内容简介
For years, moral language has been the province of the Right, as the Left has consoled itself with rudderless pragmatism. In this profound and powerful book, Susan Neiman reclaims the vocabulary of morality--good and evil, heroism and nobility--as a lingua franca for the twenty-first century. In constructing a framework for taking responsible action on today's urgent questions, Neiman reaches back to the eighteenth century, retrieving a series of values--happiness, reason, reverence, and hope--held high by Enlightenment thinkers. In this thoroughly updated edition, Neiman reflects on how the moral language of the 2008 presidential campaign has opened up new political and cultural possibilities in America and beyond. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
作者简介
SUSAN NEIMAN?is an American philosopher who has taught at Yale University, Tel Aviv University, and the Humboldt University of Berlin, and is currently director of the Einstein Forum. She is the author of three previous books, most recently Evil in Modern Thought. She lives with her three children in Berlin.
精彩书评
"Her prose is clear and vigorous, and as exhilarating as a good spin class, but don't be mistaken: This is not Philosophy for Dummies...If you prefer your philosophy to offer make-nice advice ("Tolerate diversity!" "Recycle!"), Moral Clarity is not for you. Neiman attacks both the left and the right for their failings--and praises them for their different strengths. You might find yourself disagreeing with some of her analyses, which is inevitable--and even desirable. Neiman wants engagement, not sheeplike agreement, and her book is meant to spark conversation." -- Body and Soul Magazine, June 2008"The Enlightenment project of constructing a rational morality--pronounced dead by commentators on the left and right--has found a champion determined to resurrect it for the twenty-first century." -- Booklist (starred review) April 1, 2008"The seemingly endless contest between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton is, among other things, a referendum on that perennial question: what ails the American left? To this stale discussion Susan Neiman brings a new thought: the problem with our liberal elites, she insists, is a lack of philosophical nerve. The task Neiman sets herself is to rescue today's political left from its own handicaps. Neiman is a subtle and energetic guide to the unjustly maligned Western canon (who) writes with verve and a sometimes epigrammatic wit....Moral Clarity is a plea for renewal, an argument for re-engaging with the moral vocabulary of the country." -- Wall Street Journal, May 5, 2008"Neiman's particular skill lies in expressing sensitivity, intelligence and moral seriousness without any hint of oversimplification, dogmatism or misplaced piety. She clearly and unflinchingly sees life as it is, but