Of Justice.
43
latter is painted[errata 1] out as a State of mutual War and Violence, attended with the most extreme Necessity. On the first Origin of Mankind, as we are told, their Ignorance and savage Nature were so prevalent, that they could give no mutual Trust, but must each depend upon himself, and his own Force or Cunning for Protection and Security. No Law was heard of: No Rule of Justice known: No Distinction of Property regarded: Power was the only Measure of Right; and a perpetual War of All against All was the Result of their untam'd Selfishness and Barbarity[1].
Whether
- ↑ This Fiction of a State of Nature, as a State of War, was not first started by Mr. Hobbes, as is commonly imagin'd. Plato endeavours to refute an Hypothesis very like it in the 2d, 3d and 4th Books de Republica. Cicero, on the contrary, supposes it certain and universally acknowledged in the following beautiful Passage, which is the only Authority I shall cite for these Reasonings: Not imitating in this the Example of Puffendorf, nor even that of Grotius, who think a Verse from Ovid or Plautus or Petronius a necessary Warrant for every moral Truth; or the Example of Mr. Woolaston, who has constant Recourse to Hebrew and Arabic Authors for the same Purpose. Quis enim vestrûm, judices, ignorat, ita naturam rerum tuliffe, ut quodam tempore homines, nondum neque naturali, neque civili jure descripto, fusi per agros, ac dispersi vagarentur, tantumque haberent quantum manu ac viribus, per cædem ac vulnera, aut eripere, aut retinere potuissent? Qui igitur primi virtute & consilio præstanti extiterunt, ii perspecto genere humanæ docilitatis atque ingenii, dissipatos, unum in locum congregarunt, cosque ex feritate illa ad justitiam ac mansuetudinem
transdu xerunt,
Errata
