政治理論：讓-雅克·盧梭：英語精讀講義

Modern life is deeply attracted to the idea of progress. 片語搭配

現代生活深深被進步的理念所吸引。

In the 18th century,

在18世紀，

as European societies became ever richer and more technological,

隨著歐洲社會變得日益富裕且技術更發達，

the conventional view was that mankind was firmly set on a positive trajectory 慣用語

當時的普遍觀點是人類正堅定地走在一條積極的軌道上，

from savagery and ignorance towards prosperity and civilization.

從野蠻與無知走向繁榮與文明。

But there was at least one 18th century philosopher who violently disagreed

但至少有一位18世紀的哲學家強烈反對此觀點，

and who continues to have very provocative things to say to our own era.

而他對我們這個時代依然有著非常發人深省的見解。

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born to an educated watchmaker in Geneva in 1712.

讓-雅克·盧梭於1712年出生在日內瓦，父親是一名受過教育的鐘錶匠。

When he was 10,

在他10歲時，

his father got into a legal dispute 片語搭配

他的父親捲入了一場法律糾紛，

and the family was forced to flee Geneva. 文法

全家被迫逃離日內瓦。

From that point on, 表達脈絡

從那時起，

Rousseau's life was marked by deep instability and isolation. 片語搭配

盧梭的一生便充滿了極度的動盪與孤獨。

As a young man,

年輕時，

Rousseau went to Paris

盧梭來到了巴黎，

and there was exposed to the opulence and luxury 片語搭配

在那裡見識到了

that was the order of the day in ancien régime Paris. 講解

舊制度下巴黎司空見慣的浮華與奢侈。

It was a far cry from his birthplace of Geneva, 慣用語

這與他的出生地日內瓦大相徑庭，

a city that was sober and deeply opposed to luxury goods.

那是一個樸素且強烈反對奢侈品的城市。

Then one day in 1749,

後來在1749年的某一天，

he read a copy of a newspaper,

他讀到了一份報紙，

the Mercure de France,

《法國水星報》，

that contained an advert for an essay

裡面刊登了一篇徵文啟事，

on the subject of whether recent advances in the arts and sciences

主題是探討近年來藝術與科學的進步

had contributed to what was called the purification of morals.

是否促進了所謂的道德純化。

In other words, 表達脈絡

換句話說，

was the world getting better?

世界正在變得更好嗎？

Rousseau experienced something of an epiphany. 片語搭配

盧梭經歷了一種類似頓悟的時刻。

It struck him that civilization and progress had not in fact improved people. 文法

他突然意識到，文明和進步實際上並沒有改善人類。

Instead,

相反地，

they had exacted a terrible,

它們對人類的道德產生了可怕且

destructive influence on the morality of human beings

具破壞性的影響，

who had once been good.

而人類曾經是善良的。

Rousseau took this insight

盧梭抓住了這個洞見，

and turned it into the central thesis 片語動詞

並將其轉化為他的核心論點，

of what became his celebrated Discourse on the Arts and Sciences.

這便是後來著名的《論科學與藝術》。

His argument was simple.

他的論點很簡單。

Individuals had once been good and happy,

個人曾經是善良且幸福的，

but as people had emerged from their pre-social state and joined society,

但當人們脫離前社會狀態並加入社會後，

they had become plagued by vice and sin. 慣用語

他們便開始被邪惡與罪孽所困擾。

In this work

在這部作品

and in its twin,

及其姊妹作

the Discourse on the Origins and Foundations of Inequality,

《論人類不平等的起源與基礎》中，

Rousseau went on to sketch 文法

盧梭繼續描繪

what it would have been like at the beginning of history, 文法

歷史初期的樣貌，

an idyllic period that he called the state of nature. 文化背景

那是一段他稱之為「自然狀態」的田園詩般的時期。

A long time ago,

在很久以前，

when men and women lived in forests

當男人和女人住在森林裡，

and had never entered a shop or read a newspaper,

從未進過商店或讀過報紙時，

the philosopher pictured people more easily understanding their own minds

這位哲學家想像人們能更容易理解自己的內心，

and so being drawn towards essential features of a satisfied life,

從而被美好生活的基本特質所吸引，

a love of family,

例如對家庭的熱愛、

a respect for nature,

對自然的尊重、

an awe at the beauty of the universe,

對宇宙之美的敬畏、

a curiosity about others,

對他人的好奇心，

and a taste for music and simple entertainments.

以及對音樂與簡單娛樂的品味。

The state of nature was moral and guided by spontaneous

自然狀態是合乎道德的，並受本能引導，

pity, empathy for others and their suffering.

