評論
打印
Think about that one. Have you ever entered an argument thinking,
在參加辯論的時候，你有沒有想過
"Let's see if we can hash something out rather than fight it out.
讓我們看看能不能共同敲定一些事情，而非由一方說服另一方。
What can we work out together?"
有什么是我們可以共同協作的？
And I think the argument-as-war metaphor inhibits those other kinds of resolutions to argumentation.
我覺得辯論如戰爭的這個比喻已經蓋過了其他的辯論形式。
And finally, this is really the worst thing, arguments don't seem to get us anywhere.
最終，最糟糕的是，通過爭論我們不會學到什么東西。
They're dead ends.
這樣的辯論就如同一個死胡同。
They are roundabouts or traffic jams or gridlock in conversation.
交流中的環狀公路交通阻塞或者一個僵局。
We don't get anywhere.
我們停在原地，到不了任何其他地方。
Oh, and one more thing, and as an educator,
噢，其實還有一件事情，作為一個教育工作者，
this is the one that really bothers me:
這里還有一個問題困擾了我很久：
If argument is war, then there's an implicit equation of learning with losing.
如果辯論是場戰爭，那么這也隱含著學習等于失去的意思。
And let me explain what I mean.
讓我解釋一下我的觀點。
Suppose you and I have an argument.
比如說，你和我進行了一場辯論。
You believe a proposition, P, and I don't.
你主張觀點，P，但是我不同意。
And I say, "Well why do you believe P?"
然后我說，“好了，為什么你相信P”
And you give me your reasons.
然后你給出了你的理由。
And I object and say, "Well, what about ...?"
然后我反對并說，“好，那關于。。。？”
And you answer my objection.
然后你回答我的反對。
And I have a question: "Well, what do you mean?
然后我提問：“額，你的意思是？
How does it apply over here?" And you answer my question.
那么在這個地方他如何解釋？” 然后你又回答了我的問題。
Now, suppose at the end of the day, I've objected, I've questioned,
現在，假設一天快結束了，我反對，我提問，
I've raised all sorts of counter-considerations,
我給出了所有反對問題，
and in every case you've responded to my satisfaction.
然后在所有的問題上你都讓我滿意了。
And so at the end of the day, I say,
然后在一天快要結束的時候，我說，
"You know what? I guess you're right. P."
”你知道嗎？我覺得在P這個觀點上你沒準是對的。“
So I have a new belief.
所以我有了新的見解。
And it's not just any belief,
但是這不僅僅是一個見解，
but it's a well-articulated, examined, it's a battle-tested belief.
而是一個闡述清楚的，經過驗證的，同時也是經得起挑戰的見解。
Great cognitive gain. Okay. Who won that argument?
多好的結果啊。好了。那誰贏了這場辯論呢？
Well, the war metaphor seems to force us into saying you won,
好了，將辯論作為戰爭的人們會強迫我們承認，提出見解那方贏了，
even though I'm the only one who made any cognitive gain.
即使我才是那個獲得新見解的人。
What did you gain cognitively from convincing me?
那么作為說服我的人，他在獲得了什么新的見解嗎？
Sure, you got some pleasure out of it, maybe your ego stroked,
沒錯，你從中獲得了一些愉悅，或許一些自我安慰
maybe you get some professional status in the field.
或許在你的領域里獲得了一些專業聲譽。
This guy's a good arguer.
這家伙是個辯論好手。
But cognitively, now -- just from a cognitive point of view -- who was the winner?
但是從認知角度而言，僅僅從認識的角度來看，誰是勝利者？
The war metaphor forces us into thinking that you're the winner and I lost, even though I gained.
視辯論如戰爭的人們會強迫我們認為，你是勝者而我是敗者，即使是我也有所得。
And there's something wrong with that picture.
這個認識本身存在一些錯誤。
And that's the picture I really want to change if we can.
同時我也想去改變這個認識。
