《第一章论功利与诚实.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《第一章论功利与诚实.docx(17页珍藏版)》请在第壹文秘上搜索。
1、第一章论功利与诚实Chapter1OfProfitandHonesty谁都难免说傻话,可悲的是还说得很起劲。这事跟我无关。我的傻话都是漫不经心时傻里傻气说出来的。想说就说,随说随忘,亳不在乎。傻成怎样也就怎样对待,绝不贩卖。我对着白纸说话与对着人说话一样,求的是真。我们的制度,不论在公共还是私人领域,处处都不完美,但不能说它无用,无用就是它的作用。我们生来则由病态的品性黏合而成,野心、嫉妒、羡慕、报复、迷信、失望,与生俱来,难以改变,从野兽身上可以看到这些影子,包括残忍性在内。因此,我们看到别人受苦,内心不但不同情,还会产生一种说不出来的幸灾乐祸的快感。然而,谁消除了这些品质的种子,便也摧毁了
2、人性的基本条件。同样,在我们的制度中,有一些必要的职能,不仅是恶劣的,还是罪恶的。这些罪恶不但有它们的位子,并且不断对我们产生影响,正如我们的健康要靠毒药维持。我经常看到一些法官通过舞弊、许愿或宽恕,使用哄吓、诈骗等手段来诱使罪人招供,我感到很气愤。我痛恨这种不讲信义的法律。同时,由于我很不乐意为了一位君王去背叛一个普通人,我也就不会为了一个普通人去背叛一位君王。我也曾几次参与君王之间的谈判,在分歧与不和中进行斡旋。我竭力避免因我而产生误解,因而把最强烈的意见和盘托出,而不似那些掩饰自己的心意,假装中立迎合别人的人。我是个稚嫩的谈判新手,幸运的是至今一切顺利。我开诚布公,因而与人初次交而我;/
3、法官诱骗罪人招供:让那些先生们看到,我并不是在谋一己之利。Omanisfreefromspeakingfoolishthings;buttheworston,tis,Wiiciiamanlabourstoplaythefool:44Naeistemagnoconatumagnasnugasdixerit.”Trulyhe,withagreateffortwillshortlysayamightytrifle.Terence,Heaut.,actiii.,s.4.Thisdoesnotconcernme;mineslipfrommewithaslittlecareastheyareoflittl
4、evalue,and,tisthebetterforthem.Iwouldpresentlypartwiththemforwhattheyareworth,andneitherbuynorsellthem,butastheyweigh.Ispeakonpaper,asIdotothefirstpersonImeet;andthatthisistrue,observewhatfollows.Towhomoughtnottreacherytobehateful,whenTiberiusrefuseditinathingofsogreatimportancetohim?Hehadwordsenthi
5、mfromGermanythatifhethoughtfit,theywouldridhimofArminiusbypoison:thiswasthemostpotentenemytheRomanshad,whohaddefeatedthemsoignominiouslyunderVarus,andwhoalonepreventedtheiraggrandisementinthoseparts.Hereturnedanswer,ithatthepeopleofRomewerewonttorevengethemselvesoftheirenemiesbyopenways,andwiththeir
6、swordsintheirhands,andnotclandestinelyandbyfraud,whereinhequittedtheprofitableforthehonest.Youwilltellmethathewasabraggadocio;Ibelievesotoo:and,tisnogreatmiracleinmenofhisprofession.Buttheacknowledgmentofvirtueisnotlessvalidinthemouthofhimwhohatesit,forasmuchastruthforcesitfromhim,andifhewillnotinwa
7、rdlyreceiveit,heatleastputsitonforadecoration.Ouroutwardandinwardstructureisfullofimperfection;butthereisnothinguselessinnature,noteveninutilityitself;nothinghasinsinuateditselfintothisuniversethathasnotthereinsomefitandproperplace.Ourbeingiscementedwithsicklyqualities:ambition,jealousy,envy,revenge
8、,superstition,anddespairhavesonaturalapossessioninus,thatitsimageisdiscernedinbeasts;nay,andcruelty,sounnaturalavice;foreveninthemidstofcompassionwefeelwithin,Iknownotwhattart-sweettitillationofill-naturedpleasureinseeingotherssuffer;andthechildrenfeelit:44Suavemarimagno,turbantibusaequoraventis,Ete
9、rramagnumalteriusspectareIaborem:,ltissweet,whenthewindsdisturbthewatersofthevastsea,towitnessfromlandtheperilofotherpersons?Lucretius1ii.1.oftheseedsofwhichqualities,whoevershoulddivestman,woulddestroythefundamentalconditionsofhumanlife.Likewise,inallgovernmentstherearenecessaryoffices,notonlyabjec
10、t,butviciousalso.Vicestherehelptomakeuptheseaminourpiecing,aspoisonsareusefulfortheconservationofhealth.Iftheybecomeexcusablebecausetheyareofusetous,andthatthecommonnecessitycoverstheirtruequalities,wearetoresignthisparttothestrongestandboldestcitizens,whosacrificetheirhonourandconscience,asothersof
11、oldsacrificedtheirlives,forthegoodoftheircountry:we,whoareweaker,takeuponuspartsboththataremoreeasyandlesshazardous.Thepublicwealrequiresthatmenshouldbetray,andlie,andmassacre;letusleavethiscommissiontomenwhoaremoreobedientandmoresupple.Inearnest,Ihaveoftenbeentroubledtoseejudges,byfraudandfalsehope
12、soffavourorpardon,allureacriminaltoconfesshisfact,andthereintomakeuseofcozenageandimpudence.Itwouldbecomejustice,andPlatohimself,whocountenancesthismannerofproceeding,tofurnishmewithothermeansmoresuitabletomyownliking:thisisamaliciouskindofjustice,andIlookuponitasnolesswoundedbyitselfthanbyothers.Is
13、aidnotlongsincetosomecompanyindiscourse,thatIshouldhardlybedrawntobetraymyprinceforaparticularman,whoshouldbemuchashamedtobetrayanyparticularmanformyprince;and1donotonlyhatedeceivingmyself,butthatanyoneshoulddeceivethroughme;Iwillneitheraffordmatternoroccasiontoanysuchthing.InthelittleIhavehadtomedi
14、atebetwixtourprincesBetweentheKingofNavarre1afterwardsHenryIV.,andtheDucdeGuise.SeeDeThou1DeVitaSua,iii.9.inthedivisionsandsubdivisionsbywhichweareatthistimetorntopieces,Ihavebeenverycarefulthattheyshouldneitherbedeceivedinmenordeceiveothersbyme.Peopleofthatkindoftradingareveryreserved,andpretendtob
15、ethemostmoderateimaginableandnearesttotheopinionsofthosewithwhomtheyhavetodo;Iexposemyselfinmystiffopinion,andafteramethodthemostmyown;atendernegotiator,anovice,whohadratherfailintheaffairthanbewantingtomyself.Andyetithasbeenhithertowithsogoodluck(forfortunehasdoubtlessthebestshareinit),thatfewthing
16、shavepassedfromhandtohandwithlesssuspicionormorefavourandprivacy.IhaveafreeandopenwaythateasilyinsinuatesitselfandobtainsbeliefwiththosewithwhomIamtodealatthefirstmeeting.Sincerityandpuretruth,inwhatagesoever,passforcurrent;andbesides,thelibertyandfreedomofamanwhotreatswithoutanyinterestofhisownisneverhatefulorsuspected,andhemayverywellmakeuseoftheanswerofHyperidestotheAthenians,whocompla