充滿了對他人及其苦難的憐憫與同理心。

So what was it about civilization 文法

那麼，文明究竟有什麼特質，

that Rousseau thought had corrupted people

讓盧梭認為它腐化了人們

and led to moral degeneracy?

並導致了道德淪喪？

Rousseau claimed that the march towards civilization 慣用語

盧梭聲稱，邁向文明的進程

had awakened in people an unhealthy form of self-love,

喚醒了人們心中一種不健康的自愛，

amour-propre, he called it, 文化背景

他稱之為「自尊」（amour-propre），

something that was artificial

這是一種人造的情感，

and centered around pride,

且以驕傲、

jealousy,

嫉妒

and vanity.

和虛榮為中心。

Rousseau argued that this destructive form of self-love

盧梭認為，這種具破壞性的自愛

had emerged as people had moved into cities

是在人們搬進城市、

and there had begun to compare themselves to others

開始將自己與他人進行比較，

and created their identities solely by reference to their neighbors. 片語搭配

並完全參照鄰居來塑造自己的身分時出現的。

Civilized people had stopped thinking about what they wanted

文明人不再去思考自己真正想要什麼，

and they felt and merely imitated other people,

也不再思考自己的感受，而只是模仿他人，

entering into ruinous competitions for status and money

為了地位和金錢捲入毀滅性的競爭，

and losing sight of their own sensations. 慣用語

並失去了對自己真實感受的覺察。

Rousseau is forever associated with the term noble savage 文化背景

盧梭永遠與「高貴的野蠻人」一詞連結在一起，

because it was his work that described the innocence and morality of our ancestors

因為正是他的作品描述了我們祖先的純真與道德，

and contrasted it with modern decadence.

並將其與現代的墮落進行了對比。

At the time Rousseau was writing,

在盧梭寫作的時代，

European society was fascinated by the plight of the native North American tribes. 片語搭配

歐洲社會對北美原住民部落的處境感到著迷。

Reports of Indian society drawn up in the 16th century 片語動詞

16世紀時關於印地安社會的報告

had once described the Indians as materially simple 講解

曾將印地安人描述為物質匱乏

but psychologically very rich and interesting.

但精神極為富足且有趣。

Communities were small,

社群規模小、

close-knit,

關係緊密、

egalitarian,

崇尚平等、

religious,

具有宗教信仰、

playful,

生性好玩

and martial.

且尚武。

However,

然而，

within a few decades of the arrival of the Europeans, 片語搭配

在歐洲人抵達後的幾十年間，

the status system of Indian society had been revolutionized

印地安社會的地位體系被徹底顛覆了，

through contact with the technology and luxury of European industry.

這是透過接觸歐洲工業的技術和奢侈品所致。

Indians now longed for guns,

印地安人開始渴望槍枝、

alcohol,

酒精、

beads,

珠子

and mirrors.

和鏡子。

Rates of suicide and alcoholism had risen,

自殺率與酗酒率上升，

communities were fracturing,

社群正在破裂，

and factions were squabbling.

派系之間爭吵不休。

The modern world had ruined the lives of people

現代世界毀掉了這些

who had once lived happily in the state of nature.

曾經在自然狀態下幸福生活的人們。

Rousseau's interest in natural goodness

盧梭對自然善良的關注，

made him very interested in the idea, 表達脈絡

使他對一個概念非常感興趣，

though not quite the reality,

但對其現實面則未必如此，

of children.

那就是兒童。

In 1762,

1762年，

he wrote Émile, or On Education,

他寫下了《愛彌兒：論教育》，

perhaps the most successful book ever written

這或許是有史以來關於如何養育兒童

about how to raise children.

最成功的一本書。

Rousseau suggested that children were born naturally good

盧梭提出兒童天生是善良的，

and that the key to raising them 文法

因此養育他們的關鍵

was therefore always to prevent their corruption by society.

始終是防止他們受到社會的腐化。

This idea was widely influential.

這個觀點產生了廣泛的影響。

Parents who had before this time

在此之前，父母們

seen their children as wicked

認為孩子是邪惡的，

or at best as blank slates, 慣用語

或者充其量只是白紙，

now viewed them as founts of wisdom 慣用語

而現在他們將孩子視為智慧的泉源，

and tried to give them a childhood full of play

並試圖給他們一個充滿遊戲、

and visits to forests and lakes.

探索森林與湖泊的童年。

Rousseau became the inventor of child-centered education. 用詞

盧梭成了以兒童為中心的教育發明者。

He was also a great proponent of breastfeeding,

他也是母乳哺育的偉大倡導者，

declaring,

他宣稱：

"Let mothers deign to nurse their children 用詞

「讓母親們願意親自哺乳自己的孩子吧，

and morals will reform themselves.

道德將自我重塑。

Nature's sentiments will be awakened in every heart

大自然的情感將在每顆心中甦醒，

and the state will be repeopled."