also sees how it might be, and could be, if we recaptured some of the hopes and ideals that currently escape us." -- The New York Times, July 27, 2008 (Simon Blackburn)"Susan Neiman is a masterly storyteller; her new book Moral Clarity offers retellings of the Odyssey and the Book of Job that are themselves worth the price of admission. But she also has stories about the origins of her own position that place her in both larger intellectual narratives and more local political ones...Her project can be seen as a progressive alternative to (Allan Bloom's) The Closing of the American Mind." -- Slate, May 27, 2008 (K. Anthony Appiah)
精彩书摘
Chapter One American Dreams Of all the things in the world that need changing, metaphysics may not be high on your list of priorities. But to understand how metaphysics circumscribes your life, consider what you mean when you tell someone: Be realistic. A
前言/序言
《理性之光:现代生活中的道德罗盘》 一本引导我们在复杂世界中清晰辨识、坚定行动的指南 我们身处一个信息爆炸、价值多元的时代。科技的飞速发展带来了前所未有的便利,同时也使得道德困境和伦理灰色地带愈发模糊不清。从日常工作中的利益权衡,到社会公共议题上的立场抉择,再到个人生活中的选择与取舍,我们时常感到迷茫,仿佛失去了辨别“是”与“非”的清晰标尺。 《理性之光:现代生活中的道德罗盘》正是为那些渴望在纷繁复杂的世界中,保有清晰判断力、践行有意义人生的成年人而作。本书摒弃了空泛的说教和教条式的说理,而是提供了一套系统、实用的思维框架,帮助读者重新校准内心的道德指南针,实现从“知道”到“做到”的跨越。 核心议题与结构解析 本书共分为四个核心部分,层层递进,深入探讨现代人面临的道德挑战: 第一部分:认清迷雾——现代道德困境的根源 本部分首先剖析了当代社会中道德模糊性的主要来源。我们不再生活在单一价值体系下的封闭社区,而是被全球化的信息流、算法推荐和碎片化认知所包围。 相对主义的陷阱: 探讨“一切皆可理解”的论调如何削弱了行动的必要性。当所有立场都被“合理化”时,我们如何为自己的选择负责? 情感驱动的决策: 分析社交媒体驱动的“道德表演”如何取代了深思熟虑的伦理判断。同情心固然重要,但它是否足以支撑长期的、艰难的道德实践? 技术伦理的真空: 聚焦人工智能、基因编辑和数据隐私等前沿领域。在人类尚未完全理解其后果时,我们应如何设立伦理的“护栏”? 本书强调,要获得清晰的道德判断力,首先必须诚实地面对我们所处环境的复杂性,而不是逃避到简单的二元对立中去。 第二部分:重塑基石——理性与审慎的回归 要拨开迷雾,我们需要重新找回被忽视的理性工具。本部分提供了具体的认知工具和思维模型,帮助读者构建起坚固的道德分析架子。 后果论、义务论与德性伦理的实战应用: 本书不偏袒任何单一学派,而是展示了康德的绝对命令、功利主义的计算以及亚里士多德的美德如何在现实情境中相互配合或产生张力。通过一系列经典的案例分析(如资源分配、医疗抉择等),读者将学会如何整合不同视角的考量。 “反事实”推演: 引入一种强大的思想实验工具——想象我们所做的选择具有普遍性或不可逆转性时,我们的判断是否依然站得住脚?这有助于测试立场的内在一致性。 认知偏见的识别与校正: 深入讲解确认偏误、群体思维等心理学陷阱,它们如何悄无声息地扭曲我们的道德感知。清晰的道德需要一个清醒的头脑作为基础。 第三部分:在行动中定义自我——理想与实践的桥梁 道德不仅仅是思考的结果,更是实践的累积。本部分将焦点从“我应该想什么”转向“我应该做什么”,特别关注成年人在职业和公民身份中的道德履行。 “小我”与“大我”的张力: 探讨职业责任(如律师、工程师、教师的专业伦理)如何与个人良知发生冲突。如何在高压环境中,保持专业标准的同时,不牺牲内在的道德完整性? 有效利他主义的审慎视角: 在追求最大化善意的道路上,本书提倡一种批判性的审视。我们如何确保我们的善意是基于事实的有效投入,而非仅仅是自我满足的表达? “灰色地带”的勇气: 很多时候,不存在完美的解决方案。本书鼓励读者培养一种“负责任的行动力”——即在信息不完全、结果不确定的情况下,做出基于最佳现有判断的、可被检验的决定,并勇于承担随之而来的后果。 第四部分:构建持续的道德实践社区 个体的道德清醒最终需要在一个支持性的环境中得到巩固和发展。《理性之光》的最后一部分着眼于外部环境的构建。 对话的艺术: 如何与持有截然不同观点的人进行有建设性的、非对抗性的道德讨论?本书提供了一套关于倾听、提问和界定分歧的技术。 机构的伦理韧性: 探讨企业、学校和政府机构如何设计流程来抵御腐败和道德滑坡。个体应如何在体制内有效地倡导和维护道德高标准? 长期主义的道德视角: 鼓励读者将目光投向更远的未来,思考我们今天的选择将如何影响跨越世代的责任。这不仅关乎眼前的利益,更关乎为后代留下一个可辩护的道德遗产。 为什么阅读《理性之光》? 本书的核心价值在于其“成年人”的视角。它承认世界是浑浊的,理想主义者也会感到疲惫和受挫。它不提供廉价的安慰剂,而是提供一把可以磨砺自身认知的“瑞士军刀”。通过对理性工具的熟练运用,读者将能够: 减少道德焦虑: 从不确定性中找到可控的行动点。 提升沟通效力: 在激烈的辩论中,清晰地阐述自己的立场并理解对方的逻辑结构。 实现价值对齐: 确保自己的日常行为与内心深信不疑的原则保持一致,从而获得更深层次的内心平静与目标感。 《理性之光:现代生活中的道德罗盘》是一份献给所有不愿随波逐流、致力于在喧嚣中保持清醒和正直的现代公民的实用指南。它邀请你进行一场深刻的自我审视,并武装你应对这个世界上所有未被预料到的道德挑战。