on liberty-第16章

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！




would　have　a　chance　of　being　themselves　original。　Meanwhile；



recollecting　that　nothing　was　ever　yet　done　which　some　one　was　not　the



first　to　do；　and　that　all　good　things　which　exist　are　the　fruits　of



originality；　let　them　modest　enough　to　believe　that　there　is　something



still　left　for　it　to　accomplish；　and　assure　themselves　that　they　are



more　in　need　of　originality；　the　less　they　are　conscious　of　the　want。



　　In　sober　truth；　whatever　homage　may　be　professed；　or　even　paid；　to



real　or　supposed　mental　superiority；　the　general　tendency　of　things



throughout　the　world　is　to　render　mediocrity　the　ascendant　power　among



mankind。　In　ancient　history；　in　the　Middle　Ages；　and　in　a



diminishing　degree　through　the　long　transition　from　feudality　to　the



present　time；　the　individual　was　a　power　in　himself；　and　if　he　had



either　great　talents　or　a　high　social　position；　he　was　a



considerable　power。　At　present　individuals　are　lost　in　the　crowd。　In



politics　it　is　almost　a　triviality　to　say　that　public　opinion　now



rules　the　world。　The　only　power　deserving　the　name　is　that　of



masses；　and　of　governments　while　they　make　themselves　the　organ　of　the



tendencies　and　instincts　of　masses。　This　is　as　true　in　the　moral　and



social　of　private　life　as　in　public　transactions。　Those　whose　opinions



go　by　the　name　of　public　opinion　are　not　always　the　same　sort　of



public：　in　America　they　are　the　whole　white　population；　in　England；



chiefly　the　middle　class。　But　they　are　always　a　mass；　that　is　to



say；　collective　mediocrity。　And　what　is　a　still　greater　novelty；　the



mass　do　not　now　take　their　opinions　from　dignitaries　in　Church　or



State；　from　ostensible　leaders；　or　from　books。　Their　thinking　is



done　for　them　by　men　much　like　themselves；　addressing　them　or　speaking



in　their　name；　on　the　spur　of　the　moment；　through　the　newspapers。



　　I　am　not　complaining　of　all　this。　I　do　not　assert　that　anything



better　is　compatible；　as　a　general　rule；　with　the　present　low　state　of



the　human　mind。　But　that　does　not　hinder　the　government　of



mediocrity　from　being　mediocre　government。　No　government　by　a



democracy　or　a　numerous　aristocracy；　either　in　its　political　acts　or



in　the　opinions；　qualities；　and　tone　of　mind　which　it　fosters；　ever



did　or　could　rise　above　mediocrity；　except　in　so　far　as　the



sovereign　Many　have　let　themselves　be　guided　（which　in　their　best



times　they　always　have　done）　by　the　counsels　and　influence　of　a　more



highly　gifted　and　instructed　One　or　Few。　The　initiation　of　all　wise　or



noble　things　comes　and　must　come　from　individuals；　generally　at



first　from　some　one　individual。　The　honour　and　glory　of　the　average



man　is　that　he　is　capable　of　following　that　initiative；　that　he　can



respond　internally　to　wise　and　noble　things；　and　be　led　to　them　with



his　eyes　open。　I　am　not　countenancing　the　sort　of　〃hero…worship〃　which



applauds　the　strong　man　of　genius　for　forcibly　seizing　on　the



government　of　the　world　and　making　it　do　his　bidding　in　spite　of



itself。　All　he　can　claim　is；　freedom　to　point　out　the　way。　The　power



of　compelling　others　into　it　is　not　only　inconsistent　with　the　freedom



and　development　of　all　the　rest；　but　corrupting　to　the　strong　man



himself。　It　does　seem；　however；　that　when　the　opinions　of　masses　of



merely　average　men　are　everywhere　become　or　becoming　the　dominant



power；　the　counterpoise　and　corrective　to　that　tendency　would　be　the



more　and　more　pronounced　individuality　of　those　who　stand　on　the



higher　eminences　of　thought。　It　is　in　these　circumstances　most



