Chapter 5. On Human Nature and Politics 201析.pptVIP

辽宁大学博士研究生教材 辽宁大学公共基础学院 Chapter VOn Human Nature and Politics Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) was a British philosopher and logician. He was one of the outstanding figures of 20th Century British philosophy, especially important for his work in mathematical logic. He published a vast number of books on logic, theory of knowledge, and many other topics. On Human Nature and Politics Undoubtedly the desire for food has been, and still is, one of the main causes of great political events. But man differs from other animals in one very important respect, and that is that he has desires which are, so to speak（可谓）, infinite, which can never be fully gratified, and which would keep him restless even in Paradise. On Human Nature and Politics The boa constrictor (巨蟒), when he has had an adequate meal, goes to sleep, and does not wake until he needs another meal. Human beings, for the most part (绝大部分人), are not like this. When the Arabs, who had been used to living sparingly（节俭） on a few dates, acquired the riches of the Eastern Roman Empire and dwelt in palaces of almost unbelievable luxury, they did not, on that account （为此）, become inactive（现居不动）. On Human Nature and Politics Hunger could no longer be a motive, for Greek slaves supplied them with exquisite viands (精美的食物) at the slightest nod. But other desires kept them active: four in particular, which we can label (可以称之为) acquisitiveness, rivalry, vanity and love of power. Acquisitiveness (占有欲) - the wish to possess as much as possible of goods, or the title to (所有权) goods - is a motive which, I suppose, has its origin in a combination of fear with the desire for necessaries. On Human Nature and Politics I once befriended two little girls from Esthonia, who had narrowly escaped death from starvation in a famine (在一次饥荒中差点被饿死). They lived in my family, and of course had plenty to eat. But they spent all their leisure visiting neighbouring farms and stealing potatoes, which they hoa