An Essay Concerning Human Understanding Section S51

But to give a right view of this mistaken part of liberty let me ask, - Would any one be a changeling, because he is less determined by wise considerations than a wise man? Is it worth the name of freedom to be at liberty to play the fool, and draw shame and misery upon a man’s self? If to break loose from the conduct of reason, and to want that restraint of examination and judgment which keeps us from choosing or doing the worse, be liberty, true liberty, madmen and fools are the only freemen: but yet, I think, nobody would choose to be mad for the sake of such liberty, but he that is mad already. The constant desire of happiness, and the constraint it puts upon us to act for it, nobody, I think, accounts an abridgment of liberty, or at least an abridgment of liberty to be complained of. God Almighty himself is under the necessity of being happy; and the more any intelligent being is so, the nearer is its approach to infinite perfection and happiness. That, in this state of ignorance, we short-sighted creatures might not mistake true felicity, we are endowed with a power to suspend any particular desire, and keep it from determining the will, and engaging us in action. This is standing still, where we are not sufficiently assured of the way: examination is consulting a guide. The determination of the will upon inquiry, is following the direction of that guide: and he that has a power to act or not to act, according as SUCH determination directs, is a free agent: such determination abridges not that power wherein liberty consists. He that has his chains knocked off, and the prison doors set open to him, is perfectly at liberty, because he may either go or stay, as he best likes, though his preference be determined to stay, by the darkness of the night, or illness of the weather, or want of other lodging. He ceases not to be free; though the desire of some convenience to be had there absolutely determines his preference, and makes him stay in his prison.

Comme donc la plus haute perfection d’un Etre Intelligent conſiſte à s’appliquer ſoigneuſement & conſtamment à la recherche du véritable & ſolide Bonheur, de même le ſoin que nous devons avoir, de ne pas prendre pour une félicité réelle celle qui n’eſt qu’imaginaire, eſt le fondement néceſſaire de notre Liberté. Plus nous ſommes liez à la recherche invariable du Bonheur en général qui eſt notre plus grand Bien, & qui comme tel ne ceſſe jamais d’etre l’objet de nos deſirs, plus Volonté ſe trouve dégagée de la néceſſité d’être déterminée à aucune action particulière & de complaire au deſir qui nous porte vers quelque Bien particulier qui nous paroît alors le plus important, juſqu’à ce que nous ayions examiné avec toute l’application néceſſaire, ſi effectivement ce Bien particulier ſe rapporte ou s’oppoſe à notre veritable Bonheur. Et ainſi juſqu’à ce que par cette recherche nous ſoyions autant inſtruits que l’importance de la matiére & la nature de la choſe l’exigent, nous ſommes obligez de ſuſpendre la ſatisfaction de nos deſirs dans chaque cas particulier, & cela par la néceſſité qui nous eſt impoſée de préferer & de rechercher le véritable Bonheur comme notre plus grand Bien.