Knowledge-and-Wisdom原文及翻译

KnowledgeandWisdom1.Mostpeoplewouldagreethat,althoughouragefarsurpassesallpreviousagesinknowledge,therehasbeennocorrelativeincreaseinwisdom.Butagreementceasesassoonasweattempttodefinewisdomandconsidermeansofpromotingit.Iwanttoaskfirstwhatwisdomis,andthenwhatcanbedonetoteachit.2.Thereareseveralfactorsthatcontributetowisdom.OftheseIshouldputfirstasenseofproportion:thecapacitytotakeaccountofalltheimportantfactorsinaproblemandtoattachtoeachitsdueweight.Thishasbecomemoredifficultthanitusedtobeowingtotheextentandcomplexityofthespecializedknowledgerequiredofvariouskindsoftechnicians.Suppose,forexample,thatyouareengagedinresearchinscientificmedicine.Theworkisdifficultandislikelytoabsorbthewholeofyourintellectualenergy.Youhavenottimetoconsidertheeffectwhichyourdiscoveriesorinventionsmayhaveoutsidethefieldofmedicine.Yousucceed(letussay),asmodernmedicinehassucceeded,inenormouslyloweringtheinfantdeath-rate,notonlyinEuropeandAmerica,butalsoinAsiaandAfrica.Thishastheentirelyunintendedresultofmakingthefoodsupplyinadequateandloweringthestandardoflifeinthemostpopulouspartsoftheworld.Totakeanevenmorespectacularexample,whichisineverybody'smindatthepresenttime:Youstudythecompositionoftheatomfromadisinteresteddesireforknowledge,andincidentallyplaceinthehandofpowerfullunaticsthemeansofdestroyingthehumanrace.Insuchwaysthepursuitofknowledgemaybecomeharmfulunlessitiscombinedwithwisdom;andwisdominthesenseofcomprehensivevisioninnotnecessarilypresentinspecialistsinthepursuitofknowledge.3.Comprehensivenessalone,however,isnotenoughtoconstitutewisdom.Theremustbe,also,acertainawarenessoftheendsofhumanlife.Thismaybeillustratedbythestudyofhistory.Manyeminenthistorianshavedonemoreharmthangoodbecausetheyviewedfactsthroughthedistortingmediumoftheirownpassions:Hegelhadaphilosophyofhistorywhichdidnotsufferfromanylackofcomprehensiveness,sinceitstartedfromtheearliesttimesandcontinuedintoanindefinitefuture.ButthechieflessonofhistorywhichhesoughttoinculcatewasthatfromtheyearA.D.400downtohisowntime,Germanyhadbeenthemostimportantnationandthestandard-bearerofprogressintheworld.Perhapsonecouldstretchthecomprehensivenessthatconstituteswisdomtoincludenotonlyintellectbutalsofeeling.Itisbynomeansuncommontofindmenwhoseknowledgeiswidebutwhosefeelingsarenarrow.SuchmenlackwhatIamcallingwisdom.4.Itisnotonlyinpublicways,butinprivatelifeequally,thatwisdomisneeded.Itisneededinthechoiceofendstobepursuedandinemancipationfrompersonalprejudice.Evenanendwhichitwouldbenobletopursueifitwereattainablemaybepursuedunwiselyifitisinherentlyimpossibleofachievement.ManymeninpastagesdevotedtheirlivestosearchforthePhilosopher'sStoneandtheElixirofLife.Nodoubt,iftheycouldhavefoundthem,theywouldhaveconferredgreatbenefitsuponmankind,butasitwas,theirliveswerewasted.Todescendtolessheroicmatters,considerthecaseoftwomen,Mr.AandMr.B,whohateeachotherand,throughmutualhatred,bringeachothertodestruction.SupposeyougotoMr.Aandsay,WhydoyouhateMr.B?hewillnodoubtgiveyouanappallinglistofMr.B'svices,partlytrue,partlyfalse.AndnowsupposeyougotoMr.B.hewillgiveyouanexactlysimilarlistofMr.A'sviceswithanequaladmixtureoftruthandfalsehood.SupposeyounowcomebacktoMr.Aandsay,YouwillbesurprisedtolearnthatMr.Bsaysthesamethingsaboutyouasyousayabouthim,andyougotoMr.Bandmakeasimilarspeech.Thefirsteffect,nodoubt,willbetoincreasetheirmutualhatred,sinceeachwillbesohorrifiedbytheother'sinjustice.But,perhaps,ifyouhavesufficientpatienceandsufficientpersuasiveness,youmaysucceedinconvincingeachthattheotherhasonlythenormalshareofhumanwickednessandtheirenmityisharmfultoboth.Ifyoudothis,youwillhaveinstilledsomefragmentofwisdom.5.Ithinktheessenceofwisdomisemancipation,asfaraspossible,fromthetyrannyofthehereandthenow.Wecannothelptheegoismofoursenses.Sightandsoundandtouchareboundupwithourownbodiesandcannotbemadeimpersonal.Ouremotionsstartsimilarlyfromourselves.Aninfantfeelshungeranddiscomfort,andisunaffectedexceptbyhisownphysicalcondition.Gradually,withtheyears,hishorizonwidens,and,inproportionashisthoughtsandfeelingsbecomelesspersonalandlessconcernedwithhisownphysicalstates,heachievesgrowingwisdom.Thisis,ofcourse,amatterofdegree.Noonecanviewtheworldwithcompleteimpartiality;andifanyonecould,hewouldhardlybeabletoremainalive.Butitispossibletomakeacontinualapproachtowardsimpartiality:ontheonehand,byknowingthingssomewhatremoteintimeorspace;and,ontheotherhand,bygivingtosuchthingstheirdueweightinourfeelings.Itisthisapproachtowardsimpartialitythatconstitutesgrowthinwisdom.6.Canwisdominthissensebetaught?And,ifitcan,shouldtheteachingofitbeoneoftheaimsofeducation?Ishouldanswerboththesequestionsintheaffirmative.WearetoldonSundaysthatweshouldloveourneighbourasourselves.Ontheothersixdaysoftheweek,weareexhortedtohatehim.Youmaysaythatthisisnonsense,sinceitisnotourneighbourwhomweareexhortedtohate.ButyouwillrememberthatthepreceptwasexemplifiedbysayingthattheSamaritanwasourneighbour.WenolongerhaveanywishtohateSamaritansandsoweareapttomissthepointoftheparable.Ifyouwanttogetitspoint,youshouldsubstitutecommunistoranticommunist,asthecasemaybe,forSamar