Naval Discipline

Naval Discipline

The work examines the relationship between colonialism and national character, positing that the quality of individuals in colonial settings often inversely reflects their counterparts in the mother country. It argues that those who emigrate from well-governed nations tend to be the least desirable, while those from poorly governed nations often seek better opportunities abroad, leading to a more respectable colonial populace. The text highlights that colonists from stable countries view themselves as temporary sojourners, lacking investment in their new environment, whereas those from unstable countries develop a sense of belonging and attachment to their new homes. The discussion extends to naval discipline, asserting that the strictness of discipline aboard ships correlates with the level of freedom experienced by a nation. The author ranks naval discipline from the sharpest in American ships to the laxest in Spanish vessels, suggesting that greater individual liberty fosters a more disciplined naval environment. The text also reflects on the paradox of liberty, using the example of Genoa, where the concept of freedom is ironically inscribed on the chains of galley slaves, illustrating the complexities of governance and personal freedom. The work critiques the notion of democracy, suggesting that the English experience of liberty, despite a monarchical framework, has historically provided greater individual freedom than many democratic states. It emphasizes that the English have enjoyed a unique balance of freedom and social dignity, surpassing that of other nations, including the United States, which, while democratic, shares cultural and historical ties with England. Overall, the text presents a nuanced exploration of colonial dynamics, national character, and the interplay between governance and individual liberty, ultimately arguing for the superiority of the English model of freedom in fostering both personal and societal well-being.

By Samuel Taylor Coleridge · First published 1790 · Genre: Political Philosophy, Social Commentary, Historical Analysis · 1,317 words

First lines

The character of most nations in their colonial dependencies is in an inverse ratio of excellence to their character at home. The best people in the mother-country will generally be the worst in the colonies; the worst at home will be the best abroad. Or, perhaps, I may state it less offensively thus: -- The colonists of a well governed-country will degenerate; those of an ill-governed country will improve. I am now considering the natural tendency of such colonists if left to themselves; of course, a direct act of the legislature of the mother-country will break in upon this. Where this tendency is exemplified, the cause is obvious. In countries well governed and happily conditioned, none, or very few, but those who are desperate through vice or folly, or who are mere trading adventurers, will be willing to leave their homes and settle in another hemisphere; and of those who do go, the best and worthiest are always striving to acquire the means of leaving the colony, and of returning to their native land. In ill-governed and ill-conditioned countries, on the contrary, the most respectable of the people are willing and anxious to emigrate for the chance of greater security and enlarged freedom; and if they succeed in obtaining these blessings in almost any degree, they have little inducement, on the average, to wish to abandon their second and better country.

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Naval Discipline is listed on Textopian as an essay by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, dated 1790 CE.

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naval discipline · colonialism · governance · freedom · emigration · character · society · morality · American colonies · English colonies · French colonies · Spanish colonies

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