the proper sphere of the government.docx

the proper sphere of the government.docx

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thepropersphereofthegovernment

THEPROPERSPHEREOFGOVERNMENT--TheManversustheState

HerbertSpencer—www.libertyfund.org

ThisseriesoftwelveletterswaspublishedinTheNonconformistin1842-43.In1843theletterswerereprintedunderthepresenttitlebyW.BrittainofLondonandsoldforfourpence.

LetterI

Thingsofthefirstimportance—principlesinfluencingallthetransactionsofacountry—principlesinvolvingthewealorwoeofnations,areverygenerallytakenforgrantedbysociety.Whenacertainlineofconduct,howeverquestionablemaybeitspolicy—howevermomentousmaybeitsgoodorevilresults,hasbeenfollowedbyourancestors,itusuallyhappensthatthegreatmassesofmankindcontinuethesamecourseofaction,withouteverputtingtothemselvesthequestion—Isitright?

Customhastheenviablepower,ofcomingtoconclusionsuponmostdebatablepoints,withoutamoment’sconsideration—ofturningpropositionsofaverydoubtfulcharacterintoaxioms—andofsettingasidealmostself-evidenttruthsasunworthyofconsideration.

Ofallsubjectsthuscavalierlytreated,thefundamentalprinciplesoflegislation,areperhapsthemostimportant.Politicians—allmembersofthecommunitywhohavethewelfareoftheirfellow-menatheart,havetheirhopes,opinions,andwishes,centeredintheactionsofgovernment.Itthereforebehovesthemfullytounderstandthenature,theintention,thepropersphereofactionofagovernment.Beforeformingopinionsuponthebestmeasurestobeadopedbyalegislativebody,itisnecessarythatwelldefinedviewsofthepowerofthatbodyshouldbeformed;thatitbeunderstoodhowfaritcangoconsistentlywithitsconstitution;thatitbedecidedwhatitmaydoandwhatitmaynotdo.Andyet,howfewmenhaveevergiventhematteranyseriousconsideration;howfew,evenofthosewhoareinterestedintheaffairsofsociety,everputtothemselvesthequestion—Isthereanyboundarytotheinterferenceofgovernment?

and,ifso,whatisthatboundary?

Wehearonemanproclaimingtheadvantagesthatwouldaccrue,ifalltheturnpikeroadsinthekingdomwerekeptinrepairbythestate;anotherwouldsaddlethenationwithamedicalestablishment,andpreservethepopularhealthbylegislation;andathirdpartymaintainsthatgovernmentshouldmakerailwaysforIreland,atthepublicexpense.Thepossibilityoftherebeinganyimproprietyinmeddlingwiththesethingsneversuggestsitself.Governmentalwayshasexercisedthelibertyofuniversalinterference,andnobodyeverquestioneditsrighttodoso.Ourancestors,goodpeople,thoughtitquitereasonablethattheexecutiveshouldhaveunlimitedpower（orprobablytheynevertroubledthemselvestothinkaboutitatall）;andastheymadenoobjection,we,inourwisevenerationforthe“goodoldtimes,”supposethatallisasitshouldbe.Somefew,however,imbuedwiththemorehealthyspiritofinvestigation,arenotcontentwiththissimplemodeofsettlingsuchquestions,andwouldrathergroundtheirconvictionsuponreason,thanuponcustom.Tosuchareaddressedthefollowingconsiderations.

Everythinginnaturehasitslaws.Inorganicmatterhasitsdynamicalproperties,itschemicalaffinities;organicmatter,morecomplex,moreeasilydestroyed,hasalsoitsgoverningprinciples.Aswithmatterinitsintegralform,sowithmatterinitsaggregate;animatebeingshavetheirlaws,aswellasthematerial,fromwhichtheyarederived.Man,asananimatebeing,hasfunctionstoperform,andhasorgansforperformingthosefunctions;hehasinstinctstobeobeyed,andthemeansofobeyingthoseinstincts;and,solongasheperformsthosefunctions,asheobeysthoseinstincts,ashebendstothelawsofhisnature,solongdoesheremaininhealth.Alldisobediencetothesedictates,alltransgression,producesitsownpunishment.Naturewillbeobeyed.

Aswithmanphysically,sowithmanspiritually.Mindhasitslawsaswellasmatter.Thementalfacultieshavetheirindividualspheresofactioninthegreatbusinessoflife;andupontheirproperdevelopment,andthedueperformanceoftheirduties,dependthemoralintegrity,andtheintellectualhealth,oftheindividual.Psychicallawsmustbeobeyedaswellasphysicalones;anddisobedienceassurelybringsitspunishmentintheonecase,asintheother.

Aswithmanindividually,sowithmansocially.Societyascertainlyhasitsgoverningprinciplesasmanhas.Theymaynotbesoeasilytraced,soreadilydefined.Theiractionmaybemorecomplicated,anditmaybemoredifficulttoobeythem;but,nevertheless,analogyshowsusthattheymustexist.WeseenothingcreatedbutwhatissubjecttoinvariableregulationsgivenbytheAlmighty,andwhyshouldsocietybeanexception?

