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之前我们讨论了柏拉图灵魂不朽的观点We'vebeenlookingatPlato'sargumentsfortheimmortalityofthesoul,但到目前为止andsofar我觉得没有一个能令人信服IhavetosayIhaven'tfoundthemverycompellingarguments.接下来我们继续讨论一个Inaminute,I'mgoingtoturntoanargumentthat至少我个人觉得更为有趣的论点atleaststrikesmeasmoreinteresting.想找出它的具体错误更为不易It'smoredifficulttopindownwhereitgoeswrong.不过讨论之前Butbeforewedo,我想对上节课末尾讨论的那个观点Iwanttomakeacoupleofcommentsaboutthearguments简单的再讨论一下wewereconsideringattheendoflastclass.上堂课最后我们谈到了回忆论Thatwastheargumentfromrecollection.它的大意为Yourecallthebasicideawasthat尽管在我们所熟知的现实世界里面althoughobjectsintheordinaryfamiliarempiricalworld没有绝对的公正arenotperfectlyjust,没有正圆或者其他perfectlyround,whathaveyou,但这些事物却让我们联想到绝对公正they'reabletoremindusofperfectjustice,正圆等等perfectroundnessandthelike.于是柏拉图问自己AndwhenPlatoaskedhimself,那是为什么Howcouldthatbe?他给出的答案是theanswerhegivesis,这是因为我们来到这个世界之前Well,it'sgottobethatwewerepreviouslyacquainted就已经熟知那些事物了withtheformsbeforeourlifeinthisworld.这就说明Andthatshowsthat灵魂必须先于肉体而存在thesoulmustbesomethingthatexistedpriortothecreationofthebody.人人影视还有在下课前我提到AndattheveryendofclassIsuggestedthat,即使柏拉图的观点是对的look,evenifweweretogranttoPlatothat他说为了探讨正义正圆或者其他inordertothinkaboutjustice,circularity,whathaveyou,我们必须对柏拉图型相有所了解wehadtosomehowgrasptheforms,就算我们承认柏拉图是对的andevenifweweretogranttoPlatothat这个世界上并不存在绝对的正圆和公正nothinginthisworldisperfectlyroundorperfectlyjust,但这并不意味着it'snotnecessarilycorrecttosay,对此唯一合理的解释Sotheonlypossibleexplanationofwhat'sgoingonis就是这个现实世界里的事物thatthesethingsintheempiricalworld让我们想起了曾经遇见的型相remindusofourprioracquaintancewiththeforms.还有可能是因为Itcouldbethatwhatgoesonis,当我们接触到一些whenwebumpupagainstsomething并非绝对公正绝对美丽绝对正圆that'spartiallyjustorpartiallybeautifulorpartiallyround--即有缺陷的事物时imperfectlyround--whathappensis,这些事物会在某种程度上驱使我们thosethingssortoftriggerourmindsinsuchawaythat去首次开始认知这些型相webegintothinkabouttheformsfortheveryfirsttime.因此可以说为了探讨公正和正圆Soitmightbe,inordertothinkaboutjusticeandroundness,我们必须先掌握型相wehavetograsptheforms.但也可能我们只是此生才开始Butitcouldbethatweonlygrasptheformsinthislife,认知这些型相fortheveryfirsttime.在接触并Exposuretothethingsthat见识了这些型相后它们会participateintheformsmaynudgeourmindsoroursoulsinsuchaway驱使我们的心灵或灵魂去认知它们thatatthatpoint--giventhatexposure--webegintograsptheforms.就好比生活中最平常的琐屑小物It'sasthoughtheordinaryearthlyobjects,与我们彼此相遇之后webumpintothemortheybumpintous,会指引我们仰望美好的柏拉图境界andtheygetustolookupwardstotheheavenlyPlatonicrealm.我不是说真的仰望Idon'tmeanliterallyupwards.这不是在说数字3It'snotasthoughthesethings--thenumberthree--在上面isupthere.