BENEDICT DE SPINOZA'S POLITICAL TREATISE, WHEREIN IS DEMONSTRATED, HOW THE SOCIETY IN WHICH MONARCHICAL DOMINION FINDS PLACE, AS ALSO THAT IN WHICH THE DOMINION IS ARISTOCRATIC, SHOULD BE ORDERED, SO AS NOT TO LAPSE INTO TYRANNY, BUT TO PRESERVE INVIOLATE THE PEACE AND FREEDOM OF THE CITIZENS. [TRACTATUS POLITICUS) FROM THE EDITOR'S PREFACE TO THE POSTHUMOUS WORKS OF BENEDICT DE SPINOZA. OUR author composed the Political Treatise shortly before his death. Its reasonings are exact, its style clear. Abandoning the opinions of many political writers, he most firmly propounds therein his own judgment; and throughout draws his conclusions from his premisses. In the first five chapters, he treats of political science in general-in the sixth and seventh, of monarchy; in the eighth, ninth, and tenth, of aristocracy; lastly, the eleventh begins the subject of democratic government. But his untimely death was the reason that he did not finish this treatise, and that he did not deal with the subject of laws, nor with the various questions about politics, as may be seen from the following "Letter of the Author to a Friend, which may properly be prefixed to this Political Treatise, and serve it for a Preface:' "Dear Friend,-Your welcome letter was delivered to me yesterday. I heartily thank you for the kind interest you take in me. I would not miss this opportunity, were I not engaged in something, which I think more useful, and which, I believe, will please you more-that is, in preparing a Political Treatise, which I began some time since, upon your advice. Of this treatise, six chapters are already finished. The first contains a kind of introduction to the actual work; the second treats of natural right; the third, of the right of supreme authorities. In the fourth, I inquire, what political matters are subject to the direction of supreme authorities; in the fifth, what is the ultimate and highest end which a society can contemplate; and, in the sixth, how a monarchy should be ordered, so as not to lapse into a tyranny. I am at present writing the seventh chapter, wherein I make a regular demonstration of all the heads of my preceding sixth chapter, concerning the ordering of a well-regulated monarchy. I shall afterwards pass to the subjects of aristocratic and popular dominion, and, lastly, to that of laws and other particular questions about politics. And so, farewell." The author's aim appears clearly from this letter; but being hindered by illness, and snatched away by death, he was unable, as the reader will find for himself, to continue this work further than to the end of the subject of aristocracy. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION. 1-3. Of the theory and practice of political science 4. Of the author's design 289 5. Of the force of the passions in men 6, 7. That we must not look to proofs of reason for the causes and foundations of dominion, but deduce them from the general nature or condition of mankind 289 6. The vulgar opinion about liberty. Of the first man's fall 7-10. Of liberty and necessity 292 294 11. He is free, who is led by reason 12. Of giving and breaking one's word by natural right 13. Of alliances formed between men 296 296 14. Men naturally enemies 296 16. Every one has so much the less right, the more the rest collectively exceed him in power 17. Of dominion and its three kinds 18. That in the state of nature one can do no wrong 19-21. What wrong-doing and obedience are 22. The free man 15. The more there are that come together, the more right all collectively have 24. Praise and blame CHAPTER III. OF THE RIGHT OF SUPREME AUTHORITIES. 1. A commonwealth, affairs of state, citizens, subjects 2. Right of a dominion same as natural right 3-4. By the ordinance of the commonwealth a citizen may not live after his own mind 5-9. Every citizen is dependent not on himself, but on the commonwealth 10. A question about religion. |