"However true it may be that every man has a duty, as much as he can, to contribute to the well-being of others, and that he who is of no use to anyone is worthless; yet it is just as true that our concerns must extend beyond the present, and it is right to stop doing something that would benefit the living to some extent, but which we abandon in order to do something that will benefit our grandchildren much more.
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Author
Rene DescartesAll Translations
All Translations
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However true it may be that every man has a duty, as much as he can, to contribute to the well-being of others, and that he who is of no use to anyone is worthless; yet it is just as true that our concerns must extend beyond the present, and it is right to stop doing something that would benefit the living to some extent, but which we abandon in order to do something that will benefit our grandchildren much more.
""Bármily igaz is, hogy minden embernek kötelessége, annyira, amennyire tőle telik, mások jólétén közreműködni, s hogy aki hasznára nincs senkinek, érni sem ér semmit; mégis épp oly igaz, hogy gondjainknak ki kell a jelenidőn túl is terjeszkedniök, s helyes dolog, ha abbahagyunk olyat, ami az élőknek némi hasznot hajtana ugyan, de amit azért hagyunk el, hogy olyat tegyünk, ami sokkal nagyobb hasznot hajt majd unokáinknak."