耶鲁大学开放课程—哲学：死亡.22.Open.Yale.course—Philosophy：Deat

上节课Lasttime,我提到了对于死亡性质的思考Idistinguishedbetweentwowaysinwhichthinkingabout可能影响我们行为方式的thefactsaboutthenatureofdeath两种不同途径couldinfluenceourbehavior.一方面它可能给我们理由Ontheonehand,itcouldgiveusreasons让我们改变行为方式另一方面tobehaveorresponddifferently,andontheotherhand它本身就使我们改变行为方式itcouldmerelycauseustobehavedifferently.如果这种改变Insofarasitjusthappenstobe只不过是人类心理学中的somefactabouthumanpsychology一些现象而已thatwebehavethiswayorthatway,或许面对死亡最恰当的方式就是perhapstheappropriatewaytodealwiththefactsofdeathwouldbe完全忽略它tosimplydisregardthem.但我总是认为I'minclinedtobelieve,however,思考这些事情thattherearewaysinwhichthinkingaboutthefacts并不仅仅改变我们的行为方式wouldnotmerelycauseustobehaveonewayratherthananother而是给我们理由butgiveusreason让我们改变行为方式tobehaveonewayratherthananother.这就是我现在想探讨的问题Andthat'sthequestionthatIwanttothenexplorefromhereonout.在什么情况下通过什么途径Inwhatcircumstances,orinwhatways,我们应该改变行为方式shouldwebehaveonewayratherthananother?所以我不仅要研究So,I'mnotmerelygoingtodrawon我们的行为会怎样factsabouthow,asithappens,webehave.有可能你想到死亡的时候Itcouldbethatifyoudwelleduponthefactsaboutdeath,会一直尖叫不已直到死亡youwouldscreaminterminablyuntilthemomentyoudied--借用托尔斯泰的说法takingatipfromTolstoy.但这一行为本身Butthatdoesn'titself说明不了它是恰当的行为{\c也许它仅仅出于我们的本能thatmightjustbeamerecausalfactabouthowwe'rebuilt.我想问的是如何才是恰当的ThequestionIwanttoaskis,howisitappropriate,有什么理由inwhatwaysistherereason,做出这种反应而不是另一种反应toreactonewayratherthananother?我之前提到过NowasIsay,我们大部分人都认为thethoughtseemsverycompellingformostofusthat有令人信服的理由说明therearewaysinwhichitmakessense死亡影响了我们的生活方式forthefactsaboutdeathtoinfluencehowwelive,我们的观念我们的情感whatourattitudesare,whatareemotionsare.例如卡夫卡说过Kafka,forexample,said生命的意义在于其终将陨落themeaningoflifeisthefactthatitends.隽永的警句卡夫卡经典风格Nicelittlecrypticsaying,asistypicalofKafka.但它的含义我想却很平常Butthesuggestion,Isuppose,isafairlycommonone,我们必有一死生命最终会抵达终点thatit'ssomethingdeepabouthowweshouldlive,对我们如何生活有着深刻的影响thatwe'regoingtodie,thatourlifewillcometoanend.那么我们下面的问题就是Andthequestionwewanttothenexploreishowshouldthefact,意识到自己必有一死howshouldrecognizingthefact,thatwe'regoingtodie,会怎样影响我们的生活方式influencehowwelive?我们应该如何应对这一事实Howshouldwerespondtothatfact?实际上最初的一种行为Nowactually,theveryfirstkindofbehavior,带引号的行为quote/unquotebehavior,thatIwantustothinkabout或许严格说来不能算作一种行为perhapsisn'tstrictlyspeakingaformofbehavioratall.我认为只是一种情绪反应Iratherhaveinmindouremotionalresponse,因为实际上becauseindeedoneof对死亡最平常的反应我认为themostcommonreactionstodeath,Isuppose,is就是惧怕死亡fearofdeath.惧怕在很多时候词义偏弱Indeed,fearmayinmanycasesbetooweakaterm一种程度很深的惧怕anextremelystrongformoffear--对死亡的畏惧我认为terrorofdeathis,Isuppose,是对死亡最常见的反应averycommonemotionalresponsetodeath.