首页 >出版文学> LAWS>第43章

第43章

  Ath。Thenastounjusthurtsandgainsalso,supposingtheinjusticetobringgain,ofthesewemayhealasmanyasarecapableofbeinghealed,regardingthemasdiseasesofthesoul;andthecureofinjusticewilltakethefollowingdirection。
  Cle。Whatdirection?
  Ath。Whenanyonecommitsanyinjustice,smallorgreat,thelawwilladmonishandcompelhimeitherneveratalltodothelikeagain,ornevervoluntarily,oratanyrateinafarlessdegree;andhemustinadditionpayforthehurt。Whethertheendistobeattainedbywordoraction,withpleasureorpain,bygivingortakingawayprivileges,bymeansoffinesorgifts,orinwhatsoeverwaythelawshallproceedtomakeamanhateinjustice,andloveornothatethenatureofthejust-thisisquitethenoblestworkoflaw。Butifthelegislatorseesanyonewhoisincurable,forhimhewillappointalawandapenalty。Heknowsquitewellthattosuchmenthemselvesthereisnoprofitinthecontinuanceoftheirlives,andthattheywoulddoadoublegoodtotherestofmankindiftheywouldtaketheirdeparture,inasmuchastheywouldbeanexampletoothermennottooffend,andtheywouldrelievethecityofbadcitizens。Insuchcases,andinsuchcasesonly,thelegislatoroughttoinflictdeathasthepunishmentofoffences。
  Cle。Whatyouhavesaidappearstometobeveryreasonable,butwillyoufavourmebystatingalittlemoreclearlythedifferencebetweenhurtandinjustice,andthevariouscomplicationsofthevoluntaryandinvoluntarywhichenterintothem?
  Ath。Iwillendeavourtodoasyouwish:-Concerningthesoul,thusmuchwouldbegenerallysaidandallowed,thatoneelementinhernatureispassion,whichmaybedescribedeitherasastateorapartofher,andishardtobestrivenagainstandcontendedwith,andbyirrationalforceoverturnsmanythings。
  Cle。Verytrue。
  Ath。Andpleasureisnotthesamewithpassion,buthasanoppositepower,workingherwillbypersuasionandbytheforceofdeceitinallthings。
  Cle。Quitetrue。
  Ath。Amanmaytrulysaythatignoranceisathirdcauseofcrimes。Ignorance,however,maybeconvenientlydividedbythelegislatorintotwosorts:thereissimpleignorance,whichisthesourceoflighteroffences,anddoubleignorance,whichisaccompaniedbyaconceitofwisdom;andhewhoisundertheinfluenceofthelatterfanciesthatheknowsallaboutmattersofwhichheknowsnothing。Thissecondkindofignorance,whenpossessedofpowerandstrength,willbeheldbythelegislatortobethesourceofgreatandmonstroustimes,butwhenattendedwithweakness,willonlyresultintheerrorsofchildrenandoldmen;andthesehewilltreataserrors,andwillmakelawsaccordinglyforthosewhocommitthem,whichwillbethemildestandmostmercifulofalllaws。
  Cle。Youareperfectlyright。
  Ath。Weallofusremarkofonemanthatheissuperiortopleasureandpassion,andofanotherthatheisinferiortothem;
  andthisistrue。
  Cle。Certainly。
  Ath。Butnoonewaseveryetheardtosaythatoneofusissuperiorandanotherinferiortoignorance。
  Cle。Verytrue。
  Ath。Wearespeakingofmotiveswhichincitementothefulfilmentoftheirwill;althoughanindividualmaybeoftendrawnbytheminoppositedirectionsatthesametime。
  Cle。Yes,often。
  Ath。AndnowIcandefinetoyouclearly,andwithoutambiguity,whatImeanbythejustandunjust,accordingtomynotionofthem:-Whenangerandfear,andpleasureandpain,andjealousiesanddesires,tyrannizeoverthesoul,whethertheydoanyharmornot-I
  callallthisinjustice。Butwhentheopinionofthebest,inwhateverpartofhumannaturestatesorindividualsmaysupposethattodwell,hasdominioninthesoulandordersthelifeofeveryman,evenifitbesometimesmistaken,yetwhatisdoneinaccordancetherewith,theprincipleinindividualswhichobeysthisrule,andisbestforthewholelifeofman,istobecalledjust;althoughthehurtdonebymistakeisthoughtbymanytobeinvoluntaryinjustice。Leavingthequestionofnames,aboutwhichwearenotgoingtoquarrel,andhavingalreadydelineatedthreesourcesoferror,wemaybeginbyrecallingthemsomewhatmorevividlytoourmemory:-Oneofthemwasofthepainfulsort,whichwedenominateangerandfear。
  Cle。Quiteright。
  Ath。Therewasasecondconsistingofpleasuresanddesires,andathirdofhopes,whichaimedattrueopinionaboutthebest。Thelatterbeingsubdividedintothree,wenowgetfivesourcesofactions;andforthesefivewewillmakelawsoftwokinds。
  Cle。Whatarethetwokinds?
