agathist 的词源

这个词起源于1816年，来自希腊语 agathos，意为“好”（参见 Agatha），加上 -ist 后缀。

Doctor Kearney, who formerly, with so much reputation, delivered lectures in this place on the history of Rome, observed to me once, that he was not an optimist, but an "agathist"; that he believed that every thing tended to good, but did not think himself competent to determine what was absolutely the best. The distinction is important, and seems to be fatal to the system of Optimism. [George Miller, "Lectures on the Philosophy of Modern History," Dublin, 1816]

凯尔尼医生曾在这里以极高的声誉讲授罗马历史，他曾对我说，他不是一个乐观主义者，而是一个“善人主义者”；他相信一切都朝着好的方向发展，但不认为自己有能力判断什么才是绝对最好的。这一区别很重要，似乎对乐观主义的理论构成了致命的打击。[乔治·米勒，《现代历史哲学讲座》，都柏林，1816年]