especially；　that　exceptional　individuals；　instead　of　being　deterred；



should　be　encouraged　in　acting　differently　from　the　mass。　In　other



times　there　was　no　advantage　in　their　doing　so；　unless　they　acted



not　only　differently　but　better。　In　this　age；　the　mere　example　of



non…conformity；　the　mere　refusal　to　bend　the　knee　to　custom；　is　itself



a　service。　Precisely　because　the　tyranny　of　opinion　is　such　as　to　make



eccentricity　a　reproach；　it　is　desirable；　in　order　to　break　through



that　tyranny；　that　people　should　be　eccentric。　Eccentricity　has　always



abounded　when　and　where　strength　of　character　has　abounded；　and　the



amount　of　eccentricity　in　a　society　has　generally　been　proportional　to



the　amount　of　genius；　mental　vigour；　and　moral　courage　it　contained。



That　so　few　now　dare　to　be　eccentric　marks　the　chief　danger　of　the



time。



　　I　have　said　that　it　is　important　to　give　the　freest　scope　possible



to　uncustomary　things；　in　order　that　it　may　in　time　appear　which　of



these　are　fit　to　be　converted　into　customs。　But　independence　of



action；　and　disregard　of　custom；　are　not　solely　deserving　of



encouragement　for　the　chance　they　afford　that　better　modes　action；　and



customs　more　worthy　of　general　adoption；　may　be　struck　out；　nor　is



it　only　persons　of　decided　mental　superiority　who　have　a　just　claim　to



carry　on　their　lives　in　their　own　way。　There　is　no　reason　that　all



human　existence　should　be　constructed　on　some　one　or　some　small　number



of　patterns。　If　a　person　possesses　any　tolerable　amount　of　common



sense　and　experience；　his　own　mode　of　laying　out　his　existence　is



the　best；　not　because　it　is　the　best　in　itself；　but　because　it　is



his　own　mode。　Human　beings　are　not　like　sheep；　and　even　sheep　are



not　undistinguishably　alike。　A　man　cannot　get　a　coat　or　a　pair　of



boots　to　fit　him　unless　they　are　either　made　to　his　measure；　or　he　has



a　whole　warehouseful　to　choose　from：　and　is　it　easier　to　fit　him



with　a　life　than　with　a　coat；　or　are　human　beings　more　like　one



another　in　their　whole　physical　and　spiritual　conformation　than　in　the



shape　of　their　feet？　If　it　were　only　that　people　have　diversities　of



taste；　that　is　reason　enough　for　not　attempting　to　shape　them　all



after　one　model。



　　But　different　persons　also　require　different　conditions　for　their



spiritual　development；　and　can　no　more　exist　healthily　in　the　same



moral；　than　all　the　variety　of　plants　can　in　the　same　physical；



atmosphere　and　climate。　The　same　things　which　are　helps　to　one



person　towards　the　cultivation　of　his　higher　nature　are　hindrances



to　another。　The　same　mode　of　life　is　a　healthy　excitement　to　one；



keeping　all　his　faculties　of　action　and　enjoyment　in　their　best　order；



while　to　another　it　is　a　distracting　burthen；　which　suspends　or



crushes　all　internal　life。　Such　are　the　differences　among　human　beings



in　their　sources　of　pleasure；　their　susceptibilities　of　pain；　and



the　operation　on　them　of　different　physical　and　moral　agencies；　that



unless　there　is　a　corresponding　diversity　in　their　modes　of　life；　they



neither　obtain　their　fair　share　of　happiness；　nor　grow　up　to　the



mental；　moral；　and　aesthetic　stature　of　which　their　nature　is　capable。



Why　then　should　tolerance；　as　far　as　the　public　sentiment　is



concerned；　extend　only　to　tastes　and　modes　of　life　which　extort



acquiescence　by　the　multitude　of　their　adherents？　Nowhere　（except　in



some　monastic　institutions）　is　diversity　of　taste　entirely



unrecognised；　a　person　may；　without　blame；　either　like　or　dislike



rowing；　or　smoking；　or　music；　or　athletic　exercises；　or　chess；　or



