on liberty-第15部分

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the　more　important　cases　absolutely　require　to　be；　controlled　by　the



unfavourable　sentiments；　and；　when　needful；　by　the　active　interference



of　mankind。　The　liberty　of　the　individual　must　be　thus　far　limited；　he



must　not　make　himself　a　nuisance　to　other　people。　But　if　he　refrains



from　molesting　others　in　what　concerns　them；　and　merely　acts　according



to　his　own　inclination　and　judgment　in　things　which　concern　himself；



the　same　reasons　which　show　that　opinion　should　be　free；　prove　also



that　he　should　be　allowed；　without　molestation；　to　carry　his



opinions　into　practice　at　his　own　cost。　That　mankind　are　not



infallible；　that　their　truths；　for　the　most　part；　are　only



half…truths；　that　unity　of　opinion；　unless　resulting　from　the



fullest　and　freest　comparison　of　opposite　opinions；　is　not



desirable；　and　diversity　not　an　evil；　but　a　good；　until　mankind　are



much　more　capable　than　at　present　of　recognising　all　sides　of　the



truth；　are　principles　applicable　to　men's　modes　of　action；　not　less



than　to　their　opinions。　As　it　is　useful　that　while　mankind　are



imperfect　there　should　be　different　opinions；　so　it　is　that　there



should　be　different　experiments　of　living；　that　free　scope　should　be



given　to　varieties　of　character；　short　of　injury　to　others；　and　that



the　worth　of　different　modes　of　life　should　be　proved　practically；



when　any　one　thinks　fit　to　try　them。　It　is　desirable；　in　short；　that



in　things　which　do　not　primarily　concern　others；　individuality



should　assert　itself。　Where；　not　the　person's　own　character；　but　the



traditions　or　customs　of　other　people　are　the　rule　of　conduct；　there



is　wanting　one　of　the　principal　ingredients　of　human　happiness；　and



quite　the　chief　ingredient　of　individual　and　social　progress。



　　In　maintaining　this　principle；　the　greatest　difficulty　to　be



encountered　does　not　lie　in　the　appreciation　of　means　towards　an



acknowledged　end；　but　in　the　indifference　of　persons　in　general　to　the



end　itself。　If　it　were　felt　that　the　free　development　of　individuality



is　one　of　the　leading　essentials　of　well…being；　that　it　is　not　only



a　co…ordinate　element　with　all　that　is　designated　by　the　terms



civilisation；　instruction；　education；　culture；　but　is　itself　a



necessary　part　and　condition　of　all　those　things；　there　would　be　no



danger　that　liberty　should　be　undervalued；　and　the　adjustment　of　the



boundaries　between　it　and　social　control　would　present　no



extraordinary　difficulty。　But　the　evil　is；　that　individual　spontaneity



is　hardly　recognised　by　the　common　modes　of　thinking　as　having　any



intrinsic　worth；　or　deserving　any　regard　on　its　own　account。　The



majority；　being　satisfied　with　the　ways　of　mankind　as　they　now　are



（for　it　is　they　who　make　them　what　they　are）；　cannot　comprehend　why



those　ways　should　not　be　good　enough　for　everybody；　and　what　is



more；　spontaneity　forms　no　part　of　the　ideal　of　the　majority　of



moral　and　social　reformers；　but　is　rather　looked　on　with　jealousy；



as　a　troublesome　and　perhaps　rebellious　obstruction　to　the　general



acceptance　of　what　these　reformers；　in　their　own　judgment；　think　would



be　best　for　mankind。　Few　persons；　out　of　Germany；　even　comprehend



the　meaning　of　the　doctrine　which　Wilhelm　von　Humboldt；　so　eminent



both　as　a　savant　and　as　a　politician；　made　the　text　of　a　treatise…



that　〃the　end　of　man；　or　that　which　is　prescribed　by　the　eternal　or



immutable　dictates　of　reason；　and　not　suggested　by　vague　and　transient



desires；　is　the　highest　and　most　harmonious　development　of　his



powers　to　a　complete　and　consistent　whole〃；　that；　therefore；　the



object　〃towards　which　every　human　being　must　ceaselessly　direct　his



efforts；　and　on　which　especially　those　who　design　to　influence　their



fellow…men　must　ever　keep　their　eyes；　is　the　individuality　of　power



and　development〃；　that　for　this　there　are　two　requisites；　〃freedom；



and　variety　of　situations〃；　and　that　from　the　union　of　these　arise



〃individual　vigour　and　manifold　diversity；〃　which　combine　themselves



in　〃originality。〃*







　　*　The　Sphere　and　Duties　of　Government；　from　the　German　of　Baron



Wilhelm　von　Humboldt；　pp。　11…13。







　　Little；　however；　as　people　are　accustomed　to　a　doctrine　like　that　of



Von　Humboldt；　and　surprising　as　it　may　be　to　them　to　find　so　high　a



value　attached　to　individuality；　the　question；　one　must　nevertheless



think；　can　only　be　one　of　degree。　No　one's　idea　of　excellence　in



conduct　is　that　people　should　do　absolutely　nothing　but　copy　one



another。　No　one　would　assert　that　people　ought　not　to　put　into　their



mode　of　life；　and　into　the　conduct　of　their　concerns；　any　impress



whatever　of　their　own　judgment；　or　of　their　own　individual



character。　On　the　other　hand；　it　would　be　absurd　to　pretend　that



people　ought　to　live　as　if　nothing　whatever　had　been　known　in　the



world　before　they　came　into　it；　as　if　experience　had　as　yet　done