我接下来要做的是AndwhatIwanttodonext让我们想一想ishaveusaskourselves,well,惧怕死亡是一种理性的isfearofdeatharationally恰当的反应吗appropriateresponse?这里的关键词是恰当的Now,thecrucialwordhereisAppropriate.我不否认经验告诉我Idon'twanttodenyatallwhatItaketobetheempiricalfact很多人都害怕死亡thatmanypeopleareafraidofdeath.这种反应有多平常Howcommonareactionthatis,这种恐惧有多强烈我认为这是andhowstrongthefearis,Isupposethatwouldbesomething心理学家或社会学家研究的课题forpsychologistsorsociologiststostudy.我对这个问题不感兴趣AndI'mnotinterestedinthatquestion.我认可恐惧死亡很普遍Itakeitthatfearofdeathisverycommon.我想弄清楚的是Iwanttoknow,对死亡的恐惧是不是恰当的isfearofdeathanappropriate,理性的情绪areasonableemotion?提出这个问题我已经假设了Now,inraisingthatquestion,I'mobviouslypresupposing更多的哲学理论说明thelargerphilosophicalthesisthat可以将情绪分为itmakessensetotalkaboutemotionsasbeing恰当的或者不恰当的appropriateorinappropriate.我们不仅可以探讨一个人有什么情绪Wecanasknotonlywhatemotionsdoessomebodyhave,也可以探讨一个人该有什么情绪butwecanalsoaskwhatemotionsshouldtheyhave?这一点也许不那么明显Now,thispointperhapsisn'tanobviousone,so所以花点时间研究一下也是值得的maybeit'sworthdwellingonforamomentortwo,然后我们再探讨对死亡的恐惧beforeweturntofearofdeathperse.还有什么别的例子What'sanotherexampleofanemotion对情绪有恰当性要求that'sgotsomeappropriatenessconditions?过一会儿我再分析So,inamomentI'llturntoasking,在什么情况下whataretheconditionsunderwhichit's害怕某事是恰当的appropriatetobeafraidofsomething?但从宽泛的角度来说buttomakethemoregeneralpoint,比如说自豪吧自豪是一种情绪{\cpride'sanemotion.在什么情况下Underwhatconditionsdoesitmakesense为一些事感到自豪是合理的tobeproudofsomething?我认为至少有两个条件首先Well,Isupposeatleasttwoconditionsjumpout.Firstofall,你为之自豪的事情是某种成就thethingthatyou'reproudofhastobesomekindofaccomplishment.如果你现在告诉我Ifyouweretosaytomerightnow,我很自豪我正在呼吸I'mreallyproudofthefactthatI'mbreathing,我会不解的看着你I'dlookatyouinanoncomprehendingfashion因为我没觉得becauseitdoesn'tseemtome呼吸是件多么困难的事thatbreathingisdifficultinanyway,不能称为一种成就doesn'tcountasanaccomplishment,所以我不能理解你如何以及为何andassuchIcan'tunderstandhoworwhyyouwouldbeproud对能呼吸感到自豪ofthefactthatyou'rebreathing.不过也许你是位哮喘患者Now,maybeifyousufferedfromasthmaand你必须经受极度痛苦的物理疗法youhadtohavegonethroughexcruciatingphysicaltherapy才能在意外发生后inordertolearnhowtouse学会用自己的肺呼吸{\c如果我们听到类似的情况maybeifwetoldastorylikethat我们就会了解为什么平平常常wecouldseehowbreathingnaturally自然流畅的呼吸是一项成就andnormallywouldbeanaccomplishment,是件值得自豪的事情somethingtobeproudof.但对全体同学来讲我估计Butforallofus,Ipresume,这算不上一项成就{\c所以为它感到自豪是不恰当的henceit'snotsomethingthatit'sappropriatetobeproudof.即使我们获得了成就Evenifwe'vegotanaccomplishment,也不一定就能自豪thatmaynotbeenough.一件事成为Forsomethingtobesomething一件你可以为之自豪的事thatitmakessenseforyoutobeproudofit,它必须是某种it'sgottobeinsomeway包含了你贡献的成就anaccomplishmentthatre