the virtues of ambition.docx

the virtues of ambition.docx

《the virtues of ambition.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《the virtues of ambition.docx（16页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

thevirtuesofambition

UnitSeven:

TheVirtuesofAmbition

JosephEpstein

IntroductiontotheAuthor

JosephEpstein（1937-）,notedessayist,shortstoryauthorandnovelist,wasborninChicagoandgrewupinRogersPark.HethenattendedtheUniversityofChicagoandisnowaprominentmemberoftheliteraturefacultyatNorthwesternUniversity.Hewonthe1998HaroldWashingtonLiteraryAwardforthemostprominentmenorwomenoflettersinChicago.

Text

1.    AmbitionisoneofthoseRorschachwords:

defineitandyouinstantlyrevealagreatdealaboutyourself.Eventhatmostneutralofworks,Webster's,initsseventhNewCollegiateEdition,givesitselfaway,definingambitionfirstandforemostas"anardentdesireforrank,fame,orpower."Ardentimmediatelyassumesaheatincommensuratewithgoodsenseandstability,andrank,fame,andpowerhavecomeunderfairlyheavyattackforatleastacentury.Onecan,afterall,beambitiousforthepublicgood,forthealleviationofsuffering,fortheenlightenmentofmankind,thoughtherearesomewhosaythatthesearepreciselytheambitiouspeoplemosttobedistrusted.

2. Surelyambitionisbehinddreamsofglory,ofwealth,oflove,ofdistinction,ofaccomplishment,ofpleasure,ofgoodness.Whatlifedoeswithourdreamsandexpectationscannot,ofcourse,bepredicted.Somedreams,beguninselflessness,endinrancor;otherdreams,beguninselfishness,endinlarge-heartedness.Theunpredictabilityoftheoutcomeofdreamsisnoreasontoceasedreaming.

3. Tobesure,ambition,thesheerthingunalloyedbysomelargerpurposethanmerelyclamberingup,isneveraprettyprospecttoponder.Asdrunkshavedonetoalcohol,thesingle-mindedhavedonetoambition--givenitabadname.Likeatasteforalcohol,too,ambitiondoesnotalwaysallowforeasysatiation.Somepeoplecannothandleit;ithasbroughtgrieftoothers,andnotmerelytheambitiousalone.Still,noneofthisseemsasufficientcausefordrivingambitionunderthecounter.

4. Whatistheworstthatcanbesaid---thathasbeensaid--aboutambition?

Hereisa（surely）partiallist:

Tobeginwith,it,ambition,isoftenantisocial,andindeedisnowoutmoded,belongingtoanagewhenindividualismwasmorevaluedandusefulthanitistoday.Thepersonstronglyimbuedwithambitionignoresthecollectivity;sociallydetached,heisonhisownandoutforhisown.Individualityandambitionarefirmlylinked.Theambitiousindividual,farfromidentifyinghimselfandhisfortuneswiththegroup,wishestoriseaboveit.Theambitiousmanorwomanseestheworldasabattle;rivalrousnessishisorherprincipalemotion:

theworldhaslimitedprizestooffer,andheorsheisdeterminedtogethisorhers.Ambitionis,moreover,jesuitical;itcanarguethosepossessedbyitintobelievingthatwhattheywantforthemselvesisgoodforeveryone--thatthesatisfactionoftheirowndesiresisbestforthecommonweal（P）.Thetrulyambitiousbelievethatitisadog-eat-dogworld,andtheyaredistinguishedbywantingtobethedogsthatdotheeating.

5. Fromhereitisbutashorthoptobelievethatthosewhohaveachievedthecommongoalsofambition--money,fame,power--haveachievedthemthroughcorruptionofagreaterorlesserdegree,mostlyagreater（P）.Thusallpoliticiansinhighplaces,thoughttobeambitious,areunderstoodtobe,ipsofacto,withoutmoralscruples.Howcouldtheyhavesuchscruples--aweightyburdeninahighclimb--andstillhaverisenastheyhave?

6. Ifambitionistobewellregarded,therewardsofambition--wealth,distinction,controloverone'sdestiny--mustbeconsideredworthyofthesacrificesmadeonambition'sbehalf.Ifthetraditionofambitionistohavevitality,itmustbewidelyshared;anditespeciallymustbeesteemedbypeoplewhoarethemselvesadmired,theeducatednotleastamongthem（P）.Theeducatednotleastbecause,nowadaysmorethaneverbefore,itistheywhohaveusurpedtheplatformsofpublicdiscussionandwieldthepowerofthespokenandwrittenwordinnewspapers,inmagazines,ontelevision.Inanoddway,itistheeducatedwhohaveclaimedtohavegivenuponambitionasanideal.Whatisoddisthattheyhaveperhapsmostbenefitedfromambition--ifnotalwaystheirownthenthatoftheirparentsandgrandparents.Thereisaheavynoteofhypocrisyinthis;acaseofclosingthebarndoorafterthehorseshaveescaped--withtheeducatedthemselvesastridethem.

