Mill’s Original Text

Yan Fu’s Translation

Ma Junwu’s Translation

Nakamura Masanao’s Translation

1

Chapter 3 Of Individuality, as one of the Elements of Well-being

篇三 释行己自繇明特操为民德之本

第三章 论个人为世间福祚之一原质

人民二獨自一箇ナルモノ、アルハ．福祚安寧ノ原質ナルヲ論ズ．

2

There are, it is alleged, certain beliefs so useful, not to say indispensable, to well-being that it is as much the duty of governments to uphold those beliefs, as to protect any other of the interests of society.

彼谓旧说为民所信奉日久，关于人心风俗者，至深而不可离，故国家之职，在保持其说，而禁其攻者，且以其事之不容已，而责任之所存也。

为一事而必能增人之福祉，虽不可必信，而保护社会之一切利益,固政府之天职也。

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3

As mankind improve, the number of doctrines which are no longer disputed or doubted will be constantly on the increase: and the well-being of mankind may almost be measured by the number and gravity of the truths which have reached the point of being uncontested.

夫人道以进化为期，其既进也，公理定论，固日益多，是故化理之隆污，若与公理定论重轻多少为比例也。天下之所争，以民智之日开，固一一渐归于论定。

欲知人类之福祉何如？视其现存道理派数之多寡而可知也。派多则福祉增，派少则福祉亡，此一定之例，不可驳也。派别既多，争竞既甚，固必有止息之一日，争息而真理胜，则为入类之福；伪理胜，则为入类之祸。

蓋シ人民ノ開化が進ミ．位價ガ善クナルトキハ．モハヤ疑ヲ容ズ争論ヲ為サル教派ガ．日ニ益數添ルナリ．而ソ人生福祥ノ氣ノ多少八．真確ト認ル理ノ多少ニ視ラフ．真理ノ數増トキハ．福祥ノ氣増ヲ知ルヘシ．ソノ真理ハ既ニ争論ナキモノナリ．抑モ關係アル争論．

4

That is the opinion which, for the time being, represents the neglected interests, the side of human well-being which is in danger of obtaining less than its share

盖所以为少数之所持者，必其说为当时之所忽，而两端有畸重轻之患者也。

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5

We have now recognised the necessity to the mental well-being of mankind (on which all their other well-being depends) of freedom of opinion, and freedom of the expression of opinion, on four distinct grounds; which we will now briefly recapitulate.

不佞所为思想言论自繇言者止此，庶几闻者知求诚意正心之实，必先除意念之囚拘，与夫言辞之羁勒。使于此而不自繇，则诚正之谈，将皆出于饰伪而已。不佞前所窃据以为说者，有四义焉：

思想自由，及发抒此思想之自由，为人生一切福祉之源，既于此章详论之矣。此章之旨，大略可分为四段，兹略复单简言之：

我既ニ四種ノ縁故ヲ推シテ．意見ノ自由及ビ意見ヲ言ヒ顯ハスノ自由ハ．人生ノ福祉ヲ増ガ為ニ．必要ニシテ欠ベカラザルヲ論ゼリ．

6

If it were felt that the free development of individuality is one of the leading essentials of well-being; that it is not only a co-ordinate element with all that is designated by the terms civilization, instruction, education, culture, but is itself a necessary part and condition of all those things; there would be no danger that liberty should be undervalued, and the adjustment of the boundaries between it and social control would present no extraordinary difficulty.

使知其鹄，自从吾术，彼不知，人道民德之最隆，在人人各修其特操，在循异撰而各臻乎其极。又不悟，治功学业，教化文物，此数者皆必待民特操异撰，相经纬组织而后成。使其知此，则必纵言行之自繇，而不为其夭鳳 即小己之发舒，与国群之约束，亦必有其相剂之道，而无虑于牴犒。

世间之福祉，必以个人之自由发达其品行为之原，此人之所易知也。若开化，若教育，若修养，亦同为不可少之要分。诸分皆全，自由乃完，个人及社会管辖者之界域，乃整齐而无偏过。

ハノ人自已ヨリ出ル品行アラズシテ．特ニ他人ノ傅説及ビ他人ノ風習ヲ以テ．吾ガ行狀ノ規則トスルトコロニテハ．人生福祉ノ基本トナレル原質ハ欠レ有ヌナリ．即チ人民各箇ノ造就上進及ビ邦國一體ノ造就上進ノ原質ハ欠テ有ヌナリ．

7

It would be a great misunderstanding of this doctrine to suppose that it is one of selfish indifference, which pretends that human beings have no business with each other’s conduct in life, and that they should not concern themselves about the well-doing or well-being of one another, unless their own interest is involved. Instead of any diminution, there is need of a great increase of disinterested exertion to promote the good of others.

