我是誰？：英語精讀講義

Over a lifetime, 片語搭配

在人的一生中，

all of us change to an extraordinary degree. 片語搭配

我們所有人都會發生驚人的變化。

From a physical perspective, 表達脈絡

從生理的角度來看，

we start off as a little bundle about 50 cm high 片語動詞

我們一開始只是一個大約50公分高的小肉團，

with cherubic features and elastic soft skin,

帶著天使般的面容和富有彈性的柔軟肌膚，

and then we may end up some 90 years later 片語動詞

然後大約90年後，我們可能會變成

as a stooped, gray, liver spotted,

一個駝背、頭髮花白、長滿老人斑，

180 cm high structure.

180公分高的軀體。

In the intervening period, 表達脈絡

在這期間，

every single cell in our body will have been replaced, 文法

我們體內的每一個細胞都會被替換掉，

often many times over, 片語搭配

往往是反反覆覆好多次，

and we'll have gone through all kinds of experiences 片語動詞

我們還會經歷各種各樣的事情，

that perhaps leave almost no trace in memory. 片語搭配

這些事情或許在記憶中幾乎沒有留下任何痕跡。

The 25-year-old won't remember most of what

25歲的人不會記得

the 5-year-old felt so strongly about.

5歲時有著強烈感受的大部分事情。

The 67-year-old will only dimly recall 片語搭配

67歲的人也只能隱約回憶起

what was on their mind as they approached 30. 片語搭配

他們快到30歲時在想些什麼。

We carry the same name throughout our lives

我們一生中都叫同一個名字，

and consider ourselves

並認為我們自己

as a relatively stable unitary entity.

是一個相對穩定的單一實體。

But is it really right to think of ourselves

但把我們自己看作

as the same person?

是同一個人真的正確嗎？

Once one puts it under a philosophical microscope, 慣用語

一旦把它放在哲學的顯微鏡下，

the issue of personal identity

個人身分認同的問題

emerges as far trickier than at first assumed. 文法

就會顯得比最初設想的要複雜得多。

So in what ways could we be said to be 文法

那麼，我們在哪些方面可以說是

continuous throughout time?

隨著時間推移而連續不斷的呢？

What does guarantee

是什麼保證了

that we can plausibly think of ourselves 片語搭配

我們能夠合理地認為自己

as the same people over a lifetime?

在一生中都是同一個人？

Just where is personal identity located?

個人身分究竟存在於哪裡？

A standard assumption is that it's our body

一個標準的假設是，是我們的身體

that guarantees our personal identity.

保證了我們的個人身分認同。

This is the theory that a key part of what makes me me 文法

這種理論認為，「我之所以為我」的一個關鍵部分

is that I'm housed in an identical body.

是我居住在一個不變的身體裡。

But philosophers like to push this assumption around a little.

但哲學家們喜歡對這個假設進行一點推敲。

Imagine if I lost all my hair.

想像一下如果我失去了所有的頭髮。

Would I still be me?

我還是我嗎？

Yes, sure.

是的，當然。

What if I lost a finger?

如果我失去了一根手指呢？

Yes.

是的。

A leg?

一條腿？

Definitely.

絕對是。

Now, what if a malevolent demon appeared

現在，如果出現了一個惡毒的惡魔，

and told us that we'd have to lose 文法

告訴我們必須失去

every part of our bodies,

我們身體的每一個部分，

but could keep just one bit?

但只能保留一點？

Which bit would it be?

那會是哪一部分呢？

Few of us would pick our elbow or belly button.

我們當中很少有人會選胳膊肘或肚臍眼。

Almost all of us would pick our brains.

我們絕大多數人會選我們的大腦。

and that tells us something interesting.

這告訴了我們一些有趣的事情。

We assume implicitly that

我們在潛意識中認為

some bits of our bodies are more me-ish, 用詞

我們身體的某些部分更「像我」，

closer to the core of personal identity than others.

比其他部分更接近個人身分的核心。

And the most me-ish of all the bits are our brains.

