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托马斯·马尔萨斯:人口论·摘录 103

托马斯·马尔萨斯《人口论》· An Essay on the Principle of Population · 投资

The great error under which Mr Godwin labours throughout his whole work is the attributing almost all the vices and misery that are seen in civil society to human institutions. Political regulations and the established administration of property are with him the fruitful sources of all evil, the hotbeds of all the crimes that degrade mankind. Were this really a true state of the case, it would not seem a hopeless task to remove evil completely from the world, and reason seems to be the proper and adequate instrument for effecting so great a purpose. But the truth is, that though human institutions appear to be the obvious and obtrusive causes of much mischief to mankind, yet in reality they are light and superficial, they are mere feathers that float on the surface, in comparison with those deeper seated causes of impurity that corrupt the springs and render turbid the whole stream of human life.

出处: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4239
定位:Excerpt 103 · 核对日期:2026-10-19 · 核验:短摘录

白话

马尔萨斯指出,戈德温全书最大的错误,是把文明社会几乎所有的罪恶和苦难都归咎于人类制度。在戈德温看来,政治法规和财产制度是万恶之源,只要用理性重新设计制度,就能彻底消除罪恶。马尔萨斯反驳说,制度固然显眼,但只是浮在表面的羽毛;真正深藏的原因是人性本身和人口规律。制度可以改,但人的欲望、繁衍冲动和资源有限性改不了。所以,指望靠制度革命一劳永逸地消灭苦难,是不切实际的;更务实的是承认人性局限,在制度上做渐进改良。

上下文

马尔萨斯在《人口论》中系统反驳戈德温《政治正义论》的理性主义乌托邦,认为制度不是万恶之源。

今日一问

当你把问题全归咎于外部制度时,是否忽略了人性中难以改变的部分?

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