《利維坦》節錄 (1651)
Leviathan – Thomas Hobbes
「人類嘅生命就會係又孤獨、又慘淡、又惡劣、又野蠻、同埋又短。」
“The life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”
－－－
民權、民主呢啲概念喺歐洲十七世紀開始急速發展。講起民主概念嘅先鋒，大家比較熟嘅可能係美國頭幾任嘅總統(Washington, Jefferson等)，或者係JS Mill、Rousseau、John Locke呢啲政治哲學家。不過最初提倡民約論（或社會契約論）嘅人，竟然係一個支持絕對專權君主嘅Thomas Hobbes(1588-1679)。
Thomas Hobbes寫咗本書叫《利維坦》(1651)。大家而家睇呢本書嘅時候一定會覺得佢超唔合理，因為佢認為最好嘅政制就係一個獨攬所有權力、完全冇制約、而且冇議會監督嘅絕對專制君主制。
但係呢本書喺政治哲學歷史上有好重要嘅地位，同埋好影響後世嘅哲學家諗民權、民主嘅問題，點解呢？因為佢提倡咗幾個嶄新嘅大概念；而呢啲概念又成為咗新嘅框架，去幫之後嘅思想家諗嘢。
咁佢提倡咗咩新概念呢？第一係「自然狀態」(“State of nature”)，即係假設如果人返返去最自然嘅狀態之下（即係未有社會之前），佢地係會點生活呢？第二就係提出社會契約論，第三就係佢打破咗「君權神授」呢個「政治正確」嘅思維。
「自然狀態」後來引伸出好多有關民主、民權、憲法、制衡、三權分立等等嘅概念。
以下呢段就係講到Hobbes佢點睇「自然狀態」。呢一段亦都係好出名嘅一段，成日都會有人節錄其中一句出嚟: “the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”。提多一點，Hobbes係生於一個內戰頻繁嘅年代。相信呢一點或多或少都影響咗佢點諗「自然狀態」嘅問題。
－－－
廣東意譯：
所以我地好清楚咁睇到，當世界上冇一個令大家都敬畏嘅權威，當人生活喺咁嘅時代裡面，佢地就係喺一種戰爭狀態之中。而呢種戰爭係每個人都同所有其他人開戰。[…]
喺咁嘅情況下，各種事業都發展唔到；因為你都唔知會唔會有收獲。咁嘅話，世界上就唔再有文化。唔會有航海事務，亦都唔會有經由海路進口嘅貨物。唔會有公共建設，亦都唔會有建築器具去郁或者拆呢啲大型建築。世界上亦唔會再有知識；唔會再有天文曆法；唔會有藝術；唔會有字；唔會有社會；
其中最差嘅就係無間斷嘅驚恐同埋長期都會有慘死嘅危機；而人類嘅生命就會係又孤獨、又慘淡、又惡劣、又野蠻、同埋又短。
－－－
Hereby it is manifest that during the time men live without a common Power to keep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called War; and such a war as is of every man against every man. […]
In such condition there is no place for Industry, because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no Culture of the Earth; no Navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by Sea; no commodious Building; no Instruments of moving and removing such things as require much force; no Knowledge of the face of the Earth; no account of Time; no Arts; no Letters; no Society;
and which is worst of all, continual Fear, and danger of violent death; And the life of man solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.
“Leviathan” Chapter 13:
http://www.bartleby.com/34/5/13.html
講故佬 BookTalker 