on liberty-第15章

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for　what　is　customary。　Thus　the　mind　itself　is　bowed　to　the　yoke：　even



in　what　people　do　for　pleasure；　conformity　is　the　first　thing



thought　of；　they　like　in　crowds；　they　exercise　choice　only　among



things　commonly　done：　peculiarity　of　taste；　eccentricity　of　conduct；



are　shunned　equally　with　crimes：　until　by　dint　of　not　following



their　own　nature　they　have　no　nature　to　follow：　their　human　capacities



are　withered　and　starved：　they　become　incapable　of　any　strong　wishes



or　native　pleasures；　and　are　generally　without　either　opinions　or



feelings　of　home　growth；　or　properly　their　own。　Now　is　this；　or　is



it　not；　the　desirable　condition　of　human　nature？



　　It　is　so；　on　the　Calvinistic　theory。　According　to　that；　the　one



great　offence　of　man　is　self…will。　All　the　good　of　which　humanity　is



capable　is　comprised　in　obedience。　You　have　no　choice；　thus　you　must



do；　and　no　otherwise：　〃whatever　is　not　a　duty；　is　a　sin。〃　Human　nature



being　radically　corrupt；　there　is　no　redemption　for　any　one　until



human　nature　is　killed　within　him。　To　one　holding　this　theory　of　life；



crushing　out　any　of　the　human　faculties；　capacities；　and



susceptibilities；　is　no　evil：　man　needs　no　capacity；　but　that　of



surrendering　himself　to　the　will　of　God：　and　if　he　uses　any　of　his



faculties　for　any　other　purpose　but　to　do　that　supposed　will　more



effectually；　he　is　better　without　them。　This　is　the　theory　of



Calvinism；　and　it　is　held；　in　a　mitigated　form；　by　many　who　do　not



consider　themselves　Calvinists；　the　mitigation　consisting　in　giving



a　less　ascetic　interpretation　to　the　alleged　will　of　God；　asserting　it



to　be　his　will　that　mankind　should　gratify　some　of　their　inclinations；



of　course　not　in　the　manner　they　themselves　prefer；　but　in　the　way



of　obedience；　that　is；　in　a　way　prescribed　to　them　by　authority；



and；　therefore；　by　the　necessary　condition　of　the　case；　the　same　for



all。



　　In　some　such　insidious　form　there　is　at　present　a　strong　tendency　to



this　narrow　theory　of　life；　and　to　the　pinched　and　hidebound　type　of



human　character　which　it　patronises。　Many　persons；　no　doubt；　sincerely



think　that　human　beings　thus　cramped　and　dwarfed　are　as　their　Maker



designed　them　to　be；　just　as　many　have　thought　that　trees　are　a　much



finer　thing　when　clipped　into　pollards；　or　cut　out　into　figures　of



animals；　than　as　nature　made　them。　But　if　it　be　any　part　of　religion



to　believe　that　man　was　made　by　a　good　Being；　it　is　more　consistent



with　that　faith　to　believe　that　this　Being　gave　all　human　faculties



that　they　might　be　cultivated　and　unfolded；　not　rooted　out　and



consumed；　and　that　he　takes　delight　in　every　nearer　approach　made　by



his　creatures　to　the　ideal　conception　embodied　in　them；　every　increase



in　any　of　their　capabilities　of　comprehension；　of　action；　or　of



enjoyment。　There　is　a　different　type　of　human　excellence　from　the



Calvinistic：　a　conception　of　humanity　as　having　its　nature　bestowed　on



it　for　other　purposes　than　merely　to　be　abnegated。　〃Pagan



self…assertion〃　is　one　of　the　elements　of　human　worth；　as　well　as



〃Christian　self…denial。〃*　There　is　a　Greek　ideal　of



self…development；　which　the　Platonic　and　Christian　ideal　of



self…government　blends　with；　but　does　not　supersede。　It　may　be



better　to　be　a　John　Knox　than　an　Alcibiades；　but　it　is　better　to　be



a　Pericles　than　either；　nor　would　a　Pericles；　if　we　had　one　in　these



days；　be　without　anything　good　which　belonged　to　John　Knox。







　　*　Sterling's　Essays。







　　It　is　not　by　wearing　down　into　uniformity　all　that　is　individual



