第8章 Liberty Chapter(2)

that,which every one of those,who gather together,propounds to himselfe for good;now whatsoever seemes good,is pleasant,and relates either to the senses,or the mind,but all the mindes pleasure is either Glory,(or to have a good opinion of ones selfe)or referres to Glory in the end;the rest are Sensuall,or conducing to sensuality,which may be all comprehended under the word Conveniencies.All Society therefore is either for Gain,or for Glory;(i.e.)not so much for love of our Fellowes,as for love of our Selves:but no society can be great,or lasting,which begins from Vain Glory;because that Glory is like Honour,if all,men have it,no man hath it,for they consist in comparison and precellence;neither doth the society of others advance any whit the cause of my glorying in my selfe;for every man must account himself,such as he can make himselfe,without the help of others.But though the benefits of this life may be much farthered by mutuall help,since yet those may be better attain'd to by Dominion,then by the society of others:I hope no body will doubt but that men would much more greedily be carryed by Nature,if all fear were removed,to obtain Dominion,then to gaine Society.We must therefore resolve,that the Originall of all great,and lasting Societies,consisted not in the mutuall good will men had towards each other,but in the mutuall fear they had of each other.

Born fit]Since we now see actually a constituted Society among men,and none living out of it,since we discern all desirous of congresse,and mutuall correspondence,it may seeme a wonderfull kind of stupidity,to lay in the very threshold of this Doctrine,such a stumbling block before t he Readers,as to deny Man to be born fit for Society:Therefore I must more plainly say,That it is true indeed,that to Man,by nature,or as Man,that is,as soone as he is born,Solitude is an enemy;for Infants have need of others to help them to live,and those of riper years to help them to live well,wherefore I deny not that men (even nature compelling)desire to come together.But civill Societies are not meer Meetings,but Bonds,to the making whereof,Faith and Compacts are necessary:The Vertue whereof to Children,and Fooles,and the profit whereof to those who have not yet tasted the miseries which accompany its defects,is altogether unknown;whence it happens,that those,because they know not what Society is,cannot enter into it;these,because ignorant of the benefit it brings,care not for it.Manifest therefore it is,that all men,because they are born in Infancy,are born unapt for Society.Many also (perhaps most men)either through defect of minde,or want of education remain unfit during the whole course of their lives;yet have Infants,as well as those of riper years,an humane nature;wherefore Man is made fit for Society not by Nature,but by Education:furthermore,although Man were born in such a condition as to desire it,it followes not,that he therefore were Born fit to enter into it;for it is one thing to desire,another to be in capacity fit for what we desire;for even they,who through their pride,will not stoop to equall conditions,without which there can be no Society,do yet desire it.

The mutuall fear]It is objected:It is so improbable that men should grow into civill Societies out of fear,that if they had been afraid,they would not have endur'd each others looks:

They Presume,I believe,that to fear is nothing else then to be affrighted:I comprehend in this word Fear,a certain foresight of future evill;neither doe I conceive flight the sole property of fear,but to distrust,suspect,take heed,provide so that they may not fear,is also incident to the fearfull.They who go to Sleep,shut their Dores;they who Travell carry their Swords with them,because they fear Theives.Kingdomes guard their Coasts and Frontiers with Forts,and Castles;Cities are compast with Walls,and all for fear of neighbouring Kingdomes and Townes;even the strongest Armies,and most accomplisht for Fight,yet sometimes Parly for Peace,as fearing each others Power,and lest they might be overcome.It is through fear that men secure themselves,by flight indeed,and in corners,if they think they cannot escaPe otherwise,but for the most part by Armes,and Defensive Weapons;whence it happens,that daring to come forth,they know each others Spirits;but then,if they fight,Civill Society ariseth from the Victory,if they agree,from their Agreement.

III.The cause of mutuall fear consists partly in the naturall equality of men,partly in their mutuall will of hurting:whence it comes to passe that we can neither expect from others,nor promise to our selves the least security:For if we look on men fullgrown,and consider how brittle the frame of our humane body is,(which perishing,all its strength,vigour,and wisdome it selfe perisheth with it)and how easie a matter it is,even for the weakest man to kill the strongest,there is no reason why any man trusting to his own strength should conceive himself made by nature above others:they are equalls who can doe equall things one against the other;but they who can do the greatest things,(namely kill)can doe equall things.All men therefore among themselves are by nature equall;the inequality we now discern,hath its spring from the Civill Law.