登陆注册
5698300000239

第239章

But the love of distinction is capable of different directions. At present, there is no more certain road to the general deference of mankind than the exhibition of wealth. The poet, the wit, the orator, the saviour of his country, and the ornament of his species may upon certain occasions be treated with neglect and biting contempt; but the man who possesses and disburses money in profusion can scarcely fail to procure the attendance of the obsequious man and the flatterer. But let us conceive this erroneous and pernicious estimate of things to be reversed. Let us suppose the avaricious man, who is desirous of monopolizing the means of happiness, and the luxurious man, who expends without limitation, in pampering his appetites, that which, in strict justice, is the right of another, to be contemplated with as much disapprobation as they are now beheld by a mistaken world with deference and respect. Let us imagine the direct and unambiguous road to public esteem to be the acquisition of talent, or the practice of virtue, the cultivation of some species of ingenuity, or the display of some generous and expansive sentiment; and that the persons who possess these talents were as conspicuously treated with affection and esteem as the wealthy are now treated with slavish attention. This is merely, in other words, to suppose good sense, and clear and correct perceptions, at some time to gain the ascendancy in the world.

But it is plain that, under the reign of such sentiments, the allurements that now wait upon costly gratification, would be, for the most part, annihilated.

If, through the spurious and incidental recommendations it derives from the love of distinction, it is now rendered, to many, a principal source of agreeable sensation, under a different state of opinion, it would not merely be reduced to its intrinsic value in point of sensation, but, in addition to this, would be connected with ideas of injustice, unpopularity and dislike. So small is the space which costly gratifications are calculated unalterably to fill in the catalogue of human happiness .

It has sometimes been alleged, as an argument against the equal rights of men in the point of which we are treating, 'that the merits of men are different, and ought to be differently rewarded' . But it may be questioned whether this proposition, though true, can with any show of plausibility be applied to the present subject. Reasons have been already suggested to prove that positive institutions do not afford the best means for rewarding virtue, and that human excellence will be more effectually forwarded by those encouragements which inevitably arise from the system of the universe.

But, exclusively of this consideration, let us recollect, upon the grounds of what has just been stated, what sort of reward is thus proposed to exertion.

'If you show yourself deserving, you shall have the essence of a hundred times more food than you can eat, and a hundred times more clothes than you can wear. You shall have a patent for taking away from others the means of a happy and respectable existence, and for consuming them in riotous and unmeaning extravagance.' is this the reward that ought to be offered to virtue, or that virtue should stoop to take?

The doctrine of the injustice of accumulated property has been the foundation of all religious morality. Its most energetic teachers have been irresistibly led to assert the precise truth in this respect. They have taught the rich that they hold their wealth only as a trust, that they are strictly accountable for every atom of their expenditure, that they are merely administrators, and by no means proprietors in chief. But, while religion thus inculcated on mankind the pure principles of justice, the majority of its prosessors have been but too apt to treat the practice of justice, not as a debt, which it ought to be considered, but as an affair of spontaneous generosity and bounty.

The effect which is produced by this accommodating doctrine is to place the supply of our wants in the disposal of a few, enabling them to make a show of generosity with what is not truly their own, and to purchase the submission of the poor by the payment of a debt. Theirs is a system of clemency and charity, instead of a system of justice. It fills the rich with unreasonable pride, by the spurious denominations with which it decorates their acts; and the poor with servility, by leading them to regard the slender comforts they obtain, not as their incontrovertible due, but as the good pleasure and grace of their opulent neighbours.

同类推荐
  • The Aspern Papers

    The Aspern Papers

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 将苑

    将苑

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 亲征录

    亲征录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Monster Men

    The Monster Men

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 琼楼吟稿节钞

    琼楼吟稿节钞

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 天鹅

    天鹅

    纪念那些死在海上和将要死在海上的人。上个世纪70年代的最后一天,上海是个阴雨天。这要记性特别好或者那天刚好写了日记的人才知道。梅子和于葵葵则出于某种例外而一生都不能忘记那个上海淮海路的阴雨天。她俩共打着一把伞,站在老大昌蛋糕房的屋檐下面,激情磅礴地讨论着关乎一个女孩子人生中最大最关键的问题——当然就是爱情这件事了。梅子和于葵葵都是1976年兵,一起考取了新疆驻南疆一个野战部队的文工团,现在又一起来上海进修,所以两人无话不谈。她俩是从南京路一路谈过来的,到了淮海路还没谈尽兴。
  • 假如没有了引力

    假如没有了引力

    这是一部充满童趣和想象的小学生作文集,是我作为家长从孩子的10多万字作文和已发表作品中精选出来,包括35篇散文(含随笔、日记)、10首诗歌。写作来源于孩子的课堂作业、周末作业、考试作文、参赛作文,然而更多的却是来源于孩子课余时间,出于兴趣或出于冲动的写作。
  • 小女当家有点田

