The very first time we met and his very first question for me was "Can psychology be mathematicalized?"
My answer was No.
A few years later he asked the same question again, my answer was still No.
A few years later, the same question, the same answer. ...
He is a very intelligent and independent thinker with unshakable faith in Eastern intellectual traditions too. It was the success and the power of maths and sciences that impressed and "worried" him.
我们现在都知道“白马非马”论是谬论和狡辩,尤其是现在人有了对象(object)和属性(attributes)概念后,这个狡辩就显得更不值一驳了。一个对象有多种属性,一匹马同样具备很多属性,比如年龄,体长,皮毛的颜色等等,而颜色只是其中的一种而已。
现在重提这个“白马非马论”的意义不在于简单地揭示这个方法论的缺陷或者是嘲笑古人的愚蠢,不是仅仅局限于“白马非马”论本身,而是将其扩展到日常生活当中我们常常会遇到的各种问题。
其实如果你仔细观察,不难发现现实当中我们很多人还停留在“白马非马”的思辩水平上,这有各种原因所致,比如成长经历、教育、媒体舆论等等,这个不是俺想讨论的问题。“白马非马”论的思维在日常生活中的一种表现就是追求不切实际的纯粹。比如,爱情一旦和金钱相关,有些人就怀疑那是不是真正的爱情;某艺术家风流放荡,于是就有人怀疑他/她的作品是否真的优秀;喜欢宠物,结果领养后却发现处理卫生很麻烦等等。
一般事物都有一个突出的特性(属性),人们一提到它就缺省是指这个特性,而不会指其他属性,这是一种常识。而任何事物都有多种属性,所以当我们讨论一件事物的某种特定属性时,却发现它同时还具备其他属性,这时我们常常会感到茫然和不知所措。明智的人会选择接受和宽容它附带的其他属性,而追求纯粹的人,往往会耿耿于怀,采取拒绝的态度,这显然是于事无补的。这样做的人有点“买椟还珠”的味道。更好的做法应该是接受它,然后通过自己的努力保留它你喜欢的属性,同时改善或者去掉它你不喜欢的属性,这仿佛淘炼沙金一样,让金子更加灿烂。又如可以改变生物的基因,让果实更饱满等等。
我们不反对追求纯粹,但当你喜欢某个事物时,就应该首先宽容它所具备的其他属性,然后再想办法改变它,让它更美好。即宽容地看待这世界上存在的一切人、事、物。
白马非马,也确实不是诡辩。
The very first time we met and his very first question for me was "Can psychology be mathematicalized?"
My answer was No.
A few years later he asked the same question again, my answer was still No.
A few years later, the same question, the same answer. ...
He is a very intelligent and independent thinker with unshakable faith in Eastern intellectual traditions too. It was the success and the power of maths and sciences that impressed and "worried" him.
茶妹接着写诗吧
都可以也都没错。
茶兄继续写诗译诗吧!
常从你的帖子里感到你的平和智慧,清风明月般的通达.