Gradually, men
learned to live in
communities and various institutions were established, which soon curtailed
their liberty to a great extent. Rules were made for the cohesions of each
community and obedience to those rules was secured by the threat of punishment.
This element of compulsion imposed upon the conduct of the individuals in the
community restricted the liberty of the people; but the greater security that
men enjoyed in community life provided the incentive to partial sacrifices.
Soon, however, conflicts developed
among the various communities. The stronger one conquered the weaker one and in
the contest for power and domination, hundreds of people lost their liberty
completely. The enslavement and suppression of one group of people by another
provided the stimulus for numerous revolts and revolutions for liberty which
have not ceased till this day. Even in the same community. Sometimes, there
were divisions. The rulers, who came to be known as kings, with the development
of the communities into countries, were at variance with their subjects. To
maintain their status and to assert their authority, kings developed their own
theories of kingship, and many of them ruled in the most despotic manner. Defiance of the king's
authority was punished by death and imprisonment. What constituted defiance was
decided arbitrarily by the king or his ministers, and thousands or people were
deprived of their liberty.
Eventually, however, despotism aroused
the fury of political thinkers and writers in many countries. A crusade then
began against oppression and despotism, and the cry for liberty was heard
everywhere. Revolutions erupted; despotic rulers were overthrown, and new
rulers were compelled to rule with the consent of the people. The French
Revolution of the eighteenth century is the best example of the extremity to
which people were prepared to go to retain or regain their liberty, which is
claimed to be the birth-right of every man.
But liberty does not mean licence. In
other words, men's liberty of action should not be excessive. The French
Revolution is, unfortunately, also the best example of how men may lose their
sense of proportion and justice, in their attempts to assert their liberty. In
that revolution hundreds of innocent men, women, and children lost their lives
at the hands of those who took full advantage of the anarchy that then
prevailed in France,
to assert their liberty of action. Such actions are indeed licentious .
Thus, it may be argued that liberty
will remain the battle-cry of all the people, but those who have it should not
use it to hurt or offend others or to deprive others of their liberty.
NEW WORDS:
1. liberty (n): sự tự do, quyền tự do
2. revolt (n): cuộc nổi dậy, cuộc khởi nghĩa, cuộc nổi loạn
3. submit (v): chịu phục tùng, quy phục, ngừng phản kháng
4. tenacious (adj): kiên trì, ngoan cường, ngoan cố
5. isolated (adj): biệt lập, cô đơn
6. restraint (n): sự kiềm chế, sự gò bó, sự ràng buộc
7. curtail (v): tước đi, lấy đi
8. cohesion (n): sự dính liền, sự cố kết
9. compulsion (n): sự ép buộc, sự cưỡng bức
10. conquer (v): chinh phục, chế ngự
11. enslavement (n): sự nô dịch hoá, tình trạng bị nô dịch
12. suppression (n): sự đàn áp hoặc bị đàn áp
13. stimulus (n): sự kích thích, tác nhân kích thích
14. status (n): đia vị, thân phận, thân thế
15. despotic (adj): chuyên chế, chuyên quyền, bạo ngược
16. defiance (n): sự công khai kháng cự hoặc không tuân theo
17. constitute (v): cấu thành, tạo thành
18. arbitrarily (adv): chuyên quyền, độc đoán
19. arouse (v): đánh thức, khuâý động, gợi
20. crusade (n): chiến dịch; cuộc vận động lớn
21. claim (v): khẳng định, quá quyết
22. excessive (adj): quá thể, quá đáng
23. anarchy (n): tình trạng vô chính phú, tình trạng hỗn loạn
24. prevail (v): thắng thế, chiếm ưu thế, phổ biến khắp nơi
25. licentious (adj): bừa bãi, phóng túng
26. oppress (v): áp bức, đàn áp
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