1、羅素1950獲諾貝爾文學獎時的演講(December11,1950)BertrandRussellWhatDesiresArePoliticallyImportant?IhavechosenthissubjectformylecturetonightbecauseIthinkthatmostcurrentdiscussionsofpoliticsandpoliticaltheorytakeinsufficientaccountofpsychology.Economicfacts,populationstatistics,constitutionalorganization,andsoon,ar

2、esetforthminutely.ThereisnodifficultyinfindingouthowmanySouthKoreansandhowmanyNorthKoreanstherewerewhentheKoreanWarbegan.Ifyouwilllookintotherightbooksyouwillbeabletoascertainwhatwastheiraverageincomeperhead,andwhatwerethesizesoftheirrespectivearmies.ButifyouwanttoknowwhatsortofpersonaKoreanis,andwh

3、etherthereisanyappreciabledifferencebetweenaNorthKoreanandaSouthKorean;ifyouwishtoknowwhattheyrespectivelywantoutoflife,whataretheirdiscontents,whattheirhopesandwhattheirfears;inaword,whatitisthat,astheysay,?makesthemtick?,youwilllookthroughthereferencebooksinvain.AndsoyoucannottellwhethertheSouthKo

4、reansareenthusiasticaboutUNO,orwouldpreferunionwiththeircousinsintheNorth.Norcanyouguesswhethertheyarewillingtoforgolandreformfortheprivilegeofvotingforsomepoliticiantheyhaveneverheardof.Itisneglectofsuchquestionsbytheeminentmenwhositinremotecapitals,thatsofrequentlycausesdisappointment.Ifpoliticsis

5、tobecomescientific,andiftheeventisnottobeconstantlysurprising,itisimperativethatourpoliticalthinkingshouldpenetratemoredeeplyintothespringsofhumanaction.Whatistheinfluenceofhungeruponslogans?Howdoestheireffectivenessfluctuatewiththenumberofcaloriesinyourdiet?Ifonemanoffersyoudemocracyandanotheroffer

6、syouabagofgrain,atwhatstageofstarvationwillyoupreferthegraintothevote?Suchquestionsarefartoolittleconsidered.However,letus,forthepresent,forgettheKoreans,andconsiderthehumanrace.Allhumanactivityispromptedbydesire.Thereisawhollyfallacioustheoryadvancedbysomeearnestmoraliststotheeffectthatitispossible

7、toresistdesireintheinterestsofdutyandmoralprinciple.Isaythisisfallacious,notbecausenomaneveractsfromasenseofduty,butbecausedutyhasnoholdonhimunlesshedesirestobedutiful.Ifyouwishtoknowwhatmenwilldo,youmustknownotonly,orprincipally,theirmaterialcircumstances,butratherthewholesystemoftheirdesireswithth

8、eirrelativestrengths.Therearesomedesireswhich,thoughverypowerful,havenot,asarule,anygreatpoliticalimportance.Mostmenatsomeperiodoftheirlivesdesiretomarry,butasaruletheycansatisfythisdesirewithouthavingtotakeanypoliticalaction.Thereare,ofcourse,exceptions;therapeoftheSabinewomenisacaseinpoint.Andthed

9、evelopmentofnorthernAustraliaisseriouslyimpededbythefactthatthevigorousyoungmenwhooughttodotheworkdislikebeingwhollydeprivedoffemalesociety.Butsuchcasesareunusual,andingeneraltheinterestthatmenandwomentakeineachotherhaslittleinfluenceuponpolitics.Thedesiresthatarepoliticallyimportantmaybedividedinto

10、aprimaryandasecondarygroup.Intheprimarygroupcomethenecessitiesoflife:foodandshelterandclothing.Whenthesethingsbecomeveryscarce,thereisnolimittotheeffortsthatmenwillmake,ortotheviolencethattheywilldisplay,inthehopeofsecuringthem.Itissaidbystudentsoftheearliesthistorythat,onfourseparateoccasions,droug