而是说一旦你理解了这个隐喻Butifyouacceptthemetaphor,在现实世界中碰到一些东西runningintothingsintheempiricalworld使我们的心灵开始第一次的思考getsourmindstostartthinkingabout,forthefirsttime,美好的柏拉图境界的型相和理念theheavenlyrealmofthePlatonicformsandideas.这个解释和之前的那个理论一样合理Thatwouldbejustaslikelyapossibilityasthealternativeexplanation就是说普通的现实物体thatwhat'sgoingonisthatordinaryempiricalobjects使我们想起之前的印象(不是唯一解释)areremindingusofourprioracquaintance.或许这些普通物体就像入门引言一样Perhapstheseordinaryobjectsactlikelettersofintroduction,指引我们帮助我们gettingusto,helpingusto,去开始首次思考这些型相上的事物thinkabouttheformsfortheveryfirsttime.如果这是对的Well,ifthat'sright,thenofcourse,我们当然就不必相信柏拉图之后的wedon'thaveanygoodreasontofollowPlatowhenhesays,灵魂一定是先于肉体而存在的观点Itmustbethecasethatthesoulexistedpriortothe--priortobirth.我刚刚提出的这个反驳不是柏拉图Now,theobjectionI'vejustraisedisnotanobjection在《斐多篇》中提到的thatPlatoraisesinthePhaedo,不过他提出了另外一个异议buthedoesraiseadifferentobjection.请记住我们的讨论Rememberourconcernisn't,严格来讲不仅仅是问strictlyspeaking,withthequestion,灵魂在我们出生前存在吗Didthesoulexistbeforeourbirth?灵魂是先于肉体的存在吗Didthesoulexistbeforeourbodies?而是要问灵魂是不朽的吗butrather,Isthesoulimmortal?现在根据他的回忆论Andso,havingnowgiventheargumentfromrecollection,柏拉图假设出的苏格拉底的两个门徒PlatoenvisionstwoofSocrates'disciples,西米亚斯和塞贝斯SimmiasandCebes,做了如下的反驳responding,objecting,bysaying,就算灵魂在人出生前就存在Look,evenifthesoulexistedbeforebirth,这并不能说明它在肉体死亡后依然存在itdoesn'tfollowthatitexistsafterdeath.毕竟这才是Andthat's,afterall,我们真正想要的whatwereallywant,并且在思考的arewonderingabout.我们想知道Wewanttoknow,我们能否在死亡之后继续存活willwesurviveourdeaths?灵魂是否不朽Isthesoulimmortal?但是苏格拉底Andyouhaven'tyet你还没有进行证明呢shownthatSocrates,他们继续反驳道theyobject.也许它先前确实存在Couldbethatitexistedbefore,但此后它未必依然存在butwon'texistafterwards.但有趣的是Butverynicely--这里的结构非常巧妙it'squiteelegantstructureatthispoint--苏格拉底把我们前面提到的Socratesputstogetherthetwoargumentsthat这两种观点we'vejustbeenrehearsing--即回忆论及其之前的另一种观点theargumentfromrecollectionandtheargumentthatcamebeforethat,我称作循环论的观点结合起来了theonethatIdubbedtheargumentfromrecycling.回忆一下循环论的观点认为Remember,theargumentfromrecyclingsays,当你组装一件东西时whenyoubuildsomething,你用的是零件youbuilditoutofparts,当东西解体后则又变成了各种零件andwhenthatthingfallsapartyougobacktotheparts.所以先前的零件被循环利用了Sothepriorpartsgetrecycled.而灵魂我们可以说Thesoul,wenowsay--根据回忆论的观点basedontheargumentfromrecollection--灵魂好比我们出生前的一零件thesoulisoneofourpriorparts.灵魂在我们出生之前就存在Thesoulexistedbeforewewereputtogether,或者说灵魂先于肉体而存在orbeforewewereputtogetherwithourbodies.如果把循环论和之前的观点结合起来看Ifyouthencombinetheargumentfromrecyclingandsay,之前存在的零件之后依然存在thepartsthatexistedbeforearegoingtoexistafterwards,那就说明了如果灵魂之前就存在itmustfollowthatifthesoulexistedbefore,那么之后它也一定存在