7. Certainlypeopledonotseemlessinterestedinsuccessanditsaccoutrementsnowthanformerly.Summerhomes,Europeantravel,BMWs--thelocationsplacenamesandnamebrandsmaychange,butsuchitemsdonotseemlessindemandtodaythanadecadeortwoyearsago.Whathashappenedisthatpeoplecannotownuptotheirdreams,aseasilyandopenlyasoncetheycould,lesttheybethoughtpushing,acquisitive,vulgar.Insteadwearetreatedtofinepharisaicalspectacles,whichnowmorethaneverseeminamplesupply:

Therevolutionarylawyerquarteredinthe$250,000Manhattanluxuriousapartment;thecriticofAmericanmaterialismwithaSouthamptonsummerhome;thepublisherofradicalbookswhotakeshismealsinthree-starrestaurants;thejournalistadvocatingparticipatorydemocracyinallphasesoflife,whoseownchildrenareenrolledinprivateschools.Forsuchpeopleandmanymoreperhapsnotsoegregious,theproperformulationis,"Succeedatallcostsbutrefrainfromappearingambitious（P）."

8. Theattacksonambitionaremanyandcomefromvariousangles;itspublicdefendersarefewandunimpressive,wheretheyarenotextremelyunattractive.Asaresult,thesupportforambitionasahealthyimpulse,aqualitytobeadmiredandinculcatedintheyoung,isprobablylowerthanithaseverbeenintheUnitedStates.Thisdoesnotmeanthatambitionisatanend,thatpeoplenolongerfeelitsstirringsandprompting,butonlythat,nolongeropenlyhonored,itislessoftenopenlyprofessed.Consequencesfollowfromthis,ofcourse,someofwhicharethatambitionisdrivenunderground,ormadesly,orperverse.Itcanalsobeforcedintovulgarity,aswitnesstheblatantpratingsofitscontemporarypromoters.Such,then,isthewaythingsstand:

ontheleftangrycritics,ontherightobtusesupporters,andinthemiddle,asusual,themajorityofearnestpeopletryingtogetoninlife（P）.

9. Manypeoplearenaturallydistrustfulofambition,feelingthatitrepresentssomethingintractableinhumannature.ThusJohnDeanentitledhisbookabouthisinvolvementintheWatergateaffairduringtheNixonadministrationblindAmbitionasifambitionweretoblameforhisignobleactions,andnottheconstellationofqualitiesthatmakeuphisrathershabbycharacter.Ambition,itmustonceagainbeunderscored,ismorallyatwo-sidedstreet.PlacenexttoJohnDeanAndrewCarnegie,who,amongotherphilanthropicacts,boughtthelibraryofLordActon,atatimewhenActonwasinfinancialdistress,andassigneditscustodianshiptoActon,whoneverwastoldwhohisbenefactorwas.Needmuchmorebesaidonthesubjectthanthat,importantthoughambitionis,therearesomethingsthatonemustnotsacrificetoit?

10.Butgoingatthingstheotherway,sacrificingambitionsoastoguardagainstitspotentialexcesses,istogoatthingswrongly（P）.Todiscourageambitionistodiscouragedreamsofgrandeurandgreatness.Allmenandwomenareborn,live,suffer,anddie;whatdistinguishesusonefromanotherisourdreams,whethertheybedreamsaboutworldlyorunworldlythings,andwhatwedotomakethemcomeabout.

11.Itmayseemanexaggerationtosaythatambitionisthelinchpinofsociety,holdingmanyofitsdisparateelementstogether,butitisnotanexaggerationbymuch（P）.Removeambitionandtheessentialelementsofsocietyseemtoflyapart.Ambition,asopposedtomerefantasizingaboutdesires,impliesworkanddisciplinetoachievegoals,personalandsocial,ofakindsocietycannotsurvivewithout（P）.Ambitionisintimatelyconnectedwithfamily,formenandwomennotonlyworkpartlyfortheirfamilies;husbandsandwivesareoftenambitiousforeachother,butharborsomeoftheirmostardentambitionsfortheirchildren.Yettohaveafamilynowadays--withbirthcontrolreadilyavailable,andinflationagoodeconomicargumentagainsthavingchildren--isnearlyanexpressionofambitioninitself.Finally,thoughambitionwasoncethedomainchieflyofmonarchsandaristocrats,ithas,inmorerecenttimes,increasinglybecomethedomainofthemiddleclasses.Ambitionandfuturity--asenseofbuildingfortomorrow--areinextricable.Working,saving,planning--these,thedailyaspectsofambition--havealwaysbeenthedistinguishingmarksofarisingmiddleclass.Theattackagainstambitionisnotincidentallyanattackonthemiddleclassandwhatitstandsfor.Likeitornot,themiddleclasshasdonemuchofsociety'sworkinAmerica;andit,themiddleclass,hasfromthebeginningrunonambition.

12.Itisnotdifficulttoimagineaworldshornofambition.Itwouldprobablybeakinderworld:

withoutdemands,withoutabrasions,withoutdisappointments.Peoplewouldhavetimeforreflection.Suchworkastheydidwouldnotbeforthemselvesbutforthecollectivity.Competitionwouldneverenterin.Conflictwouldbeeliminated,tensionbecomeathingofthepast.Thestressofcreationwouldbeatanend.Artwouldnolongerbetroubling,butpurelycelebratoryinitsfunctions.Thefamilywouldbecomesuperfluousasasocialunitwithallitsformerpowerforbringingaboutneurosisdrainedaway.Longevitywouldbeincreased,forfewerpeoplewoulddieofheartattackorstrokecausedbytumultuousendeavor.Anxietywouldbeextinct.Timewouldstretchonandon,w