Lesson-3---Groundless-Beliefs

Lesson3GroundlessBeliefsA.E.ManderAboutthetextandtheauthorThepresenttextistakenfromLogicfortheMillionsbyA．E．Mander,publishedbyThePhilosophicalLibrary，NewYork，1947．A.E.ManderisanEnglishpsychologist,hewritesmanybooks,suchasOurShamDemocracy,Psychologyforeverymanandwoman,AlarmingAustraliaandsoon.AselectionofbooksbyA.E.ManderWarmingupQuestions/ActivitiesWhat'sarabbit’sfavorite?Howdoyouknow?WBTR指月亮,割耳朵吃剩饭,长麻子晚上梳头,一辈子忧愁.......Arewesurethatallthebeliefsweholdwithconvictionandacceptwithoutquestionarereallytrueorwell-grounded?Whatconstitutesadequategroundsforbeliefs?Part1()about:Part2()about:Part3()about:TextStructurePrevalenceofgroundlessbeliefs.Body:Types/Causesofgroundlessbeliefs.Thewriter’spraiseofrationalthinkers.Para.1Paras.2—24Paras.25Fivetypes/causesofgroundlessbeliefsA:EarlyenvironmentB:ParrotingC:Self-interestD:SentimentalassociationsE:Fashion(2-3)(4-13)(14-17)(18-19)(20-24)Inthefuturewearegoingtofollowthepractice—untilitbecomesahabit—ofclassifyingpropositionsaccordingtotheirgrounds.(1)1)Followthepractice:totakethispracticeasaguide;tocopythispractice;todevelopthehabitofdoingthingsinthisway2)Classify:toarrangethingssystematicallyinclassesorgroups3)Proposition:view;idea;assertionGroundground:(usu.pl.)thefoundation/underlyingconditionforanargument,acauseorgoodreasonforsth.e.g.1.Whatwerehisgroundsforwantingadivorce?2.Neitherstatementcanbefaultedonthegroundsthatitisinaccurate.(以...为根据)groundless:a.notbasedonreasonorevidencee.g.groundlessoptimismYourfearisprovedtobegroundless.Ofeverystatementwecomeacross,weshallask:“Howdoweknowthat?(1)Ofeverystatement:abouteverystatementcomeacross1)tomeetorfindsb./sth.bychance2)beunderstoode.g.Yesterday,IcameacrossthechairmanXiinthestreetandIfeltveryexcited.Shespokeforalongtimebuthermeaningdidn'treallycomeacross.Probablyweshallbeastonishedatthenumberofpropositionsmetwithineverydaylifewhichweshallfinditnecessarytoclassasgroundless.(1)SentenceanalysisThenumberofpropositionsmetwith:thenumberofpropositionsencounteredorexperiencedClassasgroundless:toclassifyasgroundlessTheyrestuponmeretradition,oronsomebody’sbareassertionunsupportedbyeverashadowofproof…(1)Restupon/on:tobebasedone.g.Theresponsibilitymustrestuponhisenemies,notonhimself.Allourhopesrestuponthearrivaloftheshipment(物资).Bareassertion:strongstatementwithoutthesupportofproofAshadowof:theslightesttraceofe.g.AshadowofsmiletouchedJohn'smouth.bare:a.naked;notcoveredwithorprotectedbyanything;empty;justefficient,mere…e.g.barefeetthebarebranchesofwintertrees.Thefridgewascompletelybare.Phrases:withyourbarehandsbare(v.)yoursoul(tosb.):totellyourdeepestandmostprivatefeelingsbarefaced:a.公然的，厚颜无耻的，不戴面具的e.g.abarefacedlieTextAnalysisPartII:Types/Causesofgroundlessbeliefs(paras.2–24)Section1.Resultofenvironmentinearlylife.(paras.2–3)Howcanasimple“suggestion”becomea“belief”?…uncriticallyweacceptedandbelievedit.…wedidn’thavethepowerofquestioning.Howshallwedealwiththebeliefsdevelopedinearlychildhood?Manyofourstrongestconvictionswereestablishedthen;andnow,inadultlife,wefinditmostdifficulteventoquestiontheirtruth.(2)Conviction:firmbelieforopinion(Donotconfusethiswordwithitsothermeaningasin“theconvictionofapersonforacrime.”)Beestablished:tobeformulatedButifthestaunchestRomanCatholicandthestaunchestPresbyterianhadbeenexchangedwheninfants,...(3)PresbyterianWheninfants:(elliptical)whentheywereinfantsGrammarP80Christianity基督教Catholicism天主教[罗马公教]OrthodoxChurch东正教Protestantism新教Presbyterian长老教Congregationalists公理宗Methodists循道宗ReformedChurch加尔文宗[归正宗]EpiscopalChurch安立甘宗[圣公会]LutheranChurch路德宗[信义宗]Para.3Itisconsistentwithallourknowledgeofpsychologytoconcludethateachwouldhavegrownupholdingexactlytheoppositebeliefstothoseheholdsnow…(3)Beconsistentwith:tobeinagreementwith,e.g.Thispracticeisnotconsistentwithgovernmentregulations.Whatheisdoingisconsistentwithhisbasicmoralprinciples.Thesamethingistrue,ofcourse,ofmanybeliefsotherthanthoseofareligiousnature.(3)Otherthan:Thisexpressionusuallymeans“except,”buthereitmeans“apartfrom.”Thisusage,however,isnotconsideredstandardbymany.Noticethepattern“tobetrueofsth.”:applytoNotonlyarereligiousbeliefslikethis.Manyotherbeliefsare,too.infanticiderootcide:tocutinfanticideinsecticidematricidepatricidesuicidepesticide杀婴杀虫剂杀母者杀父者自杀杀虫剂Ifwehadgrownupinacommunitywherepolygamyorhead-hunting,orinfanticide,orgladiatorialfighting,ordueling,(3)Themovie“Gladiator”.Question:Giveexamplesofourmostdeeply-rootedandfundamentalconvictionsthatwehappentohavebeen“broughtup”tothem.1.Moneyisdirty.2.Manwillstruggletoconquernature.3.Manyhandsmakelightwork.4.Wemustsaveeverypennytosupportournationalreconstruction.5.Chinaisalargecountrywithabundantnaturalresources.TextAnalysisPartII:Types/Causesofgroundlessbeliefs(paras.2–24)Section2.Parroting.(paras.4–13)Whatdoes“parroting”mean?Copy,echo,orrepeatwithoutquestion.AcceptonlysuchnewideasasfitinwiththeideaswealreadyholdHowshouldwetreatotherpeople’sideasaccordingtotheauthor?Ofcoursewedonotcease,whenweceasetobechildren,toadoptnewbeliefsonmeresuggestion.(4)cease:stophappenin