in　themselves；　but　by　cultivating　it；　and　calling　it　forth；　within　the



limits　imposed　by　the　rights　and　interests　of　others；　that　human



beings　become　a　noble　and　beautiful　object　of　contemplation；　and　as



the　works　partake　the　character　of　those　who　do　them；　by　the　same



process　human　life　also　becomes　rich；　diversified；　and　animating；



furnishing　more　abundant　aliment　to　high　thoughts　and　elevating



feelings；　and　strengthening　the　tie　which　binds　every　individual　to



the　race；　by　making　the　race　infinitely　better　worth　belonging　to。



In　proportion　to　the　development　of　his　individuality；　each　person



becomes　more　valuable　to　himself；　and　is　therefore　capable　of　being



more　valuable　to　others。　There　is　a　greater　fulness　of　life　about



his　own　existence；　and　when　there　is　more　life　in　the　units　there　is



more　in　the　mass　which　is　composed　of　them。　As　much　compression　as



is　necessary　to　prevent　the　stronger　specimens　of　human　nature　from



encroaching　on　the　rights　of　others　cannot　be　dispensed　with；　but



for　this　there　is　ample　compensation　even　in　the　point　of　view　of



human　development。　The　means　of　development　which　the　individual　loses



by　being　prevented　from　gratifying　his　inclinations　to　the　injury　of



others；　are　chiefly　obtained　at　the　expense　of　the　development　of



other　people。　And　even　to　himself　there　is　a　full　equivalent　in　the



better　development　of　the　social　part　of　his　nature；　rendered　possible



by　the　restraint　put　upon　the　selfish　part。　To　be　held　to　rigid



rules　of　justice　for　the　sake　of　others；　develops　the　feelings　and



capacities　which　have　the　good　of　others　for　their　object。　But　to　be



restrained　in　things　not　affecting　their　good；　by　their　mere



displeasure；　develops　nothing　valuable；　except　such　force　of　character



as　may　unfold　itself　in　resisting　the　restraint。　If　acquiesced　in；



it　dulls　and　blunts　the　whole　nature。　To　give　any　fair　play　to　the



nature　of　each；　it　is　essential　that　different　persons　should　be



allowed　to　lead　different　lives。　In　proportion　as　this　latitude　has



been　exercised　in　any　age；　has　that　age　been　noteworthy　to



posterity。　Even　despotism　does　not　produce　its　worst　effects；　so



long　as　individuality　exists　under　it；　and　whatever　crushes



individuality　is　despotism；　by　whatever　name　it　may　be　called；　and



whether　it　professes　to　be　enforcing　the　will　of　God　or　the



injunctions　of　men。



　　Having　said　that　the　individuality　is　the　same　thing　with



development；　and　that　it　is　only　the　cultivation　of　individuality



which　produces；　or　can　produce；　well…developed　human　beings；　I　might



here　close　the　argument：　for　what　more　or　better　can　be　said　of　any



condition　of　human　affairs　than　that　it　brings　human　beings　themselves



nearer　to　the　best　thing　they　can　be？　or　what　worse　can　be　said　of　any



obstruction　to　good　than　that　it　prevents　this？　Doubtless；　however；



these　considerations　will　not　suffice　to　convince　those　who　most　need



convincing；　and　it　is　necessary　further　to　show；　that　these　developed



human　beings　are　of　some　use　to　the　undeveloped…　to　point　out　to



those　who　do　not　desire　liberty；　and　would　not　avail　themselves　of　it；



that　they　may　be　in　some　intelligible　manner　rewarded　for　allowing



other　people　to　make　use　of　it　without　hindrance。



　　In　the　first　place；　then；　I　would　suggest　that　they　might　possibly



learn　something　from　them。　It　will　not　be　denied　by　anybody；　that



originality　is　a　valuable　element　in　human　affairs。　There　is　always



need　of　persons　not　only　to　discover　new　truths；　and　point　out　when



what　were　once　truths　are　true　no　longer；　but　also　to　commence　new



