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托马斯·马尔萨斯:人口论·摘录 128
托马斯·马尔萨斯《人口论》· An Essay on the Principle of Population · 投资
The only difference, with regard to our own apprehensions, that is not in favour of the latter assertion is that the first miracle we have repeatedly seen, and the last miracle we have not seen. I admit the full weight of this prodigious difference, but surely no man can hesitate a moment in saying that, putting Revelation out of the question, the resurrection of a spiritual body from a natural body, which may be merely one among the many operations of nature which we cannot see, is an event indefinitely more probable than the immortality of man on earth, which is not only an event of which no symptoms or indications have yet appeared, but is a positive contradiction to one of the most constant of the laws of nature that has ever come within the observation of man.
出处:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4239
定位:Excerpt 128 · 核对日期:2026-10-19 · 核验:短摘录
白话
马尔萨斯承认:我们反复见过“自然身体复活为灵性身体”这类说法(他指宗教启示),却没见过人在地上不死。但他认为,即便把启示放一边,前者仍比后者更可能。因为人在地上不死不仅毫无迹象,还直接违背最恒常的自然规律之一。核心是:比较两种“奇迹”时,要看它们与已知规律冲突的程度;可执行的是,对违背强证据的断言保持更高怀疑,对未知领域保留开放但谨慎的态度。
上下文
马尔萨斯在《人口论》中讨论死亡必然性,并比较宗教复活与尘世不死的可能性。
今日一问
面对两种都缺乏直接证据的说法,我是否按它们与已知规律冲突的程度来权衡可信度?
公版作品;原文逐字取自 Project Gutenberg,仅摘录段落并附全书链接。
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