世有自营之子，其于同类，若痛痒不关也者，尝谓一人之身，于他人行事，本不相涉，是故他人行事之是非，立身之善恶，无敢一己为皇皇也，惟其事有涉于吾私，庶几可过问耳。彼为术如此者，不得据吾自繇之说，为藏身之固也。

自由之理，与自私不同，不可不明辩也。误会自由之理者，以为是与自私无异，遂谓人类不当干涉他人生活之事，遂于一切有利于他人者，举无所为，惟知自利而已，是非自由也。自由者，利己而亦利他，甚至忘己而专利他人，以真实之仁心，崇人生之福祉。

决シテ然ラズ．コレ自ラ私シスルニシテ．自由ニハ非ズ蓋シ世ヲ善クシ民ヲ利セント欲スル人．即チ自已ヲ总レテ他人ノ利益ヲ謀ル仁心アルノ人多ク世ニ出ルニ非レバ．人生ノ福祉ヲ崇スルハ得ラルベカデズ風俗ノ善良ニ進ムハ私心ナ人ノカニ頼ル．

8

He is the person most interested in his own well-being: the interest which any other person, except in cases of strong personal attachment, can have in it, is trifling, compared with that which he himself has; the interest which society has in him individually (except as to his conduct to others) is fractional, and altogether indirect; while with respect to his own feelings and circumstances, the most ordinary man or woman has means of knowledge immeasurably surpassing those that can be possessed by any one else.

此沮者无论其出于一人，或出于一国，而以自繇公理衡之，皆不合也。且彼之为是，将曰吾与其人独亲云耳，顾言亲至于自谋而极。夫人之生也，莫重于所以安生立命者，他人之为亲，舍其一二最腌挚者，则不及其所自为者皆甚远也。何则？无直接之相系也。性情之攸殊，事境之所处，虽中材之男女，彼用其所自知，以审处其最宜者，必非旁人所能及也。

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相互ニ他人ニ關係スベカラズト．又曰ク人各自已ノ利益ト相干カラザレバ．タトヒ他人ノ善行ノ為他人ノ福祥ノ為ニ利益トナルベキアレ．各互ニ關係セザルベシト言モノ、アランニハ如何コレヲ自由ノ教道ニ合ヘリトイフベシヤ.

9

To determine the point at which evils, so formidable to human freedom and advancement, begin, or rather at which they begin to predominate over the benefits attending the collective application of the force of society, under its recognised chiefs, for the removal of the obstacles which stand in the way of its well-being; to secure as much of the advantages of centralised power and intelligence as can be had without turning into governmental channels too great a proportion of the general activity—is one of the most difficult and complicated questions in the art of government.

夫治国必有政府，是非得一国之贤者以为之不可也。得一国之贤者而尽之，令一切之政，皆出于政府，则其势不独将以夺其民之自繇，而政府亦以莫之反对而腐败，是愈不可也。是故斟酌于是二者之间，而善为之中制，此言治道者所最难也。此其事常存于节目，而必自其细者而谨之，欲粗举纲要，立大法以从事，不可得矣。

国政上最难、最复杂之问题，即看出妨止人群之自由及进步的根源，而不使人民之种种才智与政府同归于一辙是也。此弊之原，即政府集权势于中央，综括一切所有之利益。而防之之法，初无定则，其议论虽多，可以数言括之曰：“散布国权，而不集于一处。集学问智识于中央，又自中央分布于国中各处”而已。

國政ノ學ニ於テ．最モ難ク．最モ紛糾セル問題ハ．人類ノ自由及ビ日進ヲ妨グル弊惡ノ源ヲ看出シ總體人民種々ノオ智ヲシテ．政府同一ノ塗轍ニ帰セシメザル隄防ノ法ヲ講ズルナリ．コノ弊惡ノ源ハ．政府ノ權勢中央ニ湊合シ．所有利益ノ事ヲ総括スルニ．造端セリ．ソノ隄防ノ法ハ．別ニ云々ト定マレル規則アルニ非ズ．タ々ユノ難事ニフキ議論ノ紛糾セルモノヲ解クベキ道理ヲ．常ニ目存シテ失ハザレバ．ソノ道理ノ中ヨリ．隄防ノ法．見出ザルベシ．コノ卓高ノ道理ハ．数言ヲ以テ道達セラルベシ．