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We’ve spent a couple of lessons thinking about how philosophers reason.

我們花了幾堂課的時間討論哲學家如何辯論

Now it’s time to do some actual philosophy.

現在該來談談真正的哲學了

And one of the most important hallmarks of philosophical thought is that

而哲學思考最重要的原則之一就是

you should never take things at face value.

永遠都不要憑表面論斷事物

You should always be willing to accept that there’s more to the world than meets the eye.

應該要接受事物有超越表層的意義

Because, whatever truth seems obvious today, might turn out to be not so true at all.

因為現在看來理所當然的事物，也許其實根本是錯的

It’s one of the more daunting pursuits in philosophy -- pondering what’s really real,

這是哲學裡難倒人的追求：相較於我們認為所謂的真實

as opposed to what you think is real, and how you could ever know the difference.

要評估什麼才是真的，以及如何分辨他們

Fortunately, there are some guides who can help you on your journey, when you’re exploring the nature of reality.

幸好在這趟探索「真實」的旅途中有一些嚮導可以帶領我們

And you know who’s really helpful here? Leonardo DiCaprio.

你知道誰可以幫我們一個大忙嗎？李奧納多·狄卡皮歐

I mean, I guess you could say that a lot actors can transport you to another reality if they’re good enough.

我猜很多演員都可以帶你到另一個現實世界，如果他們夠會演的話

But that’s not what I mean.

但這不是我的意思

I’m talking about Inception, that movie where Leo plays a thief who steals ideas from

我是在說《全面啟動》，那部李奧納多飾演藉由侵入別人夢境

people by invading their dreams.

來竊取他們想法的小偷的電影

A super-handy ability if you want to, say, steal corporate secrets from a CEO, or military plans from a head of state.

如果你想要偷某個CEO的商業機密或是某地的軍事計畫，這就是個很方便的能力

But after a while, it becomes hard for some members of Leo’s team to tell the difference

但是過了一段時間，其中一些李奧納多的夥伴便開始

between one dream and another, or to discern dreams from reality.

難以分辨不同的夢境，或是無法將夢境與現實分清

The whole film is populated with people who live in a dream world, convinced they’re living real-life.

整部電影充滿了活在夢境裡的人們，而他們相信自己是活在現實中

To them, the dream is all there is – it has become their reality.

對他們來說，夢境就是一切，已經成為他們的現實了

But from the perspective of those outside the dream, who see their sleeping bodies,

但是從夢境外的人（看見其他人正在睡覺的樣子）的觀點來看

the reality they’re chasing is simply false.

他們所追求的現實根本都是假的

It’s a real cool premise for a movie. I haven’t ruined it for you -- you can still

以電影來說，這是很酷的假定，我沒有劇透喔，你還是可以去欣賞它

watch it. And the fact is, the same concept has been around for thousands of years.

事實上，這個概念已經存在好幾千年了

The basic question that Inception asks has vexed philosophers all the way back to the

《全面啟動》的核心疑問從最一開始的西方哲學

very roots of Western philosophy.

便開始惹惱哲學家了

Is it possible that my current reality isn’t real at all?

有沒有可能我目前的現實根本不真實呢？

Before we had Leonardo DiCaprio to walk us through this question we had Plato.

在李奧納多·狄卡皮歐帶我們思考這個問題前，我們先來看看柏拉圖

[Theme Music]

主題曲

Around 2400 years ago, Plato wrote his famous book, The Republic, in which he describes

差不多2400年前，柏拉圖完成了他有名的著作《理想國》

-- probably better than anyone before or since -- the nature of reality.

描述現實的本質，也許說得比從前到現在的任何人都好

He does it by telling a story about prisoners who have been chained since birth in a dark cave, facing a blank wall.

他想了一個故事，關於一群囚犯從出生便被困在漆黑的山洞裡，成天面對著牆壁

All kinds of people and objects pass behind the prisoners, and a fire casts the shadows

許許多多的人事物都從囚犯身後經過，而營火所投射的影子

of those things onto the wall in front of the prisoners.

則映照在囚犯所面對的牆壁上

These shadow images are all the prisoners ever see, and they come to understand the shadows as reality.

這些囚犯終其一生只能看見影子，因此他們便開始認為影子即是現實

Now just hold up a minute and imagine what your view of the world would be like, if all

我們先暫停一下，想像如果你一輩子只見過影子

you’ve ever seen are shadows. You wouldn’t know that there was anything more.

你對事件的看法會如何？你不會知道世上還有其他什麼東西

3D wouldn’t even be a concept for you.

你根本無法有3D的概念

The prisoners spend their whole lives understanding only this shadow reality, until one day one

囚犯一輩子只能理解這個「影子現實」，直到有一天

of them escapes from his chains, and crawls into the daylight.

其中一個囚犯逃出了山洞，爬向光明

After spending a lifetime in fire-lit darkness, the man is blinded by the sun at first.

