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弗朗西斯·培根:随笔·摘录 60
弗朗西斯·培根《随笔》· Essays · 领导 · 财富 · 行动 · 健康
That the usurer breaketh the first law, that was made for mankind after the fall, which was, in sudore vultus tui comedes panem tuum; not, in sudore vultus alieni. That usurers should have orange-tawny bonnets, because they do judaize. That it is against nature for money to beget money; and the like. I say this only, that usury is a concessum propter duritiem cordis; for since there must be borrowing and lending, and men are so hard of heart, as they will not lend freely, usury must be permitted. Some others, have made suspicious and cunning propositions of banks, discovery of men's estates, and other inventions. But few have spoken of usury usefully. It is good to set before us, the incommodities and commodities of usury, that the good, may be either weighed out or culled out; and warily to provide, that while we make forth to that which is better, we meet not with that which is worse.
出处:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/575
定位:Excerpt 60 · 核对日期:2026-10-19 · 核验:短摘录
白话
培根认为,放贷收息虽然违背“自食其力”的古训,但人性吝啬,不付利息就没人肯借钱,所以只能允许它存在。他主张别空谈道德,而要像做买卖一样,把高利贷的好处和坏处都摆到桌面上,逐条称量:哪些好处要保留,哪些坏处要砍掉。改革时最怕的是,为了追求更好的局面,反而先撞上更糟的结果。因此要小心设计规则,让借贷双方都有路可走,而不是一禁了之。
上下文
培根《随笔》中《论高利贷》一篇,写于17世纪初英国商业扩张时期,当时教会与法律对利息争论激烈。
今日一问
你身边有没有一种“明知不理想却禁不掉”的做法?能否先列出它的好处和坏处再决定?
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