nothing　towards　showing　that　one　mode　of　existence　or　of　conduct；　is



preferable　to　another。　Nobody　denies　that　people　should　be　so　taught



and　trained　in　youth　as　to　know　and　benefit　by　the　ascertained　results



of　human　experience。　But　it　is　the　privilege　and　proper　condition　of　a



human　being；　arrived　at　the　maturity　of　his　faculties；　to　use　and



interpret　experience　in　his　own　way。　It　is　for　him　to　find　out　what



part　of　recorded　experience　is　properly　applicable　to　his　own



circumstances　and　character。　The　traditions　and　customs　of　other



people　are；　to　a　certain　extent；　evidence　of　what　their　experience　has



taught　them；　presumptive　evidence；　and　as　such；　have　a　claim　to　his



deference：　but；　in　the　first　place；　their　experience　may　be　too



narrow；　or　they　may　not　have　interpreted　it　rightly。　Secondly；　their



interpretation　of　experience　may　be　correct；　but　unsuitable　to　him。



Customs　are　made　for　customary　circumstances　and　customary　characters；



and　his　circumstances　or　his　character　may　be　uncustomary。　Thirdly；



though　the　customs　be　both　good　as　customs；　and　suitable　to　him；　yet



to　conform　to　custom；　merely　as　custom；　does　not　educate　or　develop　in



him　any　of　the　qualities　which　are　the　distinctive　endowment　of　a



human　being。　The　human　faculties　of　perception；　judgment；



discriminative　feeling；　mental　activity；　and　even　moral　preference；



are　exercised　only　in　making　a　choice。　He　who　does　anything　because　it



is　the　custom　makes　no　choice。　He　gains　no　practice　either　in



discerning　or　in　desiring　what　is　best。　The　mental　and　moral；　like　the



muscular　powers；　are　improved　only　by　being　used。　The　faculties　are



called　into　no　exercise　by　doing　a　thing　merely　because　others　do



it；　no　more　than　by　believing　a　thing　only　because　others　believe



it。　If　the　grounds　of　an　opinion　are　not　conclusive　to　the　person's



own　reason；　his　reason　cannot　be　strengthened；　but　is　likely　to　be



weakened；　by　his　adopting　it：　and　if　the　inducements　to　an　act　are　not



such　as　are　consentaneous　to　his　own　feelings　and　character　（where



affection；　or　the　rights　of　others；　are　not　concerned）　it　is　so　much



done　towards　rendering　his　feelings　and　character　inert　and　torpid；



instead　of　active　and　energetic。



　　He　who　lets　the　world；　or　his　own　portion　of　it；　choose　his　plan



of　life　for　him；　has　no　need　of　any　other　faculty　than　the　ape…like



one　of　imitation。　He　who　chooses　his　plan　for　himself；　employs　all　his



faculties。　He　must　use　observation　to　see；　reasoning　and　judgment　to



foresee；　activity　to　gather　materials　for　decision；　discrimination



to　decide；　and　when　he　has　decided；　firmness　and　self…control　to



hold　to　his　deliberate　decision。　And　these　qualities　he　requires　and



exercises　exactly　in　proportion　as　the　part　of　his　conduct　which　he



determines　according　to　his　own　judgment　and　feelings　is　a　large



one。　It　is　possible　that　he　might　be　guided　in　some　good　path；　and



kept　out　of　harm's　way；　without　any　of　these　things。　But　what　will



be　his　comparative　worth　as　a　human　being？　It　really　is　of　importance；



not　only　what　men　do；　but　also　what　manner　of　men　they　are　that　do　it。



Among　the　works　of　man；　which　human　life　is　rightly　employed　in



perfecting　and　beautifying；　the　first　in　importance　surely　is　man



himself。　Supposing　it　were　possible　to　get　houses　built；　corn　grown；



battles　fought；　causes　tried；　and　even　churches　erected　and　prayers



said；　by　machinery…　by　automatons　in　human　form…　it　would　be　a



considerable　loss　to　exchange　for　these　automatons　even　the　men　and



women　who　at　present　inhabit　the　more　civilised　parts　of　the　world；



and　who　assuredly　are　but　starved　specimens　of　what　nature　can　and



will　produce。　Human　nature　is　not　a　machine　to　be　built　after　a　model；



and　set　to　do　exactly　the　work　prescribed　for　it；　but　a　tree；　which



requires　to　grow　and　develop　itself　on　all　sides；　according　to　the



tendency　of　the　inward　forces　which　make　it　a　living　thing。



　　It　will　probably　be　conceded　that　it　is　desirable　people　should



exercise　their　understandings；　and　that　an　intelligent　following　of



custom；　or　even　occasionally　an　intelligent　deviation　from　custom；



is　better　than　a　blind　and　simply　mechanical　adhesion　to　it。　To　a



certain　extent　it　is　admitted　that　our　understanding　should　be　our



own：　but　there　is　not　the　same　willingness　to　admit　that　our　desires



and　impulses　should　be　our　own　likewise；　or　that　to　possess　impulses



of　our　own；　and　of　any　strength；　is　anything　but　a　peril　and　a



snare。　Yet　desires　and　impulses　are　as　much　a　part　of　a　perfect



human　being　as　beliefs　and　restraints：　and　strong　impulses　are　only



perilous　when　not　properly　balanced；　when　one　set　of　aims　and



inclinations　is　developed　into　strength；　while　others；　which　ought



to　co…exist　with　them；　remain　weak　and　inactive。　It　is　not　because



men's　desires　are　strong　that　they　act　ill；　it　is　because　their



consciences