GUIDE TO THE PHILOSOPHY 1938 - 1947.pdf - Rare Books at ...

7&0
ETHICS AND POLITICS: THE MODERNS
purposes, the Emergency Powers Act and the Official
Secrets Act, it is difficult not to conclude that what Locke
would have called a man's "natural rights", and what
Mill would have insisted on regarding as his right to explain
his views to all-comers on matters of contemporary public
importance, has in recent years been considerably infringed.
Nevertheless, the most ardent individualist would, I think,
concede in principle the State's right to the suppression
of such sentiments and opinions as are liable to undermine
its existence as a State, however warmly he might denounce
the practical abuse of that right by existing States. If,
for example, the effects of a particular doctrine were such
as to cause servants of the State to be unwilling to perform
what the State regards as their duty, inducing policemen
to refrain from arresting criminals, and soldiers from obeying
officers, the State would, in the opinion of mot
democrats, be justified in taking the view that it had a
right to suppress die doctrines in question as seditious.
Each case would, however, need to be judged on merits*
Need for Uniformity of Conduct A further consideration
to be borne in mind in this connection is the
need (referred to on a previous page) for uniformity in
spheres which are ethically neutral. To revert to an
illustration already used in connection with the philosophy
of Locke, 1 from whose theories, together with those of
Mill, the line of thought developed in the present chapter
is largely derived, it is a matter of ethical indifference
whether traffic proceeds on the left or on the right hand
side of the road. It is, however, essential in the public interest
that, whichever side the accepted rule ofthe road prescribes,
should be universally adhered to* The community cannot,
that is to say, permit a particular individual to hold up
traffic and endanger life because of its respect for freedom
and recognition of his inalienable "natural right" to drive
on whichever side of the King's highway he pleases.
Again, it is a manner of small ethical, though of great
'SteChftpter XIII, p. 4*5*