第3巻第1章 英国への帰国
宗教的な理由からの参戦拒否は,もっと広範囲に行なわれている。文明人は,他人を殺すことを邪悪な行為だと考えるように育てられており,そうして,戦争が(戦争だからといって)この倫理的命令に終止符をうつことを容認しない者もいる。このような見解を抱く者はそれほど多くははないし,また,これまでこのような考えの人たちの行動によって左右された戦争があったかどうかは疑わしい。しかし,たとえ戦時においてさえも人間性の命ずるところに従うべきだと強く感じる人が存在することは,その社会にとって良いことである。それに,この議論とは離れても,その人が邪悪だと考えている行為を強制することは,野蛮なことである。誰かが,菜食主義者を罰する法律をつくるよう提案するとしたら,われわれは誰もがその野蛮性を認めるだろう。しかし,人間の生命が危機に瀕している場合には,われわれは,まず彼が味方であるかあるいは敵であるかいずれだろうかと考えはじめる。そうして,もし後者の場合には,法律で彼を罰するよう強制することが正しいというふうに考えるのである。 |
v.3,chap.1: Return to England Very difficult problems are concerned with the inroads of war against liberty. The most obvious of these is conscription. Military men, when there is war, argue that it cannot be won unless all men on our side are compelled to fight. Some men will object, perhaps on religious grounds or, possibly, on the ground that the work they are doing is more useful than fighting. On such a matter there is liable to be, or at any rate there ought to be, a division between the old and the young. The old will say they are too aged to fight, and many of the young ought to say that their work is more useful towards victory than fighting. The religious objection to taking part in warfare is more widespread. Civilized people are brought up to think it is wicked to kill other people, and some do not admit that a state of war puts an end to this ethical command. The number who hold this view is not very huge, and I doubt whether any war has ever been determined by their action. It is good for a community to contain some people who feel the dictates of humanity so strongly that even in war-time they still obey them. And, apart from this argument, it is barbarous to compel a man to do acts which he considers wicked. We should all admit this if a law were proposed to punish a man for being a vegetarian, but when it is a human being whose life is at stake, we begin to wonder whether he is a friend or an enemy and, if the latter, we think we are justified in compelling the law to punish him. |