11、htinArabiacausedthepopulationofthatcountrytooverflowintosurroundingregions,withimmenseeffects,political,cultural,andreligious.ThelastofthesefouroccasionswastheriseofIslam.ThegradualspreadofGermanictribesfromsouthernRussiatoEngland,andthencetoSanFrancisco,hadsimilarmotives.Undoubtedlythedesireforfood

12、hasbeen,andstillis,oneofthemaincausesofgreatpoliticalevents.Butmandiffersfromotheranimalsinoneveryimportantrespect,andthatisthathehassomedesireswhichare,sotospeak,infinite,whichcanneverbefullygratified,andwhichwouldkeephimrestlesseveninParadise.Theboaconstrictor,whenhehashadanadequatemeal,goestoslee

13、p,anddoesnotwakeuntilheneedsanothermeal.Humanbeings,forthemostpart,arenotlikethis.WhentheArabs,whohadbeenusedtolivingsparinglyonafewdates,acquiredtherichesoftheEasternRomanEmpire,anddweltinpalacesofalmostunbelievableluxury,theydidnot,onthataccount,becomeinactive.Hungercouldnolongerbeamotive,forGreek

14、slavessuppliedthemwithexquisiteviandsattheslightestnod.Butotherdesireskeptthemactive:fourinparticular,whichwecanlabelacquisitiveness,rivalry,vanity,andloveofpower.Acquisitiveness-thewishtopossessasmuchaspossibleofgoods,orthetitletogoods-isamotivewhich,Isuppose,hasitsorigininacombinationoffearwiththe

15、desirefornecessaries.IoncebefriendedtwolittlegirlsfromEstonia,whohadnarrowlyescapeddeathfromstarvationinafamine.Theylivedinmyfamily,andofcoursehadplentytoeat.Buttheyspentalltheirleisurevisitingneighbouringfarmsandstealingpotatoes,whichtheyhoarded.Rockefeller,whoinhisinfancyhadexperiencedgreatpoverty

16、,spenthisadultlifeinasimilarmanner.SimilarlytheArabchieftainsontheirsilkenByzantinedivanscouldnotforgetthedesert,andhoardedrichesfarbeyondanypossiblephysicalneed.Butwhatevermaybethepsychoanalysisofacquisitiveness,noonecandenythatitisoneofthegreatmotives-especiallyamongthemorepowerful,for,asIsaidbefo

17、re,itisoneoftheinfinitemotives.Howevermuchyoumayacquire,youwillalwayswishtoacquiremore;satietyisadreamwhichwillalwayseludeyou.Butacquisitiveness,althoughitisthemainspringofthecapitalistsystem,isbynomeansthemostpowerfulofthemotivesthatsurvivetheconquestofhunger.Rivalryisamuchstrongermotive.Overandove

18、ragaininMohammedanhistory,dynastieshavecometogriefbecausethesonsofasultanbydifferentmotherscouldnotagree,andintheresultingcivilwaruniversalruinresulted.ThesamesortofthinghappensinmodernEurope.WhentheBritishGovernmentveryunwiselyallowedtheKaisertobepresentatanavalreviewatSpithead,thethoughtwhicharose

19、inhismindwasnottheonewhichwehadintended.Whathethoughtwas,?ImusthaveaNavyasgoodasGrandmamma's?.Andfromthisthoughthavesprungalloursubsequenttroubles.Theworldwouldbeahappierplacethanitisifacquisitivenesswerealwaysstrongerthanrivalry.Butinfact,agreatmanymenwillcheerfullyfaceimpoverishmentiftheycanth

20、erebysecurecompleteruinfortheirrivals.Hencethepresentleveloftaxation.Vanityisamotiveofimmensepotency.Anyonewhohasmuchtodowithchildrenknowshowtheyareconstantlyperformingsomeantic,andsaying?Lookatme?.?Lookatme?isoneofthemostfundamentaldesiresofthehumanheart.Itcantakeinnumerableforms,frombuffoonerytoth

