第14章 競争 n.11 - 宣伝の自由
政府の観点(見地)から言ってさえ,国家の存立に対する危険を含まない意見に干渉することには,正当な理由はまったくない。もしある人が,地球は平らだとか,安息日は土曜日に守らなければならない。(注:キリスト教の安息日は通常日曜日だが、一部の宗派では土曜日を安息日としている。)といった意見を抱いているなら,その人が全力をあげて他の人々を自分の考えかたに変えさせようとすることは自由でなくてはならない。国家は,自らを,科学や形而上学や道徳(など)の真理の守護者だと,考えてはならない。これまで大部分の場合,そのように(国家は真理の守護者)考えられてきたし,現在,ドイツ,イタリア、ロシアにおいては,そのように考えられている。しかし,それは(それらの国家の)弱さを告白していることであり,安定した国家は,そのような弱さを免れていなければならない。 |
Chapter 14: Competition, n.11I do not think that a government should ever allow a propaganda urging, say, the assassination of some particular person. For in this case the action recommended may take place even if very few men are converted by the propaganda. It is the duty of the State to protect its citizens' lives unless they have legally incurred the death penalty, and if there is an agitation in favour of some one's assassination it may become very difficult to protect him. The Weimar Republic was too lax in this respect. But I do not think that a stable government ought to prohibit an agitation in favour of making some class of persons legally liable to the death penalty, for such an agitation would involve no threat to legality.There can be no good reason, even from a governmental point of view, for interference with opinions which do not involve danger to the existence of the state. If a man holds that the earth is flat, or that the Sabbath should be observed on Saturday, he should be free to do his best to convert people to his way of thinking. The State should not regard itself as the guardian of the Truth in science, metaphysics, or morals. It has done so at most times, and does so at present in Germany, Italy, and Russia. But this is a confession of weakness, from which stable States should be exempt. |