In every community, even the crew of a pirate ship, there are acts that are enjoined and acts that are forbidden, acts that are applauded and acts that are reprobated. A pirate must show courage in attack and justice in the distribution of the spoils; If he fails in these respects, he is not a "good" pirate. When a man belongs to a larger community, the scope of his duties and possible sins becomes greater, and the considerations involved become more complex, but there is still a code to which he must conform on pain of public obloquy. Most acts, it is true, are considered morally indifferent, provided a man is not a slave or in a semiservile condition. A man of independent means may get up when he likes and go to bed when he likes; he may eat and drink whatever he chooses, provided he avoids excess; he may marry the lady of his choice if she is willing. But he must perform his military duty when called upon by the State to do so, and he must abstain from crime, as well as from kinds of behavior that make a man unpopular. Men without independent means have much less freedom.



Bertrand Russell: Moral Codes



在每个群体中，哪怕是海盗船上的一伙人马，有些行为是规定完成的，有些行为则是遭到禁止的，有些行为是为人赞许的，有些行为则是受到谴责的。一个海盗表现在袭击时表现出胆量，分赃时表现出公平；这些方面做不到的话，他就不是"好样的"海盗。一个人属于大一些的群体时，他的责任和可能发生作恶的范围也就变得大了，所需考虑的问题也变得更为复杂了，不过还是存在一个他必须遵守的规范，一旦违反便遭世人诟骂。诚然，人们认为多数行为在道德上是无关紧要的，只要一个人不是奴隶或处于半奴役的状况。小康收入者升帐就寝的时间可以随意；吃喝可以任意挑选，只要不是暴饮暴食；可以娶中意的女子，如果她也愿意。可是一朝国家召唤，他必须服役，必须避免犯罪，也得避免作出各种不受欢迎的行为。没有小康收入的人也就没有多大自由。



伯特兰•罗素：《道德标准》
关键字:跟我读英语
生词表: