【金句】C. S. Lewis - The real reason for democracy is just the reverse...

連結

• 來源1 - x.com/anne_pinkava/s...

• 來源2 - wist.info/lewis-cs/4...

I am a democrat because I believe in the Fall of Man. I think most people are democrats for the opposite reason. A great deal of democratic enthusiasm descends from the ideas of people like Rousseau, who believed in democracy because they thought mankind so wise and good that everyone deserved a share in government. The danger of defending democracy on those grounds is that they’re not true. And whenever their weakness is exposed, the people who prefer tyranny make capital out of the exposure. I find that they’re not true without looking further than myself. I don’t deserve a share in governing a hen-roost, much less a nation. Nor do most people — all the people who believe advertisements, and think in catchwords and spread rumours. The real reason for democracy is just the reverse. Mankind is so fallen that no man can be trusted with unchecked power over his fellows. Aristotle said that some people were only fit to be slaves. I do not contradict him. But I reject slavery because I see no men fit to be masters.

我是一個民主主義者，因為我相信人類的墮落。 我認為大多數人出於相反的原因而成為民主主義者。 許多民主熱情源自像盧梭這樣的人的思想，他們相信民主是因為他們認為人類如此明智和善良，以至於每個人都應該參與政府。 在這些理由上捍衛民主的危險是：它們不真實。 而且，每當他們的弱點暴露時，那些喜歡暴政的人就會利用這種暴露來獲取利益。 我發現這不是真的，而無需看比我自己更遠的地方。 我沒有資格參與管理一個雞舍，更不用說一個國家了。 當然，大多數人也沒有資格——所有那些相信廣告、用流行語思考並散布謠言的人。 真正的民主理由恰好相反。 人類墮落得如此嚴重，以至於不能信任任何一個人對他的同伴擁有不受約束的權力。 亞里士多德說，有些人只適合做奴隸。 我不反駁他。 但我拒絕奴隸制，因為我不認為有任何人適合成為主人。