cards；　or　study；　because　both　those　who　like　each　of　these　things；　and



those　who　dislike　them；　are　too　numerous　to　be　put　down。　But　the



man；　and　still　more　the　woman；　who　can　be　accused　either　of　doing



〃What　nobody　does；〃　or　of　not　doing　〃what　everybody　does；〃　is　the



subject　of　as　much　depreciatory　remark　as　if　he　or　she　had　committed



some　grave　moral　delinquency。　Persons　require　to　possess　a　title；　or



some　other　badge　of　rank；　or　of　the　consideration　of　people　of　rank；



to　be　able　to　indulge　somewhat　in　the　luxury　of　doing　as　they　like



without　detriment　to　their　estimation。　To　indulge　somewhat；　I



repeat：　for　whoever　allow　themselves　much　of　that　indulgence；　incur



the　risk　of　something　worse　than　disparaging　speeches…　they　are　in



peril　of　a　commission　de　lunatico；　and　of　having　their　property



taken　from　them　and　given　to　their　relations。*







　　*　There　is　something　both　contemptible　and　frightful　in　the　sort　of



evidence　on　which；　of　late　years；　any　person　can　be　judicially



declared　unfit　for　the　management　of　his　affairs；　and　after　his　death；



his　disposal　of　his　property　can　be　set　aside；　if　there　is　enough　of



it　to　pay　the　expenses　of　litigation…　which　are　charged　on　the



property　itself。　All　the　minute　details　of　his　daily　life　are　pried



into；　and　whatever　is　found　which；　seen　through　the　medium　of　the



perceiving　and　describing　faculties　of　the　lowest　of　the　low；　bears



an　appearance　unlike　absolute　commonplace；　is　laid　before　the　jury　as



evidence　of　insanity；　and　often　with　success；　the　jurors　being　little；



if　at　all；　less　vulgar　and　ignorant　than　the　witnesses；　while　the



judges；　with　that　extraordinary　want　of　knowledge　of　human　nature　and



life　which　continually　astonishes　us　in　English　lawyers；　often　help



to　mislead　them。　These　trials　speak　volumes　as　to　the　state　of　feeling



and　opinion　among　the　vulgar　with　regard　to　human　liberty。　So　far　from



setting　any　value　on　individuality…　so　far　from　respecting　the　right



of　each　individual　to　act；　in　things　indifferent；　as　seems　good　to



his　own　judgment　and　inclinations；　judges　and　juries　cannot　even



conceive　that　a　person　in　a　state　of　sanity　can　desire　such　freedom。



In　former　days；　when　it　was　proposed　to　burn　atheists；　charitable



people　used　to　suggest　putting　them　in　a　madhouse　instead：　it　would　be



nothing　surprising　now…a…days　were　we　to　see　this　done；　and　the



doers　applauding　themselves；　because；　instead　of　persecuting　for



religion；　they　had　adopted　so　humane　and　Christian　a　mode　of



treating　these　unfortunates；　not　without　a　silent　satisfaction　at



their　having　thereby　obtained　their　deserts。







　　There　is　one　characteristic　of　the　present　direction　of　public



opinion　peculiarly　calculated　to　make　it　intolerant　of　any　marked



demonstration　of　individuality。　The　general　average　of　mankind　are　not



only　moderate　in　intellect；　but　also　moderate　in　inclinations：　they



have　no　tastes　or　wishes　strong　enough　to　incline　them　to　do



anything　unusual；　and　they　consequently　do　not　understand　those　who



have；　and　class　all　such　with　the　wild　and　intemperate　whom　they　are



accustomed　to　look　down　upon。　Now；　in　addition　to　this　fact　which　is



general；　we　have　only　to　suppose　that　a　strong　movement　has　set　in



towards　the　improvement　of　morals；　and　it　is　evident　what　we　have　to



expect。　In　these　days　such　a　movement　has　set　in；　much　has　actually



been　effected　in　the　way　of　increased　regularity　of　conduct　and



discouragement　of　excesses；　and　there　is　a　philanthropic　spirit



abroad；　for　the　exercise　of　which　there　is　no　more　inviting　field　than



the　moral　and　prudential　improveme