  Ath。Thereisonekindofactionsdonebyviolenceandinthelightofday,andanotherkindofactionswhicharedoneindarknessandwithsecretdeceit,orsometimesbothwithviolenceanddeceit;
  thelawsconcerningtheselastoughttohaveacharacterofseverity。
  Cle。Naturally。
  Ath。Andnowletusreturnfromthisdigressionandcompletetheworkoflegislation。LawshavebeenalreadyenactedbyusconcerningtherobbersoftheGods,andconcerningtraitors,andalsoconcerningthosewhocorruptthelawsforthepurposeofsubvertingthegovernment。Amanmayverylikelycommitsomeofthesecrimes,eitherinastateofmadnessorwhenaffectedbydisease,orundertheinfluenceofextremeoldage,orinafitofchildishwantonness,himselfnobetterthanachild。Andifthisbemadeevidenttothejudgeselectedtotrythecause,ontheappealofthecriminalorhisadvocate,andhebejudgedtohavebeeninthisstatewhenhecommittedtheoffence,heshallsimplypayforthehurtwhichhemayhavedonetoanother;butheshallbeexemptfromotherpenalties,unlesshehaveslainsomeone,andhaveonhishandsthestainofblood。Andinthatcaseheshallgotoanotherlandandcountry,andtheredwellforayear;andifhereturnbeforetheexpirationofthetimewhichthelawappoints,orevensethisfootatallonhisnativeland,heshallbeboundbytheguardiansofthelawinthepublicprisonfortwoyears,andthengofree。
  Havingbeguntospeakofhomicide,letusendeavourtolaydownlawsconcerningeverydifferentkindofhomicides,and,firstofall,concerningviolentandinvoluntaryhomicides。Ifanyoneinanathleticcontest,andatthepublicgames,involuntarilykillsafriend,andhedieseitheratthetimeorafterwardsoftheblowswhichhehasreceived;orifthelikemisfortunehappenstoanyoneinwar,ormilitaryexercises,ormimiccontests。ofwhichthemagistratesenjointhepractice,whetherwithorwithoutarms,whenhehasbeenpurifiedaccordingtothelawbroughtfromDelphirelatingtothesematters,heshallbeinnocent。Andsointhecaseofphysicians:
  iftheirpatientdiesagainsttheirwill,theyshallbeheldguiltlessbythelaw。Andifoneslayanotherwithhisownhand,butunintentionally,whetherhebeunarmedorhavesomeinstrumentordartinhishand;orifhekillhimbyadministeringfoodordrinkorbytheapplicationoffireorcold,orbysuffocatinghim,whetherhedothedeedbyhisownhand,orbytheagencyofothers,heshallbedeemedtheagent,andshallsufferoneofthefollowingpenalties:-Ifhekilltheslaveofanotherinthebeliefthatheishisown,heshallbearthemasterofthedeadmanharmlessfromloss,orshallpayapenaltyoftwicethevalueofthedeadman,whichthejudgesshallassess;butpurificationsmustbeusedgreaterandmorenumerousthanforthosewhocommittedhomicideatthegames;-whattheyaretobe,theinterpreterswhomtheGodappointsshallbeauthorizedtodeclare。Andifamankillshisownslave,whenhehasbeenpurifiedaccordingtolawsheshallbequitofthehomicide。
  Andifamankillsafreemanunintentionally,heshallundergothesamepurificationashedidwhokilledtheslave。Butlethimnotforgetalsoataleofoldentime,whichistothiseffect:-Hewhohassufferedaviolentend,whennewlydead,ifhehashadthesoulofafreemaninlife,isangrywiththeauthorofhisdeath;andbeinghimselffulloffearandpanicbyreasonofhisviolentend,whenheseeshismurdererwalkingaboutinhisownaccustomedhaunts,heisstrickenwithterrorandbecomesdisordered,andthisdisorderofhis,aidedbytheguiltyrecollectionofiscommunicatedbyhimwithoverwhelmingforcetothemurdererandhisdeeds。Whereforealsothemurderermustgooutofthewayofhisvictimfortheentireperiodofayear,andnothimselfbefoundinanyspotwhichwasfamiliartohimthroughoutthecountry。Andifthedeadmanbeastranger,thehomicideshallbekeptfromthecountryofthestrangerduringalikeperiod。Ifanyonevoluntarilyobeysthislaw,thenextofkintothedeceased,seeingallthathashappened,shalltakepityonhim,andmakepeacewithhim,andshowhimallgentleness。Butifanyoneisdisobedient,eitherventurestogotoanyofthetemplesandsacrificeunpurified,orwillnotcontinueinexileduringtheappointedtime,thenextofkintothedeceasedshallproceedagainsthimformurder;andifhebeconvicted,everypartofhispunishmentshallbedoubled。
