Book-4-Lesson-3---Groundless-Beliefs

Lesson3GroundlessBeliefsA.E.ManderAboutthetextandtheauthorThepresenttextistakenfromLogicfortheMillionsbyA．E．Mander,publishedbyThePhilosophicalLibrary，NewYork，1947．A.E.ManderisanEnglishpsychologist,hewritesmanybooks,suchasOurShamDemocracy,Psychologyforeverymanandwoman,AlarmingAustraliaandsoon.AselectionofbooksbyA.E.Mander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)Groundground:(usu.pl.)thefoundation/underlyingconditionforanargument,acauseorgoodreasonforsth.e.g.1.Whatwerehisgroundsforwantingadivorce?2.Neitherstatementcanbefaultedonthegroundsthatitisinaccurate.(以...为根据)groundless:a.notbasedonreasonorevidencee.g.groundlessoptimismYourfearisprovedtobegroundless.Part1(para1)PrevalenceofgroundlessbeliefsInthefuturewearegoingtofollowthepractice—untilitbecomesahabit—ofclassifyingpropositionsaccordingtotheirgrounds.(1)1)Followthepractice:totakethispracticeasaguide;tocopythispractice;todevelopthehabitofdoingthingsinthisway2)Classify:toarrangethingssystematicallyinclassesorgroups3)Proposition:view;idea;assertion4）grounds:abaseforanargumentOfeverystatementwecomeacross,weshallask:“Howdoweknowthat?(1)Ofeverystatement:abouteverystatementcomeacross1)tomeetorfindsb./sth.bychance2)beunderstoode.g.Yesterday,IcameacrossthechairmanXiinthestreetandIfeltveryexcited.Shespokeforalongtimebuthermeaningdidn'treallycomeacross.Probablyweshallbeastonishedatthenumberofpropositionsmetwithineverydaylifewhichweshallfinditnecessarytoclassasgroundless.(1)Beastonishedat…:beverysurprisedat…SentenceanalysisThenumberofpropositionsmetwith:thenumberofpropositionsencounteredorexperiencedClass…asgroundless:toclassify…asgroundlessTheyrestuponmeretradition,oronsomebody’sbareassertionunsupportedbyeverashadowofproof…(1)Restupon/on:tobebasedon以…为依据/基础e.g.Theresponsibilitymustrestuponhisenemies,notonhimself.Allourhopesrestuponthearrivaloftheshipment(物资).Bareassertion:strongstatementwithoutthesupportofproof断言Ashadowof:theslightesttraceof少许，残余e.g.AshadowofsmiletouchedJohn'smouth.Theyareonlybasedontradition,oronsomebody’sassertion,butarenotsupportedevenbytheleastamountofproof.bare:a.naked;notcoveredwithorprotectedbyanything;empty;justefficient,mere…e.g.barefeetbarewalls没有任何装饰的墙necessities最基本的必需品facts纯粹的事实thebarebranchesofwintertrees.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”?Howshallwedealwiththebeliefsdevelopedinearlychildhood?Itmaybeabeliefwhich…eversince:情况很可能是这样的：我们最初仅仅因为别人的建议而接受了一个观点，而在那以后就一直持有（坚持）这种观点。(2)Wayback:longbefore好久以前way:far远远地、大大地、非常地Wayupnorth老远的北方Wayahead(behind)远远在前、远远在后Manyofourstrongestconvictionswereestablishedthen;andnow,inadultlife,wefinditmostdifficulteventoquestiontheirtruth.(2)Conviction:firmbelieforopinion坚定的信仰(Donotconfusethiswordwithitsothermeaningasin“theconvictionofapersonforacrime.”)Conviction:couldalsomeanthejudgmentofajuryorjudgethatapersonisguiltyofacrimeascharged定罪e.g.Hehassixpreviousconvictionsfortheft.Beestablished:tobeformulatedButifthestaunchestRomanCatholicandthestaunchestPresbyterianhadbeenexchangedwheninfants,andiftheyhadbeenbroughtupwithhomeandallotherinfluencesreserved,wecanhavelittledoubtwhattheresultwouldhavebeen.Butiftheywereexchangedwhentheywereinfantsandbroughtupindifferenthomesandunderdifferentinfluences,thenthestaunchestRomanCatholicwouldbethestaunchestPresbyterian,andviceversa.Thisshowsthatourbeliefsarelargelyinfluencedbyoursurroundings.Christianity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.Eg.Thispracticeisnotconsistentwithgovernmentregulations.Wecanconclude,basedonallourknowledgeofpsychology,thateachwouldhavegrownuphavingexactlytheoppositebeliefstowhattheyhavenow.Thesamethingistrue,ofcourse,ofmanybeliefsotherthanthoseofareligiousnature.(3)Otherthan:Thisexpressionusuallymeans“except,”buthereitmeans“apartfrom.”Thisusage,however,isnotconsideredstandardbymany.Noticethepattern“tobetrueofsth.”:对…适用canapplytoParaphrase:Notonlyarereligiousbeliefslikethis.Manyotherbeliefsare,too.infanticiderootcide:tocutinfanticideinsecticidematricidepatricidesuicidepesticide杀婴杀虫剂杀母者杀父者自杀杀虫剂Ifwehadgrownupinacomm