投资 · 西方古典
托马斯·马尔萨斯：人口论·摘录 99
托马斯·马尔萨斯《人口论》· An Essay on the Principle of Population · 投资
Many, I doubt not, will think that the attempting gravely to controvert so absurd a paradox as the immortality of man on earth, or indeed, even the perfectibility of man and society, is a waste of time and words, and that such unfounded conjectures are best answered by neglect. I profess, however, to be of a different opinion. When paradoxes of this kind are advanced by ingenious and able men, neglect has no tendency to convince them of their mistakes. Priding themselves on what they conceive to be a mark of the reach and size of their own understandings, of the extent and comprehensiveness of their views, they will look upon this neglect merely as an indication of poverty, and narrowness, in the mental exertions of their contemporaries, and only think that the world is not yet prepared to receive their sublime truths.
出处：
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4239
定位：Excerpt 99 · 核对日期：2026-10-19 · 核验：短摘录
白话
马尔萨斯预料，很多人会觉得：认真反驳“人类在地球上长生不老”或“人与社会可无限完善”这种荒谬怪论，纯属浪费时间，最好的回应就是不理睬。但他不同意。他说，当这类怪论出自聪明能干的人之口时，不理睬并不能让他们认错。他们反而会觉得自己思想超前、视野宏大，把别人的沉默当成同时代人思想贫乏、心胸狭窄的证据，只认为世界还没准备好接受他们的“崇高真理”。所以，对有力的谬误，沉默常被误读为无能，认真反驳才有用。
上下文
马尔萨斯《人口论》中针对孔多塞、戈德温等乐观主义者的论战态度。
今日一问
面对一个聪明人提出的荒谬主张，我该沉默还是认真反驳？
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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