文档介绍：A Theologico-Political Treatise
A Theologico-Political
Treatise
Part IV of IV - Chapters XVI to XX
Baruch Spinoza
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A Theologico-Political Treatise
CHAPTER XVI
OF THE FOUNDATIONS OF A STATE; OF THE NATURAL AND
CIVIL RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS; AND OF THE RIGHTS OF THE
SOVEREIGN POWER.
(1) Hitherto our care has been to separate philosophy from theology,
and to show the freedom of thought which such separation insures to both.
(2) It is now time to determine the limits to which such freedom of thought
and discussion may extend itself in the ideal state. (3) For the due
consideration of this question we must examine the foundations of a State,
first turning our attention to the natural rights of individuals, and
afterwards to religion and the state as a whole.
(16:4) By the right and ordinance of nature, I merely mean those
natural laws wherewith we conceive every individual to be conditioned by
nature, so as to live and act in a given way. (5) For instance, fishes are
naturally conditioned for swimming, and the greater for devouring the less;
therefore fishes enjoy the water, and the greater devour the less by
sovereign natural right. [16:1] (6) For it is certain that nature, taken in the
abstract, has sovereign right to do anything, she can; in other words, her
right is co- extensive with her power. (7) The power of nature is the power
of God, which has sovereign right over all things; and, inasmuch as the
power of nature is simply the aggregate of the powers of all her individual
components, it follows that every, individual has sovereign right to do all
that he can; in other words, the rights of an individual extend to the utmost
limits of his power as it has been conditioned. (8) Now it is the sovereign
law and right of nature that each individual should endeavour to preserve
itself as it is, without regard to anything but itself ; therefore this sovereign
law and right belongs to every individual, namely, to exist and act
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