on human nature and politics

2011-01-0515:40:32来自:hendrik(写完论文我就南下踏春...)Undoubtedlythedesireforfoodhasbeen,andstillis,oneofthemaincausesofgreatpoliticalevents.Butmandiffersfromotheranimalsinoneveryimportantrespect,andthatisthathehasdesireswhichare,sotospeak,intimate,whichcanneverbefullygratified,andwhichshouldkeephimrestlesseveninParadise.Theboaconstrictor,whenhehadanadequatemeal,goestosleep,anddoesnotwakeuntilheneedsanothermeal.Humanbeings,forthemostnotpartarenotlikethis.WhentheArabs,whohadbeenusedtolivingsparinglyonafewdatesacquiredtherichesoftheEasternRomanEmpireanddweltinpalacesofalmostunbelievableluxury,theydidnot,onthataccount,becomeinactive.Hungercouldnolongerbeamotive,forGreekslavessuppliedthemwithexquisiteviandsattheslightestnod.Butotherdesireskeptthemactive;fourinparticular,whichwecanlabelacquisitiveness,rivalry,vanityandloveofpower.毫无疑问，占有食物的欲望过去一直是，而且现在也仍然是导致重大政治事件的主要原因之一。而人不同于其他动物的一个重要方面在于人具有无止境的、永远无法满足的欲望，欲望使人即使到了天堂也会坐立不安。巨蟒饱食后就去睡觉，直到需要再进食时它才醒来，绝大部分人不像巨蟒那样。习惯于吃几个枣充饥的阿拉伯人没有因为获得了东罗马帝国的财富，稍一点头，希腊奴隶就会为他们端上最精美的食物，然而是其他欲望使他们行动起来，尤其是以下四种。可以称之为：占有欲，竞争欲、虚荣心、权力欲。Acquisitiveness-thewishtopossessasmuchaspossibleofgoods,orthetitletogoods-isamotivewhich,Isuppose,hasitsorigininacombinationoffearwiththedesirefornecessaries.占有欲--希望尽可能多地占有财产或拥有财产的所有权--是一个动机。我认为该动机产生于恐惧心理和拥有必需品的欲望结合之中。IoncebefriendedtwolittlegirlsfromEsthonia,whohadnarrowlyescapeddeathfromstarvationinafamine.Theylivedinmyfamily,andofcoursehadplentytoeat.Buttheyspentalltheirleisurevisitingneighbouringfarmsandstealingpotatoes,whichtheyhoarded.Rockfeller,whoinhisinfancyhadexperiencedgreatpoverty,spenthisadultlifeinasimilarmanner.SimilarlytheArabchieftainsontheirsilkenByzantinedivanscouldnotforgetthedesert,andhoardedrichesfarbeyondanypossiblephysicalneed.Butwhateverthepsychoanalysisofacquisitiveness,noonecandenythatitisoneofthegreatmotives-especiallyamongthemorepowerful,for,asIsaidbefore,itisoneoftheinfinitemotives.Howevermuchyoumayacquireyouwillalwayswishtoacquiremore;satietyisadreamwhichwillalwayseludeyou.我曾经帮助过两个来自爱沙尼亚的小姑娘，她俩在一次饥荒中差点被饿死。她们住在我家，当然有许多吃的，可是她们却利用整个闲暇时间到附近的农场去转，偷土豆，还把偷来的土豆贮藏起来。洛克菲勒年幼时经历了极大的贫穷，成年后他仍以同样节俭的方式生活。同样，坐在拜占庭帝国丝绒沙发椅上的阿拉伯酋长也不会忘记沙漠，他们把远远超出任何可能物质需要的财富囤积起来。然而，无论对占有欲进行怎样的精神分析，没有人否认：占有欲是巨大动机之一--尤其在享有较多权力的人当中更是如此，正如我上面讲到的那样，占有欲是永无止境的动机之一。无论你得到了多少，你还希望得到更多，满足是个你永远实现不了的梦。