MORAL PHILOSOPHY, BOOK VI. ELEMENTS OF POLITICAL KNOWLEDGE. CHAP I. OF THE ORIGIN OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT. OVERNMENT, at firft, was either patriarchal or military; that of a parent over his family, or of a commander over his fellow warriors. I. Paternal authority, and the order of domeftic life, fupplied the foundation of civil government. Did mankind spring out of the earth mature mature and independent, it would be found perhaps impoffible, to introduce subjection and subordination among them; but the condition of human infancy prepares men for fociety, by combining individuals into fmall communities, and by placing them from the beginning under direction and control. A family contains the rudiments of an empire. The authority of one over many, and the difpofition to govern and to be governed, are in this way incidental to the very nature, and coeval, no doubt, with the existence of the human fpecies. Moreover, the conftitution of families, not only affifts the formation of civil government, by the difpofitions which it generates, but also furnishes the first fteps of the process by which empires have been actually reared. A parent would retain a confiderable part of his authority after his children were grown up, and had formed families of their own. The obedience, of which they remembered not the beginning, would be confidered as natural; and would fcarcely, during the parent's life, be entirely or abruptly withdrawn. Here then we see the fecond ftage in the progrefs of dominion. The firft was, that of a parent over his young children: this that of an ancestor prefiding over his adult defcendants. Although Although the original progenitor was the centre of union to his pofterity, yet it is not probable that the affociation would be immediately or altogether diffolved by his death. Connected by habits of intercourse and affection, and by fome common rights, neceffities and interefts, they would confider themselves as allied to each other in a nearer degree than to the rest of the fpecies. Almost all would be fenfible of an inclination to continue in the fociety in which they had been brought up; and experiencing, as they foon would do, many inconveniencies from the abfence of that authority which their common ancestor exercised, efpecially in deciding their difputes, and directing their operations in matters in which it was neceffary to act in conjunction, they might be induced to fupply his place by a formal choice of a fucceffor, or rather might willingly, and almoft imperceptibly, transfer their obedience to fome one of the family, who by his age or fervices, or by the part he poffeffed in the direction of, their affairs during the life-time of the parent, had already taught them to respect his advice, or to attend to his commands; or laftly, the profpect of these inconveniencies might prompt the first ancestor to appoint a fucceffor, and his I pofterity, VOL. II. pofterity, from the fame motive united with an habitual deference to the anceftor's authority,, might receive the appointment with fubmiffion. Here then we have a tribe or clan incorporated under one chief. Such communities might be increased by confiderable numbers, and fulfil the purposes of civil union without any other or more regular convention, conftitution, or form of government, than what we have defcribed. Every branch which was flipped off from the primitive ftock, and removed to a distance from it, would in like manner take root, and grow into a feparate clan. Two or three of these clans were frequently, we may fuppofe, united into one. Marriage, conqueft, mutual defence, common diftrefs, or more accidental coalitions, might produce this effect. II. A fecond fource of personal authority, and which might easily extend, or sometimes perhaps fuperfede the patriarchal, is that, which refults from military arrangement. In wars, either of aggreffion or defence, manifest neceffity would prompt those who fought on the fame fide to array themselves under one leader. And although their leader was advanced to this eminence for the purpose only, and during the operations of a fingle expedition, yet his authority would would not always terminate with the reasons for which it was conferred. A warrior who had led forth his tribe against their enemies with repeated fuccess, would procure to himself even in the deliberations of peace, a powerful and permanent influence. If this advantage were added to the authority of the patriarchal chief, or favoured by any previous diftin&ion of anceftry, it would be no difficult undertaking for the person who poffeffed it to obtain the almost abfolute direction of the affairs of the community, especially if he was careful to associate to himself proper auxiliaries, and content to practise the obvious art of gratifying or removing those who opposed his pretenfions. But although we may be able to comprehend how by his perfonal abilities or fortune one man may obtain the rule over many, yet it seems more difficult to explain how empire became hereditary, or in what manner fovereign power, which is never acquired without great merit or management, learns to defcend in a fucceffion, which has no dependence upon any qualities, either of understanding, or activity. The caufes which have introduced hereditary dominion into fo general a reception in the world, are principally the following-the influence of affociation, which I 2 |