國家將重新繁衍興旺。」

It was,

這話，

he knew,

他知道，

a bit of hyperbole, 用詞

有點誇大其詞，

but it spurred a wave of breastfeeding 慣用語

但這確實引發了一股母乳哺育的熱潮，

even among the wealthy

甚至在富人之中，

who had long disdained the practice.

他們長期以來都鄙視這種做法。

Artists rushed to paint and honor

藝術家們紛紛爭相描繪並推崇

the new vogue for breastfeeding.

母乳哺育的新風尚。

Because Rousseau so closely valued human beings in their original state,

因為盧梭如此看重處於原始狀態的人類，

it followed that in the novels he wrote, 表達脈絡

所以在他創作的小說中，

Rousseau also constantly celebrated intense feelings

盧梭也總是在讚美強烈的情感，

rather than great deeds or social events.

而不是偉大的事蹟或社交活動。

In his novel,

在他的小說

Julie,

《新愛洛伊斯》（Julie）中，

written in 1761,

寫於1761年，

Rousseau depicted the excitement and anguish of an upper-class woman

盧梭描繪了一位上流社會女性的激動與痛苦，

caught in a love triangle 慣用語

她陷入了一場三角戀，

between her sensitive tutor

在敏感的家庭教師

and her boring but socially sanctioned aristocratic match. 用詞

與無趣但符合社會階級的貴族未婚夫之間掙扎。

Rousseau's contemporaries might have seen Julie as unwise

盧梭的同時代人可能認為茱莉是不明智的，

and her feelings as a passing fancy, 慣用語

她的感情只是一時的迷戀，

but Rousseau painted her love 慣用語

但盧梭卻將她的愛

in a higher light.

描繪得無比崇高。

He urged us to see its grandeur,

他敦促我們去看見它的偉大、

depth,

深度

and honor.

與榮耀。

In his writings about his own life,

在關於自己生活的寫作中，

Rousseau was similarly romantic

盧梭同樣表現得很浪漫，

or what one might unkindly call self-absorbed. 語氣意圖

或者說，有人可能會刻薄地稱之為自我沉醉。

In his famous Confessions,

在他著名的《懺悔錄》中，

one of the first ever autobiographies,

這是有史以來最早的自傳之一，

Rousseau spent pages exploring his inner life,

盧梭花了大量篇幅探索自己的內心生活，

how frustrating he found shopping,

他覺得購物多麼令人沮喪，

the surprising feeling of tenderness for his ex's new partner,

對前任的新伴侶產生了令人驚訝的溫柔之情，

or the joys of gardening.

或者園藝帶來的樂趣。

To him,

對他來說，

these weren't trivial or self-absorbed topics,

這些並不是瑣碎或自我沉醉的話題，

they were part of an important task,

它們是一項重要任務的一部分，

to show what living is like on the inside. 慣用語

那就是展示內在的真實生活樣貌。

"I have conceived of a new genre of service to render to man,"

「我構想了一種為人類服務的新體裁，」

he boasted,

他自豪地說，

"to offer them the faithful image of one amongst them

「向他們展示其中一員的真實形象，

in order for them to learn to know themselves." 文法

好讓他們學會認識自己。」

Rousseau died in 1778,

盧梭於1778年去世，

aged 66.

享年66歲。

His reputation has continued to grow.

他的名聲不斷增長。

He was from beyond the grave 慣用語

他在死後

one of the heroes of the French Revolution

成為法國大革命的英雄之一，

and he became an icon

並成為19世紀

to a great many artists and writers

眾多藝術家和作家的

of the 19th century.

偶像。

Rousseau can be considered as one of the founding figures

盧梭可以被認為是我們現在所知的

of what we now know as the Romantic Movement, 講解

浪漫主義運動的奠基人之一，

an ideology responsible for valuing the primitive over the civilized, 文法

這種意識形態主張原始勝過文明、

the child over the adult,

兒童勝過成人、

the passionate lover over the calmly loyal spouse.

充滿激情的戀人勝過平靜忠誠的配偶。

The modern world,

現代世界，

despite its addiction to status, 講解

儘管沉迷於地位、

machinery,

機械

and capitalist values,

和資本主義價值觀，

in many ways

在很多方面

continues to be profoundly romantic in its heart.

其內心深處仍然是非常浪漫的。

It's astonishing that so much of what we take to be 文法

令人驚訝的是，我們視為理所當然

commonsense or just natural

或再自然不過的許多事物，

can directly be traced back 片語搭配

竟能直接追溯到這位

to the work of one not always wise 表達脈絡

不總是明智、

but always highly intriguing and provocative thinker.

但始終極具魅力且發人深省的思想家的著作中。