practices；　and　set　the　example　of　more　enlightened　conduct；　and　better



taste　and　sense　in　human　life。　This　cannot　well　be　gainsaid　by　anybody



who　does　not　believe　that　the　world　has　already　attained　perfection　in



all　its　ways　and　practices。　It　is　true　that　this　benefit　is　not



capable　of　being　rendered　by　everybody　alike：　there　are　but　few



persons；　in　comparison　with　the　whole　of　mankind；　whose　experiments；



if　adopted　by　others；　would　be　likely　to　be　any　improvement　on



established　practice。　But　these　few　are　the　salt　of　the　earth；　without



them；　human　life　would　become　a　stagnant　pool。　Not　only　is　it　they　who



introduce　good　things　which　did　not　before　exist；　it　is　they　who



keep　the　life　in　those　which　already　exist。　If　there　were　nothing



new　to　be　done；　would　human　intellect　cease　to　be　necessary？　Would



it　be　a　reason　why　those　who　do　the　old　things　should　forget　why



they　are　done；　and　do　them　like　cattle；　not　like　human　beings？　There



is　only　too　great　a　tendency　in　the　best　beliefs　and　practices　to



degenerate　into　the　mechanical；　and　unless　there　were　a　succession



of　persons　whose　everrecurring　originality　prevents　the　grounds　of



those　beliefs　and　practices　from　becoming　merely　traditional；　such



dead　matter　would　not　resist　the　smallest　shock　from　anything　really



alive；　and　there　would　be　no　reason　why　civilisation　should　not　die



out；　as　in　the　Byzantine　Empire。　Persons　of　genius；　it　is　true；　are；



and　are　always　likely　to　be；　a　small　minority；　but　in　order　to　have



them；　it　is　necessary　to　preserve　the　soil　in　which　they　grow。



Genius　can　only　breathe　freely　in　an　atmosphere　of　freedom。　Persons　of



genius　are；　ex　vi　termini；　more　individual　than　any　other



people…　less　capable；　consequently；　of　fitting　themselves；　without



hurtful　compression；　into　any　of　the　small　number　of　moulds　which



society　provides　in　order　to　save　its　members　the　trouble　of　forming



their　own　character。　If　from　timidity　they　consent　to　be　forced　into



one　of　these　moulds；　and　to　let　all　that　part　of　themselves　which



cannot　expand　under　the　pressure　remain　unexpanded；　society　will　be



little　the　better　for　their　genius。　If　they　are　of　a　strong　character；



and　break　their　fetters；　they　become　a　mark　for　the　society　which



has　not　succeeded　in　reducing　them　to　commonplace；　to　point　out　with



solemn　warning　as　〃wild；〃　〃erratic；〃　and　the　like；　much　as　if　one



should　complain　of　the　Niagara　river　for　not　flowing　smoothly



between　its　banks　like　a　Dutch　canal。



　　I　insist　thus　emphatically　on　the　importance　of　genius；　and　the



necessity　of　allowing　it　to　unfold　itself　freely　both　in　thought　and



in　practice；　being　well　aware　that　no　one　will　deny　the　position　in



theory；　but　knowing　also　that　almost　every　one；　in　reality；　is　totally



indifferent　to　it。　People　think　genius　a　fine　thing　if　it　enables　a



man　to　write　an　exciting　poem；　or　paint　a　picture。　But　in　its　true



sense；　that　of　originality　in　thought　and　action；　though　no　one　says



that　it　is　not　a　thing　to　be　admired；　nearly　all；　at　heart；　think　that



they　can　do　very　well　without　it。　Unhappily　this　is　too　natural　to



be　wondered　at。　Originality　is　the　one　thing　which　unoriginal　minds



cannot　feel　the　use　of。　They　cannot　see　what　it　is　to　do　for　them：　how



should　they？　If　they　could　see　what　it　would　do　for　them；　it　would　not



be　originality。　The　first　service　which　originality　has　to　render



them；　is　that　of　opening　their　eyes：　which　being　once　fully　done；　they



would　have　a　chance　of　being　themselves　original。　Meanwhile；



recollecting　that　nothing　was　ever　yet　don