21、epursuitofposthumousfame.TherewasaRenaissanceItalianprincelingwhowasaskedbythepriestonhisdeathbedifhehadanythingtorepentof.?Yes?,hesaid,?thereisonething.OnoneoccasionIhadavisitfromtheEmperorandthePopesimultaneously.Itookthemtothetopofmytowertoseetheview,andIneglectedtheopportunitytothrowthembothdown

22、,whichwouldhavegivenmeimmortalfame?.Historydoesnotrelatewhetherthepriestgavehimabsolution.Oneofthetroublesaboutvanityisthatitgrowswithwhatitfeedson.Themoreyouaretalkedabout,themoreyouwillwishtobetalkedabout.Thecondemnedmurdererwhoisallowedtoseetheaccountofhistrialinthepressisindignantifhefindsanewsp

23、aperwhichhasreporteditinadequately.Andthemorehefindsabouthimselfinothernewspapers,themoreindignanthewillbewiththeonewhosereportsaremeagre.Politiciansandliterarymenareinthesamecase.Andthemorefamoustheybecome,themoredifficultthepress-cuttingagencyfindsittosatisfythem.Itisscarcelypossibletoexaggerateth

24、einfluenceofvanitythroughouttherangeofhumanlife,fromthechildofthreetothepotentateatwhosefrowntheworldtrembles.MankindhaveevencommittedtheimpietyofattributingsimilardesirestotheDeity,whomtheyimagineavidforcontinualpraise.Butgreatasistheinfluenceofthemotiveswehavebeenconsidering,thereisonewhichoutweig

25、hsthemall.Imeantheloveofpower.Loveofpoweriscloselyakintovanity,butitisnotbyanymeansthesamething.Whatvanityneedsforitssatisfactionisglory,anditiseasytohaveglorywithoutpower.ThepeoplewhoenjoythegreatestgloryintheUnitedStatesarefilmstars,buttheycanbeputintheirplacebytheCommitteeforUn-AmericanActivities

26、,whichenjoysnoglorywhatever.InEngland,theKinghasmoreglorythanthePrimeMinister,butthePrimeMinisterhasmorepowerthantheKing.Manypeoplepreferglorytopower,butonthewholethesepeoplehavelesseffectuponthecourseofeventsthanthosewhopreferpowertoglory.WhenBlicher,in1814,sawNapoleon'spalaces,hesaid,?Wasn'

27、;theafooltohaveallthisandtogorunningafterMoscow.?Napoleon,whocertainlywasnotdestituteofvanity,preferredpowerwhenhehadtochoose.ToBlcher,thischoiceseemedfoolish.Power,likevanity,isinsatiable.Nothingshortofomnipotencecouldsatisfyitcompletely.Andasitisespeciallytheviceofenergeticmen,thecausalefficacyofl

28、oveofpowerisoutofallproportiontoitsfrequency.Itis,indeed,byfarthestrongestmotiveinthelivesofimportantmen.Loveofpowerisgreatlyincreasedbytheexperienceofpower,andthisappliestopettypoweraswellastothatofpotentates.Inthehappydaysbefore1914,whenwell-to-doladiescouldacquireahostofservants,theirpleasureinex

29、ercisingpoweroverthedomesticssteadilyincreasedwithage.Similarly,inanyautocraticregime,theholdersofpowerbecomeincreasinglytyrannicalwithexperienceofthedelightsthatpowercanafford.Sincepoweroverhumanbeingsisshowninmakingthemdowhattheywouldrathernotdo,themanwhoisactuatedbyloveofpowerismoreapttoinflictpa

30、inthantopermitpleasure.Ifyouaskyourbossforleaveofabsencefromtheofficeonsomelegitimateoccasion,hisloveofpowerwillderivemoresatisfactionfromarefusalthanfromaconsent.Ifyourequireabuildingpermit,thepettyofficialconcernedwillobviouslygetmorepleasurefromsaying?No?thanfromsaying?Yes?.Itisthissortofthingwhi