而在所有部分中，最「像我」的，就是我們的大腦。

Christianity runs a version of this thought experiment. 用詞

基督教有一個這個思想實驗的版本。

It asks us to think what will happen after our death,

它讓我們思考死後會發生什麼，

and it imagines a separation of the body,

它設想了身體的分離，

ultimately not that significant,

這最終沒那麼重要，

and the ongoing survival of a more modest precious bit

還有一個更為不起眼且珍貴的部分會繼續存活，

that it calls the soul.

它稱之為「靈魂」。

There's another version of this thought experiment that two lovers can play.

這個思想實驗還有一個兩個相愛的人可以玩的版本。

In the early throes of love, 慣用語

在熱戀初期，

two people who have gone to bed together might ask, 慣用語

上過床的兩個人可能會問：

"What do you really like about me?"

「你到底喜歡我什麼？」

The wrong answer is to say,

錯誤的回答是：

"Your fabulous breasts or your amazing muscular arms."

「妳迷人的乳房，或者你驚人的肌肉臂。」

Breasts and chest don't ultimately feel me-ish

乳房和胸肌最終讓人感覺沒那麼「像我」，

enough to be a respectable answer.

不足以成為一個體面的答案。

It seems we want to be loved for something closer to our real self, 文法

看來我們希望被愛的原因，是那些更接近我們真實自我的東西，

perhaps our soul or our brain.

也許是我們的靈魂或大腦。

Now let's push the thought experiment further. 表達脈絡

現在讓我們把這個思想實驗進一步推進。

What bit of the brain is actually most crucial to being me? 文法

大腦的哪一部分對「成為我」實際上最關鍵？

Let's imagine that I have a bump to the head 片語搭配

讓我們想像一下，我碰到了頭，

and lose my ability to play table tennis. 片語搭配

失去了打乒乓球的能力。

Am I still myself?

我還是我自己嗎？

Most of us would say,

我們大多數人會說，

"Yes, sure."

「是的，當然。」

What if I once spoke Latin and lose the ability

如果我曾經會說拉丁語然後失去了這個能力，

or forgot how to cook asparagus with a light mayonnaise sauce?

或者忘記了如何用淡美乃滋烹飪蘆筍呢？

Would I still be me?

我還是我嗎？

Yes.

是的。

In other words, 表達脈絡

換句話說，

technical capacities don't feel

技能讓人感覺

very close to the core of personal identity.

並不是非常接近個人身分的核心。

What about other kinds of memories?

其他種類的記憶呢？

A big part of making me me

使「我成為我」的一個很大部分，

tends to be my store of memories. 文法

往往是我的記憶庫。

I remember the carpet in my bedroom when I was growing up

我記得我成長時臥室裡的地毯，

or the girl I was in love with at university

或者是大學時我愛上的那個女孩，

or the weather over Sydney

或者是雪梨的天氣，

as we came in to land for my first Australian book tour.

就在我第一次澳洲巡迴售書著陸時。

But what if these memories all vanished as well?

但如果這些記憶也全都消失了呢？

Could I still be me?

我還能是我嗎？

One view is, possibly,

一種觀點是，也許可以，

so long as something else remained. 文法

只要還有其他的東西留存下來。

And that thing we can call my character.

那個東西我們可以稱之為我的性格。

In other words,

換句話說，

if my characteristic way of responding to situations, 片語搭配

如果我對各種情況的特有反應方式、

my sense of what is funny, wise, interesting or important

我對什麼是有趣、明智、有趣或重要的感覺

remained the same,

保持不變，

I can still in some fundamental way

我在某種根本的意義上仍然可以

claim to be the same person.

聲稱是同一個人。

My memory store of feelings and behaviors might be gone,

我對感受和行為的記憶庫可能已經消失，

but I could be assured of continuing 文法

但我可以確信會繼續

to feel and behave in compatible ways in the future.

在未來以相符的方式去感受和行動。

Those around me would need to keep reminding me of stuff that had happened, 片語搭配

我周圍的人將需要不斷提醒我發生過的事情，

but they would still recognize me as me.