在只有營火弱光的漆黑山洞裡待了一輩子，這個人一開始因陽光而失去了視力

But in time, he comes to see the things outside the cave are far more real than the shadow

但是一段時間後，他開始看見山洞外的東西都比那些

images that he once took for reality.

他曾認為是現實的影子還要來得真實許多

They have substance. They occupy an extra dimension.

他們是真實的，以更高維度存在著

Think about how that would feel. To suddenly realize that everything you believed just

想一下這會是什麼感覺，突然的發現你幾分鐘前所相信的

minutes ago turned out to be merely faint outlines of reality.

其實只是現實的模糊輪廓

This is what happens to a lot of the characters who inhabit the world of Inception:

這就是居住在《全面啟動》世界中的角色所面臨的情況：

Once they realize there can be multiple layers of reality, they never look at the world around them the same way again.

一旦發現可以有很多層次的現實後，他們就再也無法以從前的觀點看待這個世界

And for many of them, the experience becomes intoxicating.

對他們大部分來說，這個體驗是很興奮的

This is also what happens to Plato’s escaped prisoner.

這也是柏拉圖那個逃出的囚犯所經歷的

He goes back into the cave to tell his friends the exciting news about what he’s found.

他回到山洞裡興奮的告訴他的朋友他發現的事物

But the conversation doesn’t go the way he thinks it will.

但是對話並沒有如他預期的進行

He expects them to be amazed by his discovery -- he figures they’ll be as eager to join

他以為大家會對他的發現感到驚奇，他認為他們會像他一樣

him as he is anxious to get back.

急於回到外面的世界而渴望加入他的行列

But they all think he’s crazy. As far as they’re concerned, he’s babbling about

但是大家都認為他瘋了，就算大家在乎，也覺得他只是在

some “higher reality” that they’ve never seen, or heard of, or have any evidence for.

瞎扯他們沒見過、聽過、證實過的「更高層次的現實」

To make matters worse, going back into the fire-lit cave, after being in the sunlight,

更糟的是，在見過陽光之後再次進入只有營火弱光的山洞裡

temporarily blinds the man again.

讓囚犯又再次感到失去視力

So, from his friends’ perspective, his journey into the outside world has actually damaged him,

所以從他的朋友的觀點來看，他到外面的這趟旅程其實傷害了他

because now he can’t even see the shadow images that were once his whole world.

因為他現在甚至無法看見曾經是他的一切的影子

Now, you don’t have to be Plato, or Christopher Nolan, to dream this stuff up.

你不需要成為柏拉圖或是克里斯多福·諾蘭才能想像出這些東西

In fact, you might have experienced a diluted version of this kind of reality-shock for yourself.

事實上你也許經歷過輕微版本的這種「現實衝擊」

For example: Do you remember your first teddy bear?

例如：你還記得你的第一隻泰迪熊嗎？

That bear was, philosophically speaking, your only contact with,

那隻熊，哲學上的說法，是你唯一接觸過

and your only way of understanding, the concept of a bear.

也唯一瞭解過的熊的概念

Then one day, you went to a zoo, or a wildlife refuge, or a national park, and you saw an actual bear.

結果有一天，你到了動物園或是野生保護區或是國家公園，看見了真正的熊

And suddenly you realized that your previous understanding of ‘bear’ was way, way off.

便突然驚覺你之前對「熊」的認知跟現實差太多太多了

Bears don’t have button eyes and little smiles made of thread. They’re not soft. You couldn’t hug one.

熊沒有鈕扣眼睛和綿線縫成的嘴巴，他們不柔軟，你不能抱他們

The bear you spent your first years of life snuggling with, was just a shadowy imitation

你花了人生第一年的時間依偎的熊

of the reality of bear-ness.

只是一個現實「熊樣」的影子罷了

Now, check out this somewhat more mature example:

接著來看看這個某方面來說比較成熟的例子：

Maybe you were the first member of your tweeny group of friends to discover the wonders of

也許你是你們那群20歲好友裡最先體驗浪漫愛情的美好的人

romantic attraction. You might’ve felt like your eyes were open to a whole new world that

你可能會對全新的世界大開眼界

your pals were still blind to.

而你的夥伴們仍然不懂

And when you tried to explain to them what had happened to you? And how you felt?

當你試圖向他們解釋發生了什麼事、你感覺如何時

They probably thought you were crazy. And the feeling was probably mutual.

他們大概會覺得你瘋了，而這感覺應該很類似

And this is what our poor protagonist goes through when he re-enters the cave.

這就是我們故事可憐的主角回到山洞時所經歷的

So why does Plato tell us this story?

為什麼柏拉圖要說這個故事？

It’s not just about little a-ha moments, like when we discovered that bears and boys

這不只是關於一個小小的「啊哈」的瞬間，就像我們發現熊和男孩子

were not what we once thought they were. It’s more than that.