31、chmakestheloveofpowersuchadangerousmotive.Butithasothersideswhicharemoredesirable.Thepursuitofknowledgeis,Ithink,mainlyactuatedbyloveofpower.Andsoarealladvancesinscientifictechnique.Inpolitics,also,areformermayhavejustasstrongaloveofpowerasadespot.Itwouldbeacompletemistaketodecryloveofpoweraltogethe

32、rasamotive.Whetheryouwillbeledbythismotivetoactionswhichareuseful,ortoactionswhicharepernicious,dependsuponthesocialsystem,anduponyourcapacities.Ifyourcapacitiesaretheoreticalortechnical,youwillcontributetoknowledgeortechnique,and,asarule,youractivitywillbeuseful.Ifyouareapoliticianyoumaybeactuatedb

33、yloveofpower,butasarulethismotivewilljoinitselfontothedesiretoseesomestateofaffairsrealizedwhich,forsomereason,youprefertothestatusquo.Agreatgeneralmay,likeAlcibiades,bequiteindifferentastowhichsidehefightson,butmostgeneralshavepreferredtofightfortheirowncountry,andhave,therefore,hadothermotivesbesi

34、desloveofpower.Thepoliticianmaychangesidessofrequentlyastofindhimselfalwaysinthemajority,butmostpoliticianshaveapreferenceforonepartytotheother,andsubordinatetheirloveofpowertothispreference.Loveofpowerasnearlypureaspossibleistobeseeninvariousdifferenttypesofmen.Onetypeisthesoldieroffortune,ofwhomNa

35、poleonisthesupremeexample.Napoleonhad,Ithink,noideologicalpreferenceforFranceoverCorsica,butifhehadbecomeEmperorofCorsicahewouldnothavebeensogreatamanashebecamebypretendingtobeaFrenchman.Suchmen,however,arenotquitepureexamples,sincetheyalsoderiveimmensesatisfactionfromvanity.Thepuresttypeisthatofthe

36、eminencegrise-thepowerbehindthethronethatneverappearsinpublic,andmerelyhugsitselfwiththesecretthought:?Howlittlethesepuppetsknowwhoispullingthestrings.?BaronHolstein,whocontrolledtheforeignpolicyoftheGermanEmpirefrom1890to1906,illustratesthistypetoperfection.Helivedinaslum;heneverappearedinsociety;h

37、eavoidedmeetingtheEmperor,exceptononesingleoccasionwhentheEmperor'simportunitycouldnotberesisted;herefusedallinvitationstoCourtfunctions,onthegroundthathepossessednocourtdress.HehadacquiredsecretswhichenabledhimtoblackmailtheChancellorandmanyoftheKaiser'sintimates.Heusedthepowerofblackmail,n

38、ottoacquirewealth,orfame,oranyotherobviousadvantage,butmerelytocompeltheadoptionoftheforeignpolicyhepreferred.IntheEast,similarcharacterswerenotveryuncommonamongeunuchs.Icomenowtoothermotiveswhich,thoughinasenselessfundamentalthanthosewehavebeenconsidering,arestillofconsiderableimportance.Thefirstof

39、theseisloveofexcitement.Humanbeingsshowtheirsuperioritytothebrutesbytheircapacityforboredom,thoughIhavesometimesthought,inexaminingtheapesatthezoo,thatthey,perhaps,havetherudimentsofthistiresomeemotion.Howeverthatmaybe,experienceshowsthatescapefromboredomisoneofthereallypowerfuldesiresofalmostallhum

40、anbeings.Whenwhitemenfirsteffectcontactwithsomeunspoiltraceofsavages,theyofferthemallkindsofbenefits,fromthelightofthegospeltopumpkinpie.These,however,muchaswemayregretit,mostsavagesreceivewithindifference.Whattheyreallyvalueamongthegiftsthatwebringtothemisintoxicatingliquorwhichenablesthem,forthefi

