The English works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, Volume 04 (of 11)
Thomas Hobbes · en
1. Having set forth the nature of a Body Politic, and the three
sorts thereof, democracy, aristocracy, and monarchy; in this chapter
shall be declared, the _conveniences_, and _inconveniences_, that
arise from the same, both in general, and of the said several sorts
in particular. And first, seeing a body politic is erected only for
the ruling and governing of particular men, the benefit and damage
thereof, consisteth in the benefit or damage of being ruled. The
benefit is that for which a body politic was instituted, namely, the
peace and preservation of every particular man, than which it is not
possible there can be a greater, as hath been touched before, Part
I. chapter I. section 12. And this benefit extendeth equally both to
the _sovereign_, and to the _subjects_. For he or they that have the
sovereign power, have but the defence of their persons, by the
assistance of the particulars; and every particular man hath his
defence by their union in the sovereign. As for other benefits,
which pertain not to their safety and sufficiency, but to their well
and delightful being, such as are superfluous riches, they so belong
to the sovereign, as they must also be in the subject; and so to the
subject, as they must also be in the sovereign. For the riches and
treasure of the sovereign, is the dominion he hath over the riches
of his subjects. If therefore the sovereign provide not so as that
particular men may have means, both to preserve themselves, and also
to preserve the public; the common or sovereign treasure can be
none. And on the other side, if it were not for a common and public
treasure belonging to the sovereign power, men’s private riches
would sooner serve to put them into confusion and war, than to
secure and maintain them. Insomuch, as the profit of the sovereign
and subject goeth always together. That distinction therefore of
government, that there is one government for the good of him that
governeth, and another for the good of them that be governed;
whereof the former is _despotical_, that is lordly; the other, a
government of _freemen_, is not right. No more is the opinion of
them that hold it to be no city, which consisteth of a master and
his servants. They might as well say, it were no city, that
consisted in a father and his own issue, how numerous soever they
were. For to a master that hath no children, the servants have in
them all those respects, for which men love their children. For they
are his strength and his honour. And his power is no greater over
them, than over his children.
[Sidenote: The loss of liberty, &c.]