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1、OnHumanNatureandPolitics论人性和政治BertrandRussel1.Undoubtedlythedesireforfoodhasbeen,andstillis,oneofthemaincausesofgreatpoliticalevents.Butmandiffersfromotheranimalsinoneveryimportantrespect,andthatisthathehasdesireswhichare,sotospeak,infinite,whichcanneverbefu
2、llygratified,andwhichwouldkeephimrestlesseveninParadise.Theboaconstrictor,whenhehashadanadequatemeal,goestosleep,anddoesnotwakeuntilheneedsanothermeal.Humanbeings,forthemostpart,arenotlikethis.WhentheArabs,whohadbeenusedtolivingsparinglyonafewdates,acquiredt
3、herichesoftheEasternRomanEmpireanddweltinpalacesofalmostunbelievableluxury,theydidnot,onthataccount,becomeinactive.Hungercouldnolongerbeamotive,forGreekslavessuppliedthemwithexquisiteviandsattheslightestnod.Butotherdesireskeptthemactive:fourinparticular,whic
4、hwecanlabelacquisitiveness,rivalry,vanityandloveofpower.无疑，要得到食物的强烈欲望一直是并仍然是导致巨大政治事件的主要原因之一。但人与其它动物有一个很重要的区别，那就是他有着可谓无尽头的欲望，永远不可能完全得到满足，即使到了天堂也会使他不得安宁。巨蟒饱吃一顿后就睡觉，不到需要再吃一顿时不醒。人大多不是这样。当惯于靠吃几个椰枣节俭为生的阿拉伯人获得东罗马帝国的财富，居住在几乎令人难以置信的豪华宫殿中时，他们并未因此就闲居不动了。饥饿不可能再是一个动机了，因为
5、只需稍一颔首，希腊奴隶便奉上精美佳肴。但是别的欲望使他们继续活动，主要有四种欲望，我们可称之为：占有欲，竞争欲，虚荣心，权力欲。2.Acquisitiveness--thewishtopossessasmuchaspossibleofgoods,orthetitletogoods--isamotivewhich,Isuppose,hasitsorigininacombinationoffearwiththedesirefornecessaries.占有欲——占有尽可能多的财产或财产的所有权——这一动机想来根源在
6、于恐惧和拥有生活必需品的愿望的结合。3.IoncebefriendedtwolittlegirlsfromEsthonia,whohadnarrowlyescapeddeathfromstarvationinafamine.Theylivedinmyfamily,andofcoursehadplentytoeat.Buttheyspentalltheirleisurevisitingneighbouringfarmsandstealingpotatoes,whichtheyhoarded.Rockefeller
7、,whoinhisinfancyhadexperiencedgreatpoverty,spenthisadultlifeinasimilarmanner.SimilarlytheArabchieftainsontheirsilkenByzantinedivanscouldnotforgetthedesert,andhoardedrichesfarbeyondanypossiblephysicalneed.Butwhateverthepsychoanalysisofacquisitiveness,noonecan
8、denythatitisoneofthegreatmotives--especiallyamongthemorepowerful,for,asIsaidbefore,itisoneoftheinfinitemotives.Howevermuchyoumayacquireyouwillalwayswishtoacquiremore;satietyisadreamwhichwillalwa