41、rsttimeintheirlives,tohavetheillusionforafewbriefmomentsthatitisbettertobealivethandead.RedIndians,whiletheywerestillunaffectedbywhitemen,wouldsmoketheirpipes,notcalmlyaswedo,butorgiastically,inhalingsodeeplythattheysankintoafaint.Andwhenexcitementbymeansofnicotinefailed,apatrioticoratorwouldstirthe

42、muptoattackaneighbouringtribe,whichwouldgivethemalltheenjoymentthatwe(accordingtoourtemperament)derivefromahorseraceoraGeneralElection.Thepleasureofgamblingconsistsalmostentirelyinexcitement.MonsieurHucdescribesChinesetradersattheGreatWallinwinter,gamblinguntiltheyhavelostalltheircash,thenproceeding

43、tolosealltheirmerchandise,andatlastgamblingawaytheirclothesandgoingoutnakedtodieofcold.Withcivilizedmen,aswithprimitiveRedIndiantribes,itis,Ithink,chieflyloveofexcitementwhichmakesthepopulaceapplaudwhenwarbreaksout;theemotionisexactlythesameasatafootballmatch,althoughtheresultsaresometimessomewhatmo

44、reserious.Itisnotaltogethereasytodecidewhatistherootcauseoftheloveofexcitement.Iinclinetothinkthatourmentalmake-upisadaptedtothestagewhenmenlivedbyhunting.Whenamanspentalongdaywithveryprimitiveweaponsinstalkingadeerwiththehopeofdinner,andwhen,attheendoftheday,hedraggedthecarcasstriumphantlytohiscave

45、,hesankdownincontentedweariness,whilehiswifedressedandcookedthemeat.Hewassleepy,andhisbonesached,andthesmellofcookingfilledeverynookandcrannyofhisconsciousness.Atlast,aftereating,hesankintodeepsleep.Insuchalifetherewasneithertimenorenergyforboredom.Butwhenhetooktoagriculture,andmadehiswifedoallthehe

46、avyworkinthefields,hehadtimetoreflectuponthevanityofhumanlife,toinventmythologiesandsystemsofphilosophy,andtodreamofthelifehereafterinwhichhewouldperpetuallyhuntthewildboarofValhalla.Ourmentalmake-upissuitedtoalifeofveryseverephysicallabor.Iused,whenIwasyounger,totakemyholidayswalking.Iwouldcovertwe

47、nty-fivemilesaday,andwhentheeveningcameIhadnoneedofanythingtokeepmefromboredom,sincethedelightofsittingamplysufficed.Butmodernlifecannotbeconductedonthesephysicallystrenuousprinciples.Agreatdealofworkissedentary,andmostmanualworkexercisesonlyafewspecializedmuscles.WhencrowdsassembleinTrafalgarSquare

48、tocheertotheechoanannouncementthatthegovernmenthasdecidedtohavethemkilled,theywouldnotdosoiftheyhadallwalkedtwenty-fivemilesthatday.Thiscureforbellicosityis,however,impracticable,andifthehumanraceistosurvive-athingwhichis,perhaps,undesirable-othermeansmustbefoundforsecuringaninnocentoutletfortheunus

49、edphysicalenergythatproducesloveofexcitement.Thisisamatterwhichhasbeentoolittleconsidered,bothbymoralistsandbysocialreformers.Thesocialreformersareoftheopinionthattheyhavemoreseriousthingstoconsider.Themoralists,ontheotherhand,areimmenselyimpressedwiththeseriousnessofallthepermittedoutletsoftheloveo

50、fexcitement;theseriousness,however,intheirminds,isthatofSin.Dancehalls,cinemas,thisageofjazz,areall,ifwemaybelieveourears,gatewaystoHell,andweshouldbebetteremployedsittingathomecontemplatingoursins.Ifindmyselfunabletobeinentireagreementwiththegravemenwhoutterthesewarnings.Thedevilhasmanyforms,somede