Butacquisitiveness,althoughitisthemainspringofthecapitalistsystem,isbynomeansthemostpowerfulofthemotivesthatsurvivetheconquestofhunger.Rivalryisamuchstrongermotive,OverandoveragaininMuhammadanhistory,dynastieshavecometogriefbecausethesonsofasultanbydifferentmotherscouldnotagree,andintheresultingcivilwaruniversalruinresulted.ThesamesortofthinghappensinmodernEuropeWhentheBritishGovernmentveryunwiselyallowedtheKaisertobepresentatanavalreviewatSpithead,thethoughtwhicharoseinhismindwasnottheonewhichwehadintended.Whathethoughtwas.ImusthaveaNavyasgoodasGrandmamma's.Andfromthisthoughtpierplacethanitisifacquisitivenesswerealwaysstrongerthanrivalry.Butinfact,agreatmanymenwillcheerfullyfaceimpoverishmentiftheycantherebysecurecompleteruinfortheirrivals,Hencethepresentleveloftaxation.虽然占有欲是资本主义制度的主要动机，但它并不是征服饥饿后的一个强大动机，更为强烈的动机乃是竞争。在伊斯兰教史上，王朝一次又一次的遭难，是因为同父异母的子女们常常意见不同，从而导致了内战，赞成了普遍的破坏。现代欧洲也发生过同样的事情。当英国政府极不明智地允许德皇出席斯匹特海德海军检阅式时，出现在德皇脑海里的想法并不是我们所想的那种，他想的是我必须拥有一个海军，跟祖母的一样好。就是他的这个想法造成了一系列的麻烦。如果占有欲总是比竞争欲强烈，那么世界会比现在列充满幸福。但事实上，许多人只要保证把他们的竞争对手彻底击败宁肯面对贫穷，于是就出现了目前的税制。motiveofimmensepotency.AnyonewhohasmuchtodowithchildrenknowshowtheyareconstantlyperformingsomeanticandsayingLookatmeLookatmeisoneofthemostfundamentaldesiresofthehumanheart.ItcantakeinnumerablewasaRenaissanceItalianprincelingwhowasaskedbythepriestonhisdeathbedifhehadanythingtorepentofYes,hesaidThereisonething.OnoneoccasionIhadavisitfromtheEmperorandthePopesimultaneously.Itootemtothetopofmytowertoseetheview,andIneglectedtheopportunitytothrowthembothdown.whichwouldhavegivenmeimmortalfame.historydoesnotrelatewhetherthepriestgavehimabsolution.Oneofthetroublesaboutvanityisthatitgrowswithwhatitfeedson.Thetalkedabout.ThecondemnedmurdererwhoisallowedtoseetheaccountofhistrialinthePressisindignantifhefindsanewspaperwhichhasreporteditinadequately.Andthemorehefindsabouthimselfinothernewspapers,themoreindignanthewillbewiththosewhosereportsaremeager.Politiciansandliterarymenareinthesamecase.Andthemorefamoustheybecome,themoredifficultthepresscuttingagencyfindsittosatisfythem.Itisscarcelypossibletoexaggeratetheinfluenceofvanitythroughouttherangeofhumanlife,fromthechildofthreetothepotentateatwhosefrowntheworldtrembles.Mankindhaveevencommittedtheimpietyofattributingsimilardesirestothedeity,whomtheyimagingavidforcontinualpraise.虚荣心是个有巨大潜力的动机。与孩子们打交道的人都知道，孩子们是如何一边做了一些滑稽动作，一边说着看我。看我是人心中最基本的欲望，它以不同的形式出现，从讲粗俗的笑话到追求死后的声望形式各异。有一位文艺复兴时期的意大利王公，临终前牧师问他是否有什么需要忏悔的，他说是的，有一年事。有一天皇上和教皇同时到我这里来参观，我领他们登上塔顶观景，我没有利用这个把他俩仍下去的机会，如果我那样做了，一定会获得不朽的声望。历史没有告诉我们那位牧师是否给这个王公免了罪。虚荣心的问题之一是随着鼓励的增加而增加，越是被别人谈论，越希望被别人谈论。让判了刑的杀人犯阅读一下报上登载的审判他的报告，如果他发现哪家报纸没作充足的报导，他会十分气愤的。报纸报导他的越多，对那些报导他少的报纸他感到气愤。政治家和文人就是这样。他们越出名，剪报机构觉得越难满足他们。在人类生活阶段，从三岁幼童到皱一皱眉世界就得抖一抖的君主，要夸大虚荣心的影响不太可能，人类犯了个大不敬的错误，认为神灵敢有同样的欲望，想象神灵也渴望得到不断的歌颂。Butgreatas