1、How to Get the Poor off Our ConscienceSomething you need to knowJohn Kenneth Galbraiththe Last American Institutionalist A PUBLIC INTELLECTUALThe Author Galbraith, far left, as US ambassador to India, 1961What is conscience?Conscience refers to the sense of right and wrong and the urge to do right.

2、Conscience is unique to us human beings and distinguishes men from animals. When we did something wrong, we would suffer from an ill conscience, we would feel guilty.To get something off ones conscienceto ease the burden on ones conscience by finding excuse for or justifying the existence of somethi

3、ng bad or wrongto try not to bother oneself for the existence of something unfairWhat does the title mean? To understand the meaning, you just recall your experience of passing by a beggar without feeling guilty. The title seems to suggest that the author is to offer some solutions to get the poor o

4、ff our conscience. ? Does the author really think it right to get the poor off our conscience美國貧富差距的現狀及其原美國貧富差距的現狀及其原因因 70年代以來美國的貧年代以來美國的貧富富差距差距狀況狀況（1）對20收入最高者和20收入最低者的平均收入進行比較，兩者的差距在1974年是7.5倍，1992年擴大到了10.2倍 。 （2）1977 1992 ，最窮的20的人的稅后收入絕對下降了12，而最富的1的人的稅后收入卻增長了136 。 （3）美國住戶、家庭與個人收入中描述的美國家庭收入基尼系數的變化趨

5、勢為：1970年為0. 394 ，1980年為0.403，1990年為0.428 （注：國際上通常用基尼系數測量貧富差距程度 ，基尼系數的變大表示貧富差距繼續加大） （4）據美國最新的統計結果，1992年最富有的1的家庭擁有美國全部財富的42，而在1989年為39 ，三三制現象。 （5）收入分配不均的擴大帶來了貧困化的發展 。貧富差距擴大的原貧富差距擴大的原因因 根本原因：資本主義榨取剩余勞動價值的本性。 在經濟上，科學技術的發展、產業結構的轉換、資本積累的加劇以及美國的經濟形勢和經濟政策是影響收入分配狀況的重要因素。 在美國，種族歧視、單親家庭增多和非婚生子女人數的上升等社會問題也對貧富差距

6、的擴大有重要影響。Rich vs poor Rich vs poor The poor people A beggarThe poor Discussion Questions1) What do you think of the gap between the poor and rich in our country? What, in your opinion, are its causes?2) Is poverty very much on the conscience of the rich? 3) What are the possible dangers of wide gap

7、between the rich and the poor?4) What are the first 5 historical wys to get the poor off our conscience? 5)What are the 5 current strategies for getting the poor off our conscience?6)Why does the author say compassion along with the associated public effort is the most truly conservative course?Cont

8、ext of this articleWhen the author wrote this article, Reagan and hiscolleagues was in the White House. In the 1980s,during Reagans time, conservatism prevailed andsupply-side economics was dominant. After the GreatSociety in the 1960s, social welfare system suffered thefirst setback under the Reaga

9、n Administration. Acontraction in social welfare set in. (里根經濟政策：降稅、減福利開支、增加軍費)Five historical solutions 1. The next life theory 2. Utilitarianism 3. Poor peoples fault 4. Survival of the fittest 5. interference ion with effective operatiom of economic systemFive Current Designs 1. Incompetent gover

10、nment 2. Harmful to the poor 3. Adverse effect on incentive 4. Adverse effect on freedom 5. Simple psychological denialOutline of the EssayPart 1 (paras.1-2): The oldest project in “getting the poor off our conscience”Part 2 (paras. 3-9): 5 historical solutions Part 3 (paras. 10-11): a transitionPar

11、t 4 (paras.12-20): 5 current designs Part 5: (paras. 21): conclusionStockbroker (股票經紀人股票經紀人) This is associated with the name of David Ricardo, a stockbroker, and Thomas Robert Malthus, a divine. (sarcasm) (Para. 5) Stockbroker: a person whose job is buying and selling shares for those with money (i

12、nvestor). the 3rd solution: the poverty of the poor was the fault of the poorstockbroker A stockbroker can easily earn big money through the commission (傭金，手續費); which depends on the amount of money the investor invests, while it is very hard for the investor to earn money in the stock market, becau