但他們仍然會認出我就是我。

A fascinating idea comes into view. 慣用語

一個迷人的觀點出現了。

Personal identity seems to consist not in bodily survival. 文法

個人身分似乎既不包含在身體的存活中。

I could be put in somebody else's body or live in a jar and still be me,

我可以被放入別人的身體或生活在罐子裡，卻仍然是我，

nor in the survival of memory.

也不包含在記憶的留存中。

I could forget everything and still be me.

我可以忘記一切，但仍然是我。

But in the survival of what we're here going to call character.

而是在於我們在此稱之為「性格」的留存中。

This is an idea attributed to the English philosopher John Locke, 文化背景

這個觀點歸功於英國哲學家約翰·洛克，

who famously wrote personal identity

他的名言是，個人身分

is made up of what he called sameness of consciousness.

是由他所稱的「意識的同一性」組成的。

If a demon offered us a choice between remembering everything

如果一個惡魔給我們一個選擇：要麼記住一切

but feeling and valuing very differently

但感受和價值觀發生極大變化，

or feeling and valuing the same sorts of things

要麼感受和重視相同種類的事物

but remembering nothing,

但什麼都不記得，

most of us would, Locke suggests,

洛克認為，我們大多數人會

choose the latter. 用詞

選擇後者。

So, if we have to boil personal identity down to its essence, 片語動詞

所以，如果我們必須把個人身分歸結為其本質，

it seems to come down to values, inclinations, and temperament. 片語動詞

它似乎可以歸結為價值觀、傾向和氣質。

Let's think of death with all this in mind. 表達脈絡

讓我們帶著所有這些想法來思考死亡。

The standard view of death is that it's sad

對死亡的標準觀點是它讓人悲傷，

because it means the end of our identity.

因為它意味著我們身分的終結。

Now, it certainly does mean the end

現在，它的確意味著終結，

if we identify identity with the survival of our bodies 片語搭配

如果我們把身分等同於我們身體的存活，

or with that of our memories.

或者是我們記憶的留存。

But if we think that who we are is to a large degree about our values 片語搭配

但如果我們認為「我們是誰」在很大程度上關乎我們的價值觀

and characteristic loves and hates,

以及我們特有的愛與恨，

then we are in a sense granted a kind of immortality 表達脈絡

那麼在某種意義上我們就獲得了一種永生，

simply through the fact that these will continue to live 片語動詞

僅僅因為這些將繼續生存下去，

on in our species as a whole,

在我們整個物種中，

lodged here and there outside of their present home.

寄居在它們目前居所之外的各個地方。

Perhaps what we have learned to call me

也許我們學會稱之為「我」的東西，

was only ever a temporary resting place 慣用語

只不過是一個臨時的落腳點，

for a set of ideas and proclivities that are far older

供一套比我們的身體古老得多、

and are destined to live on far longer than our bodies. 文法

且注定存活得久得多的理念與癖好棲息。

We might attempt to be less sad about death

我們可以嘗試對死亡少些悲傷，

by letting go of the idea 片語動詞

透過放下這個念頭：

that we are a particular constellation of physical features. 慣用語

我們是一組特定生理特徵的集合。

We are always in a sense far longer lasting,

在某種意義上，我們總是能存在得更久，

far more transgenerational 用詞

更加跨越世代，

as a bundle of inclinations and ideas.

作為一堆傾向和思想。

We will continue to crop up and live wherever those ideas 片語動詞

我們將繼續出現並生活，只要那些

that are most characteristic of us will emerge,

最具我們特色的思想會顯現，

as they must,

正如它們必須的那樣，

in the generations that are to come.

在未來的世世代代中。

Focusing in on questions of identity 片語動詞

聚焦於身分的問題

has the paradoxical and rather cheering effect

具有一種看似矛盾卻相當令人振奮的效果，

of making us both less attached to certain bits of us 文法

它讓我們對自己的某些部分不再那麼執著，

and more confident

並更加確信，

that the really important things about who we have been will survive in a way

關於我們曾經是誰，那些真正重要的東西會以某種方式存活下來，

long after our bodies have returned to dust 慣用語

很久以後，在我們的身體歸於塵土、

and our memories have been obliterated.

我們的記憶被抹去之後。