  Andifthenextofkindonotproceedagainsttheperpetratorofthecrime,thenthepollutionshallbedeemedtofalluponhisownhead;-themurderedmanwillfixtheguiltuponhiskinsman,andhewhohasamindtoproceedagainsthimmaycompelhimtobeabsentfromhiscountryduringfiveyears,accordingtolaw。Ifastrangerunintentionallykillastrangerwhoisdwellinginthecity,hewholikesshallprosecutethecauseaccordingtothesamerules。Ifhebeametic,lethimbeabsentforayear,orifhebeanentirestranger,inadditiontothepurification,whetherhehaveslainastranger,orametic,oracitizen,heshallbebanishedforlifefromthecountrywhichisinpossessionofourlaws。Andifhereturncontrarytolaw,lettheguardiansofthelawpunishhimwithdeath;
  andletthemhandoverhisproperty,ifhehaveany,tohimwhoisnextofkintothesufferer。Andifhebewrecked,anddrivenonthecoastagainsthiswill,heshalltakeuphisabodeontheseashore,wettinghisfeetinthesea,andwatchingforanopportunityofsailing;butifhebebroughtbyland,andisnothisownmaster,letthemagistratewhomhefirstcomesacrossinthecity,releasehimandsendhimunharmedovertheborder。
  Ifanyoneslaysafreemanwithhisownhandandthedeedbedoneinpassion,inthecaseofsuchactionswemustbeginbymakingadistinction。Foradeedisdonefrompassioneitherwhenmensuddenly,andwithoutintentiontokill,causethedeathofanotherbyblowsandthelikeonamomentaryimpulse,andaresorryforthedeedimmediatelyafterwards;oragain,whenafterhavingbeeninsultedindeedorword,menpursuerevenge,andkillapersonintentionally,andarenotsorryfortheact。And,therefore,wemustassumethatthesehomicidesareoftwokinds,bothofthemarisingfrompassion,whichmaybejustlysaidtobeinameanbetweenthevoluntaryandinvoluntary;atthesametime,theyareneitherofthemanythingmorethanalikenessorshadowofeither。Hewhotreasuresuphisanger,andavengeshimself,notimmediatelyandatthemoment,butwithinsidiousdesign,andafteraninterval,islikethevoluntary;
  buthewhodoesnottreasureuphisanger,andtakesvengeanceontheinstant,andwithoutmaliceprepense,approachestotheinvoluntary;andyetevenheisnotaltogetherinvoluntary,butonlytheimageorshadowoftheinvoluntary;whereforeabouthomicidescommittedinhotblood,thereisadifficultyindeterminingwhetherinlegislatingweshallreckonthemasvoluntaryoraspartlyinvoluntary。Thebestandtruestviewistoregardthemrespectivelyaslikenessesonlyofthevoluntaryandinvoluntary,andtodistinguishthemaccordinglyastheyaredonewithorwithoutpremeditation。Andweshouldmakethepenaltiesheavierforthosewhocommithomicidewithangrypremeditation,andlighterforthosewhodonotpremeditate,butsmiteupontheinstant;forthatwhichislikeagreaterevilshouldbepunishedmoreseverely,andthatwhichislikealessevilshouldbepunishedlessseverely:thisshallbetheruleofourlaws。
  Cle。Certainly。
  Ath。Letusproceed:-Ifanyoneslaysafreemanwithhisownhand,andthedeedbedoneinamomentofanger,andwithoutpremeditation,lettheoffendersufferinotherrespectsastheinvoluntaryhomicidewouldhavesuffered,andalsoundergoanexileoftwoyears,thathemaylearntoschoolhispassions。Buthewhoslaysanotherfrompassion,yetwithpremeditation,shallinotherrespectssufferastheformer;andtothisshallbeaddedanexileofthreeinsteadoftwoyears-hispunishmentistobelongerbecausehispassionisgreater。Themanneroftheirreturnshallbeonthiswise:andherethelawhasdifficultyindeterminingexactly;forinsomecasesthemurdererwhoisjudgedbythelawtobetheworsemayreallybethelesscruel,andhewhoisjudgedthelesscruelmaybereallytheworse,andmayhaveexecutedthemurderinamoresavagemanner,whereastheothermayhavebeengentler。Butingeneralthedegreesofguiltwillbesuchaswehavedescribedthem。Ofallthesethingstheguardiansofthelawmusttakecognisance:-Whenahomicideofeitherkindhascompletedhistermofexile,theguardiansshallsendtwelvejudgestothebordersoftheland;theseduringtheintervalshallhaveinformedthemselvesoftheactionsofthecriminals,andtheyshalljudgerespectingtheirpardonandreception;