Wesee,moreover,thatbeingshavingvolition,arehealthyandhappy,solongonlyastheyactinaccordancewiththoseregulations;andwhyshouldnotthesamethingbetrueofmaninhiscollectivecapacity?

Thispointconceded,itfollowsthatthewellbeingofacommunity,dependsuponathoroughknowledgeofsocialprinciples,andanentireobediencetothem.Itbecomesofvitalimportancetoknow,whatinstitutionsarenecessarytotheprosperityofnations;todiscoverwhatarethedutiesofthoseinstitutions;totracetheboundariesoftheiraction;totakecarethattheyperformtheirfunctionsproperly;andespeciallytosee,thattheyaimnotatdutiesforwhichtheywerenotintended,andforwhichtheyarenotfitted.

Thelegislatureisthemostimportantofallnationalinstitutions,andassuch,itclaimsourfirstattentionintheinvestigationofsociallaws.Anattempttoarriveatitsprinciples,fromtheanalysisofexistinggovernments,withalltheircomplexandunnaturalarrangements,wouldbeaworkofendlessperplexity,andonefromwhichitwouldbeextremelydifficult,ifnotimpossible,toeduceanysatisfactoryresult.Toobtainclearideas,wemustconsiderthequestionabstractly;wemustsupposesocietyinitsprimitivecondition;wemustviewcircumstancesandrequirementsastheywouldnaturallyarise;andweshallthenbeinapositiontojudgeproperly,oftherelationwhichshouldexist,betweenapeopleandagovernment.

Letus,then,imagineanumberofmenlivingtogetherwithoutanyrecognisedlaws—withoutanychecksupontheiractions,savethoseimposedbytheirownfearsofconsequences—obeyingnothingbuttheimpulsesoftheirownpassions—whatistheresult?

Theweak—thosewhohavetheleaststrength,ortheleastinfluence—areoppressedbythemorepowerful:

these,intheirturn,experiencethetyrannyofmenstillhigherinthescale;andeventhemostinfluential,aresubjecttothecombinedvengeanceofthosewhomtheyhaveinjured.Everyman,therefore,sooncomestotheconclusion,thathisindividualinterestaswellasthatofthecommunityatlarge,willbestbeservedbyenteringintosomecommonbondofprotection:

allagreetobecomeamenabletothedecisionsoftheirfellows,andtoobeycertaingeneralarrangements.Graduallythepopulationincreases,theirdisputesbecomemorenumerous,andtheyfindthatitwillbemoreconvenienttodeputethisarbitrativepower,tooneormoreindividuals,whoshallbemaintainedbytherest,inconsiderationoftheirtimebeingdevotedtothebusinessofthepublic.Herewehaveagovernmentspringingnaturallyoutoftherequirementsofthecommunity.Butwhatarethoserequirements?

Isthegovernmentinstitutedforthepurposeofregulatingtrade—ofdictatingtoeachmanwhereheshallbuyandwhereheshallsell?

Dothepeoplewishtobetoldwhatreligiontheymustbelieve,whatformsandceremoniestheymustpractice,orhowmanytimestheymustattendchurchonaSunday?

1Iseducationtheobjectcontemplated?

Dotheyaskinstructionintheadministrationoftheircharity—tobetoldtowhomtheyshallgive,andhowmuch,andinwhatmannertheyshallgiveit?

Dotheyrequiretheirmeansofcommunication—theirroadsandrailways—designedandconstructedforthem?

Dotheycreateasupremepowertodirecttheirconductindomesticaffairs—totellthematwhatpartoftheyeartheyshallkilltheiroxen,andhowmanyservingsofmeattheyshallhaveatameal?

2Inshort,dotheywantagovernmentbecausetheyseethattheAlmightyhasbeensonegligentindesigningsocialmechanisms,thateverythingwillgowrongunlesstheyarecontinuallyinterfering?

No;theyknow,ortheyoughttoknow,thatthelawsofsocietyareofsuchacharacter,thatnaturalevilswillrectifythemselves;thatthereisinsociety,asineveryotherpartofcreation,thatbeautifulself-adjustingprinciple,whichwillkeepallitselementsinequilibrium;and,moreover,thatastheinterferenceofmaninexternalnatureoftendestroysthejustbalance,andproducesgreaterevilsthanthosetoberemedied,sotheattempttoregulatealltheactionsofacommunitybylegislation,willentaillittleelsebutmiseryandconfusion.

What,then,dotheywantagovernmentfor?

Nottoregulatecommerce;nottoeducatethepeople;nottoteachreligion;nottoadministercharity;nottomakeroadsandrailways;butsimplytodefendthenaturalrightsofman—toprotectpersonandproperty—topreventtheaggressionsofthepowerfulupontheweak—inaword,toadministerjustice.Thisisthenatural,theoriginal,officeofagovernment.Itwasnotintendedtodoless:

itoughtnottobeallowedtodomore.

LetterII

Philosophicalpoliticiansusuallydefinegovernment,asabodywhoseprovinceitis,toprovideforthe“generalgood.”Butthispracticallyamountstonodefinitionatall,ifbyadefinitionismeantadescription,inwhichthelimitsofthethingdescribedarepointedout.Itisnecessarytotheverynatureofadefinition,thatthewordsinwhich