51、signedtodeceivetheyoung,somedesignedtodeceivetheoldandserious.Ifitisthedevilthattemptstheyoungtoenjoythemselves,isitnot,perhaps,thesamepersonagethatpersuadestheoldtocondemntheirenjoyment?Andisnotcondemnationperhapsmerelyaformofexcitementappropriatetooldage?Andisitnot,perhaps,adrugwhich-likeopium-has

52、tobetakenincontinuallystrongerdosestoproducethedesiredeffect?Isitnottobefearedthat,beginningwiththewickednessofthecinema,weshouldbeledstepbysteptocondemntheoppositepoliticalparty,dagoes,wops,Asiatics,and,inshort,everybodyexceptthefellowmembersofourclub?Anditisfromjustsuchcondemnations,whenwidespread

53、,thatwarsproceed.Ihaveneverheardofawarthatproceededfromdancehalls.Whatisseriousaboutexcitementisthatsomanyofitsformsaredestructive.Itisdestructiveinthosewhocannotresistexcessinalcoholorgambling.Itisdestructivewhenittakestheformofmobviolence.Andaboveallitisdestructivewhenitleadstowar.Itissodeepaneedt

54、hatitwillfindharmfuloutletsofthiskindunlessinnocentoutletsareathand.Therearesuchinnocentoutletsatpresentinsport,andinpoliticssolongasitiskeptwithinconstitutionalbounds.Butthesearenotsufficient,especiallyasthekindofpoliticsthatismostexcitingisalsothekindthatdoesmostharm.Civilizedlifehasgrownaltogethe

55、rtootame,and,ifitistobestable,itmustprovideharmlessoutletsfortheimpulseswhichourremoteancestorssatisfiedinhunting.InAustralia,wherepeoplearefewandrabbitsaremany,Iwatchedawholepopulacesatisfyingtheprimitiveimpulseintheprimitivemannerbytheskillfulslaughterofmanythousandsofrabbits.ButinLondonorNewYorks

56、omeothermeansmustbefoundtogratifyprimitiveimpulse.Ithinkeverybigtownshouldcontainartificialwaterfallsthatpeoplecoulddescendinveryfragilecanoes,andtheyshouldcontainbathingpoolsfullofmechanicalsharks.Anypersonfoundadvocatingapreventivewarshouldbecondemnedtotwohoursadaywiththeseingeniousmonsters.Morese

57、riously,painsshouldbetakentoprovideconstructiveoutletsfortheloveofexcitement.Nothingintheworldismoreexcitingthanamomentofsuddendiscoveryorinvention,andmanymorepeoplearecapableofexperiencingsuchmomentsthanissometimesthought.Interwovenwithmanyotherpoliticalmotivesaretwocloselyrelatedpassionstowhichhum

58、anbeingsareregrettablyprone:Imeanfearandhate.Itisnormaltohatewhatwefear,andithappensfrequently,thoughnotalways,thatwefearwhatwehate.Ithinkitmaybetakenastheruleamongprimitivemen,thattheybothfearandhatewhateverisunfamiliar.Theyhavetheirownherd,originallyaverysmallone.Andwithinoneherd,allarefriends,unl

59、essthereissomespecialgroundofenmity.Otherherdsarepotentialoractualenemies;asinglememberofoneofthemwhostraysbyaccidentwillbekilled.Analienherdasawholewillbeavoidedorfoughtaccordingtocircumstances.Itisthisprimitivemechanismwhichstillcontrolsourinstinctivereactiontoforeignnations.Thecompletelyuntravelledpersonwillviewallforeignersasthesavageregardsamemberofanotherherd.Butthemanwhohastravelled,orwhohasstudiedinternationalpolitics,willhavediscoveredthat,ifhisherdistoprosper,itmust,tosomedegree,becomeamalgamatedwithotherherds.IfyouareEnglishandsomeonesaystoyou,?TheFrenchareyourbro