lives; liberties and estates; which I call by the general

name… property。

  124。 The great and chief end; therefore; of men uniting into

commonwealths; and putting themselves under government; is the

preservation of their property; to which in the state of Nature

there are many things wanting。

  Firstly; there wants an established; settled; known law; received

and allowed by common consent to be the standard of right and wrong;

and the common measure to decide all controversies between them。 For

though the law of Nature be plain and intelligible to all rational

creatures; yet men; being biased by their interest; as well as

ignorant for want of study of it; are not apt to allow of it as a

law binding to them in the application of it to their particular

cases。

  125。 Secondly; in the state of Nature there wants a known and

indifferent judge; with authority to determine all differences

according to the established law。 For every one in that state being

both judge and executioner of the law of Nature; men being partial

to themselves; passion and revenge is very apt to carry them too

far; and with too much heat in their own cases; as well as

negligence and unconcernedness; make them too remiss in other men's。

  126。 Thirdly; in the state of Nature there often wants power to back

and support the sentence when right; and to give it due execution。

Th

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 1 0

你可能喜欢的