13、se of the high risk.Couples in love should repair to R. H. Macys, not their bedroom(para. 6) It implies that couples will find their pockets not that heavy while they look around the market, which will push them to work hard for money rather than enjoy their love in their bedrooms for having too man

14、y children. This statement ridicules Reagans view that the best form of population control comes from the market.Malthusianism (馬爾塞斯人口論馬爾塞斯人口論) （Para. 6） 馬爾薩斯主義以英國經濟學家馬爾薩斯為代表的資產階級學派。產生于18世紀，馬爾薩斯在其代表作人口原則和政治經濟學原理中提出了“馬爾薩斯人口論”，人類必須控制人口的增長。否則，貧窮是人類不可改變的命運。 主要結論：認為生活資料按算術級數增加，而人口是按幾何級數增長的，因此生活資料的增加趕不上人口

15、的增長是自然的、永恒的規律，只有通過饑餓、繁重的勞動、限制結婚以及戰爭等手段來消滅社會下層，才能削弱這個規律的作用。把資本主義制度所造成的一切問題和災難歸結為人口過剩的結果。 What was Roosevelts revolution? Why does the author call it a revolution? (Para.10 )The Roosevelts revolutionThe Roosevelts revolution referred to the social welfare policies initiated by Franklin D. Roosevelt in

16、 the New Deal. The New Deal is centered on three Rs: Reform, recovery and relief.The Roosevelts revolution In 1935, Congress passed the Social Security Act which for the first time in American history assigned specific responsibility to the government for providing assistance to the least fortunate

17、people in the country. This was a revolutionary step because it broke away from the traditional concept that the federal government was not responsible for social welfare. The Act of 1935 laid foundation for the current social welfare system of the United States.羅斯福的羅斯福的“新政新政” 羅斯福的羅斯福的“新政新政”處方先從整頓金融

18、入手就職處方先從整頓金融入手就職后的第三天，即后的第三天，即1933年年3月月6日，羅斯福宣布全日，羅斯福宣布全國銀行國銀行“休假休假”，這是他所采取的重建銀行和，這是他所采取的重建銀行和經濟結構的第一步。經濟結構的第一步。3月月9日，國會通過日，國會通過緊急緊急銀行法令銀行法令，對銀行采取個別審查、頒發許可，對銀行采取個別審查、頒發許可證制度，對有償付能力的銀行，允許盡快復業。證制度，對有償付能力的銀行，允許盡快復業。在在“百日新政百日新政”期間，羅斯福在解決銀行問題期間，羅斯福在解決銀行問題的同時，還竭力促使議會先后通過了的同時，還竭力促使議會先后通過了農業調農業調整法整法和和全國工業復興

19、法全國工業復興法。羅斯福的羅斯福的“新政新政” 在“新政”中，“救濟救濟”是一個主要方面，1933 年 5 月，國會通過聯邦緊急救濟法緊急救濟法，成立聯邦緊急救濟署，將各種救濟款物迅速撥往各州，第二年又把單純救濟改為“以工代賑”，給失業者提供從事公共事業的機會，維護了失業者的自力更生精神和自尊心。羅斯福上任后從一開始就傾注了極大的力量興辦大規模的公共工程，以擴大政府開支來彌補私人投資下降而出現的空白，并解決部分就業問題。Milton Friedman (1912-2006)American supply-side economist Nobel Memorial Prize winner in

20、 Economic Science in 1976. chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors of the Reagan Administration He taught from 1946 to 1976 at the University of Chicago. He wrote extensively on public policy. His most important books in this field: Capitalism and Freedom ( 1962); A Monetary History of the Unit

21、ed States Free to Choose .The ending In the concluding part, the author points out that the public assistance to the poor is in essence in the interest of the conservatives. The ending How do you feel about the ending? Do you find it forceful? the ending is mild compared with the authors radical com

22、ment in previous part. Actually, we find the ending rather abrupt, like the saying “a tigers head and a snakes tail”. One might be disappointed with the authors solution. A Summary of the passageThe author brings up 5 historical solutions and 5current designs for getting the poor off ourconscience.

23、In presenting both historical solutionsand current designs he expresses his criticalattitudes implicitly. At the end of the essay, hewarns the policy makers and people who arewealthy that “civil discontent and its consequencesdo not come from contented people.” and thatpoverty is the permanent ailment of society.The main idea of the essayBased on the analysis of historical solutions and current designs, the author ironically criticizes the attitude of getting the poor off our conscience, on which t