    小女当家有点田

    贫苦家境,兄弟年幼,爹娘疟疾,未婚夫嫌弃……那又如何?且看她如何种田把家发,居高临下的怒甩巴掌把这婚退了。佳公子她尚且不要,又怎会将这从前就不看在眼里的未婚夫纳入囊中?直到有一日她遇见了世上无可比拟的他,才惊觉这发家的道路之上当真可以有红尘……嘿,一起组队打脸升个级吧?情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 错出的姻缘(中国小小说名家档案)

    错出的姻缘(中国小小说名家档案)

    《中国小小说名家档案》百部小小说名家出版工程,旨在打造文体,推崇作家,推出精品。集结杨晓敏、许行、聂鑫森、孙方友、孙春平、刘国芳、谢志强、陈毓、周海亮、海飞、曾颖等当代小小说最华丽的作家阵容和经典意味的力作新作,由100名小小说名家一人一册单行本(共100册)组成,兼容不同年龄不同区域不同流派不同内容不同风格,是当代文学史上第一个小小说的系统出版工程,是广大读者特别是青少年读者认识社会人生、充实人文精神,提升文化素养,增强写作能力的读本。
  • 壹父母育儿系列(套装共三册)

    壹父母育儿系列(套装共三册)

    《世界不是温室,但你是花朵》:这个世界上存在着各种对于儿童的侵害,作为祖国的花朵,父母可能不能永远让孩子待在“温室”。但是,父母要告诉孩子的是,外面有危险,你需要谨慎。《有教养的孩子,会被这个世界温柔相待》:如何让孩子有教养,是父母一直在追寻的课题,但也是父母无形中会忽视的问题。孩子的一言一行,生活修养,到头来都是“教养”的问题。如何培养孩子的“教养”,也许这本书,能让你找到答案。《世上没有好妈妈公式》:我们都是第一次为人父母,也都想成为“完美”父母。殊不知,这世上并没有好妈妈公式,好的父母各有不同,但相同的都是“爱”。不要拼命去做“完美父母”,一起看看为人父母后,真正的修养是什么。
  • 菩萨睒子经

    菩萨睒子经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 给企业注入军魂

    给企业注入军魂

    世界500强企业中有近三分之一的企业都引入了军队的管理思想,在中国,联想、华为、万科等企业都由复员军人创建。本书就此讲述了如何用军魂塑造企业文化、将治军之道运用于企业管理、培养组织成员军人般的工作作风、如何解决企业面临的执行力等问题。
  • 玲珑王妃

    玲珑王妃

    【慢热】基于两个要命的原因,和亲公主楚玲珑准备近期逃离水国:其一,她得罪了皇上的亲妈;其二,她不小心把皇上的三儿子给睡了……(第1卷温馨,第2卷阴谋开始,若是喜欢本文,记得收藏和推荐哦)
  • 宝宝娘的都市田园

    宝宝娘的都市田园

    人能又多倒霉?刚刚失业,转眼丈夫要离婚?连小小的蜗居都算计了去?婚姻搁浅,好不容易被闺蜜拉到郊外玩一天农家乐散心,却又把宝宝丢了…都市很大很繁华,可宝宝娘抱着宝宝拖着行李,却无处可去!“宝宝,只需一年,娘就给你一所温暖的房子!”宝宝娘搂着宝宝缩在漏雨的天棚里发誓!一年,房子有了!车子有了!票子也有了!两年,三年,公司资产上亿,庄园遍布神州,瓜儿也熟了,花儿也开了,看着宝宝娘忙碌的身影,宝宝悄悄转起了眼珠儿--宝宝娘的春天也该来了!*片段一:“你也不照照镜子,肥得像猪,脸黄的像土,还把着陈飞不放…带你这样的女人出去,我都替陈飞丢脸!”小三挑着细眉满脸刻薄。宝宝娘神色蛋定:“你那么热衷当垃圾箱尽管当好了,喏,这是清洁费!”话落,某宝很配合地将一张皱巴巴的十元钞票丢在小三的脸上,拉着…抱着娘亲的脖子傲然离开。*片段二:“我请你去为我的别墅做绿化…价钱随便开!不过,要专职!”富少拽的二五八万的,捏着支票簿盯着她。“抱歉,我们只卖绿植!”*片段三:“这是我让人从热带雨林中特意搜集来的珍品花卉…怎么样?嫁给我,这些都是你的。”官少指着玛莎拉蒂上栽的绿色植物,趾高气扬。“您的珍品花卉太贵了…对不起,我不能这么坑您!”*片段四:这个哥哥为什么总是偷偷地干活,偷偷地关心娘,却从来不知道争取呢?某宝咕噜咕噜黑眼珠子,贼兮兮地一笑,就这么办!花好月圆,花团锦簇,花香满襟…轻松温馨,尽量不小白,努力打造励志正剧…咳咳!
  • 河东河西(中国好小说)

    河东河西(中国好小说)

    一场百年罕见的瓢泼大雨下了一整夜,导致某一处圩堤倒口,湖水淹没了村子里300多亩稻秧,也夺去了会计童吉喘的小女儿珍珠。痛失爱女的吉喘大叔以大局为重,将悲痛隐藏在心间,和“我”(菱角)一起去为村里去秧苗,最终成功找到了秧苗。但吉喘大叔却在向村里通知完找到秧苗的好消息后遭遇意外。