In-Search-of-Consolation寻找慰藉

龙源期刊网寻找慰藉作者：安德鲁·斯塔克来源：《英语世界》2019年第07期Foreachofus，lifewillendatsomepoint.Shouldthatunavoidablefactaffectthewaywelive？Ifso，inwhatway？我們每个人的生命都会在某个时刻终结。这一既定事实会影响我们的生活吗？如果会，又能如何影响呢？Therelationshipbetweenapersonandhisdeath，saidtheGreekthinkerEpicurus，isastrangeone.Itisroughlyakin1，ifwemayleapforwardacoupleofmillennia，totherelationshipbetweenSupermanandClarkKent2.Wheneveroneispresent，theotherisnowheretobeseen.Aslongasapersonisalive，hisdeathhasnotyethappened.Andofcourseoncehisdeathoccurs，heisnolongeraround.Sincenoonewilleverencounterhisowndemise，Epicurusconcluded，itshouldcausehimnoconcern.ShellyKagan’s“Death”furnishesalucid3guidetoarangeofphilosophicalclaimsofthissort，suchaswhetherwecanknowwhatit’sliketobedeadorwhylifeisvaluableinthefirstplace.ButMr.Kagancontinuallyreturnstoonematterthatloomsover4allothers：whether，foranyonewhorejectsreligiousnotionsofanafterlife，therearewaysofconsolingoneselfabouttheinevitabilityofdeath.Hetakesnodefinitivepositiononthisquestion.Ratherhisaim—thebookisbasedonapopularYalephilosophycoursethatMr.Kaganteaches—istoprobethepositionsonoffer.Andinhispageswefindtwoconsolations，apartfromthatofEpicurus.ThefirstoneMr.KaganassociateswithisBuddhism，thoughithasbeenadvancedaswellbyWesternphilosopherssuchasSchopenhauer.Iturgesustocastoffourselfishpreoccupations5.Toholdontoourself-focusedprojectsandattachmentsistocourtsufferingwhenevertheyendindisappointment.Farbettertoabandonanyconcernwithourself，existinginsteadmomentbymoment，shornofanyconcernforpastorfuture.Andsinceourselfistheverythingthatwearesupposedtolosewhenwedie，deathwillthenbecomeanonevent，notworthfrettingover6.TheotherconsolationthatemergesinMr.Kagan’sbookcomesfromexistentialism7，anditflipstheBuddhistconsolationonitsear.Existentialistsvaluetheindividualself，withitsownprojectsandaims.Theyarguethatourdeath，inparticularourconstantknowledgethatwearemovingeverclosertoit，ispreciselywhatmakeseachofushisownuniqueperson.Awarethattimedoesnotstretchoutlimitlessly，wefeelanurgencytogetstartedintheworld，tomakehardchoicesaboutwhat’simportantandthustocarveoutthenarrativearc8ofoursingularlives.Deathcompelsustocraftalife-storythatresemblesa“resolvedchord”or“melody，”asSartreputit.Onlywithdeathalwaysloomingcanwehaveaself—canweexistasidentifiable9individualsinthefirstplace.龙源期刊网，thoughindifferentways，therelationshipbetweentheselfanddeathseemsmorelikethe“LateNight”relationshipbetweenDavidLettermanandPaulShaffer.Onewillbepresentiftheotheristoo.Youcanbeafull-fledged10self，existentialistssay，onlyifyourdeathiseverpresentinyourlife.Ifyoucanmanagetomakeyourselfdisappear，Buddhistssay，thendeathwillaswell.Mr.Kaganseesvalueinbothpositions，thoughheimplicitly11acknowledgesthattheirpathstoconsolationarehazardous12.AnyonewhoseekstheBuddhist-styleconsolationisgoingtoleadalifethat，atitsend，risksleavinghimbereftof13anyfeelingofaccomplishment.Andanyonewhotriesforanexistentialistconsolation—leadingachock-a-blocklifebecausemortalityhasconcentratedhismind—willfeelthelossofsomethingofgreatvaluewhenitends.“Don’tcrybecauseit’sover;smilebecauseithappened，”saidthegreatexistentialistDr.Seuss.Butanyonewhocansmilebecauseithappenedisgoingtohavetocrybecauseit’sover.WhichbringsusbacktoEpicurus.Foraslongasweexist，thephilosopherargued，ourdeathmustremainabsent.Butwhatwouldittaketolivealifeinwhichdeathtrulywasn’tpresenttous—notjustlogically，asEpicurussuggests，butpsychologically，internally？Wewouldlive，asFreudbelievedmostinfactdolive，notreallybelievingthatwewilldie—believing，asMr.KagannotesofTolstoy’sIvanIlyich，thatdeathissomethingthathappenstootherpeople.Mostofus，likeIvan，gomerrilyalongtakingonnewprojects，formingnewrelationshipsandschemingnewschemestopromoteourselvessocially，eventhoughdeathcouldinterruptusatanymoment.Insteadofarrivingatonecompletednarrative，weoftenriskleaving—toourultimatesadness—manyuncompletedones.Trulylivingasifdeathisabsentaslongaswearealiveisunlikelytoconsoleus.OrtakeEpicurus’otherclaim：oncedeathcomes，wewillnolongerbealivetoworryaboutit.Whatkindoflifewouldwehavetolivetobeconsoledbythisidea？ObviouslynotIvan’s.Hislife，inarealway，continuesonafterheisdead.Whattearsathimisthethoughtthatsomuchofwhatwouldotherwisecomprisehislife—hischildren，hisfriends，hisprojects—willgoontoflourishorflounder14withouthim：withouthisbeingtheretoenjoyorassist.TheonlywaythatwecanavoidthatprospectistofollowtheadviceofthepoetHölderlin（citedbyMr.Kagan）：aimfora“singlesummer”ofintensejoyandthen，havingexperiencedtheheightsofwhatlifehastooffer，recognizethat“moreisnotneeded.”Life’smeaningwouldbederivedfromasinglemoment，andonecouldthenwaitinserenity15fortheend.Fineifyoucandoit.Formost，itwouldbeatedious16livingdeath.Mr.Kagan’sbookshows，ultimately，thatthereisnosingle，all-purpose17consolationfordeath.Whatwedohaveisthefreedomtochooseourownconsolationbylivingourlifeinaparticularway，knowingthat，indoingso，wewilldepriveourselvesofalltheothers.龙源期刊网古希腊思想家伊壁鸠鲁认为，人与其死亡之间关系奇特。如果以几千年后的现代视角来看，这一关系大概类似于氪星之子超人与地