ments according to their intellect,
or being influenced by any given emotion. It is true that it has the
right to treat as enemies all men whose opinions do not, on all
subjects, entirely coincide with its own; but we are not discussing its
strict rights, but its proper course of action. I grant that it has the
right to rule in the most violent manner, and to put citizens to death
for very trivial causes, but no one supposes it can do this with the
approval of sound judgment. Nay, inasmuch as such things cannot be done
without extreme peril to itself, we may even deny that it has the
absolute power to do them, or, consequently, the absolute right; for the
rights of the sovereign are limited by his power.

Since, therefore, no one can abdicate his freedom of judgment and
feeling; since every man is by indefeasible natural right the master of
his own thoughts, it follows that men, thinking in diverse and
contradictory fashions, cannot, without disastrous results, be compelled
to speak only according to the dictates of the supreme power. Not even
the most experienced, to say nothing of the multitude, know how to keep
silence. Men's common failing is to confide their plans to others,
though there be need for secrecy, so that a government would be most
harsh which deprived the individual of his freedom of saying and
teaching what he thought; and would be moderate if such freedom were
granted. Still we cannot deny that authority may be as much injured by
words as by actions. Hence, although the freedom we are discussing
cannot be entirely denied to subjects, its unlimited concession would be
most baneful; we must, therefore, now inquire, how far such freedom can
and ought to be conceded without danger to the peace of the state, or
the power of the rulers.

It follows, plainly, from the explanation given above, of the
foundations of a state, that the ultimate aim of government is not to
rule, or restrain by fear, nor to exact obedience, but, contrariwise, to
free every man from fear that he may live in all possible security; in
other words, to strengthen his natural right to exist and work without
injury to himself or others.

No, the object of government is not to change men from rational beings
into beasts or puppets, but to enable them to develop their minds and
bodies in security, and to employ their reason unshackled; neither
showing hatred, anger or deceit, nor watched with the eyes of jealousy
and injustice. In fact,