不如我們以往的認知，這還有更深的意義

Plato wants us to see that we, right now, are prisoners in a cave.

柏拉圖想讓我們知道，現在的我們正是山洞裡的囚犯

Everything in our world is actually a mere shadow of a higher reality.

我們所處的世界裡的一切都只是更高層次的現實的模糊影子

Just as the man in the story once mistook shadows for real things, we are currently

就像故事裡的主角曾經誤以為影子就是真實的，我們現在

prisoners in a cave of our own.

就是山洞裡的囚犯

But rather than mistaking shadows for the material objects of the ordinary world, our

不過我們不是誤以為影子是平常的世界裡真實的東西

mistake is thinking that the material objects of the ordinary world are the most real things.

而是認為這些平常的世界裡真實的東西就是最真實的

In fact, Plato says, the physical world that we think is the most real, is actually a mere shadow of a higher truth.

柏拉圖認為，事實上我們認為最真實的這個物質世界其實只是更高層次的現實的影子

If this surprises you, think about how many beliefs were once accepted as absolute fact

如果這讓你震驚的話，想想過去許多我們曾經確信絕對真實的事物

– only to later turn out to be completely false –

最後卻發現是完全不對的

The shape of the earth. The idea that the Earth was the center of the universe.

地球的形狀、地球是宇宙中心的想法

The belief that heroin, and tobacco, and lobotomies were good for people.

相信海洛因、菸草和腦白質切斷術對人們是好的

Those so-called facts turned out to be far from the truth.

那些所謂的「事實」最後都被推翻，和真實相差甚遠

So, there’s a lot packed into this little story.

這個小故事包含了很多東西

Plato is urging you to consider that the world is not really as it seems.

柏拉圖在要求你思考這個世界並非你所見的如此

And making a statement about philosophy. Doing philosophy is hard.

來做個哲學的聲明，搞哲學很困難

Accepting that much of what you’ve always believed might actually be false can make you uncomfortable.

要你接受一直以來相信的事物或許是錯誤的可能會讓你感到不適

You might feel temporarily blinded.

你也許會暫時的看不見方向

You may learn just enough to know that your old beliefs aren’t reliable, but you don’t

你會吸收到剛好足夠讓自己知道過去所相信的不可靠

yet know enough to feel comfortable with these new ideas, either.

卻還不夠讓你對這些新的想法感到適應

What’s more, your old friends, who aren’t on this journey with you, might think you’ve lost your mind.

而且你那些沒有和你踏上旅程的朋友們也許會認為你瘋了

Or they might take you for an arrogant, pedantic jerk who thinks they have all the answers.

或是他們會認為你只是個自大、愛炫耀學問、自以為知道一切解答的討厭鬼

But philosophy is also awesome.

但是哲學也有很棒的一面

Because, once you get through the growing pains, you can see things in a new way, and

因為當你撐過了過渡期的痛苦，就可以以全新視角看事物

you can see through things that used to fool you.

能夠看清那些曾經混淆你的東西

And that brings us to another puzzle. Consider this argument:

讓我們來看看這個問題，思考一下這個論述：

No cat has 2 tails. Every cat has one more tail than no cat. Therefore, every cat has 3 tails.

沒有貓有兩條尾巴，每隻貓都比沒有貓多一條尾巴，所以每隻貓都有三條尾巴

Now, you’re probably thinking, that’s just clearly wrong. That’s not much of a puzzle.

你現在大概覺得這很明顯是錯的吧，根本不是什麼難題

I mean, the two premises sound right enough. But the conclusion is … wha?

這兩個假定聽起來都正確，但是結論卻...啥？

This puzzle exploits a strangeness in the language that we use to discuss certain ideas

這個謎題揭露了我們用來討論特定想法的語言詭異的地方

-- specifically the ideas of nothingness, absence, or emptiness.

特別是對於沒有、不存在、空虛等概念

In premise 1, ‘no cat’ refers to an absence of cats.

假定1裡頭，「沒有貓」指的是貓的不存在

Think about things with 2 tails, and none of those things you think of are cats. Because

想一下有兩條尾巴的東西，那裡面不會包含貓咪

you probably can’t even think of anything with two tails.

因為你大概也想不到任何兩條尾巴的東西

But in premise 2, the language tricks us into understanding ‘No-Cat’ as an existent thing,

但是在假定2裡頭，語言讓我們誤以為「沒有貓」是個存在的東西

rather than an absence of a thing. The way it’s phrased, No-Cat could conceivably

而不是某物的不存在，如此的措辭讓我們將「沒有貓」

be that elusive creature that has 2 tails.

想像成虛幻的兩條尾巴的生物

So this leads us to the conclusion that, if the No-Cat has 2 tails, and every cat has

所以這就導出了一個結論：如果「沒有貓」有兩條尾巴，而每隻貓

one more tail than it does, then every cat must have 3 tails! Which is just wrong.

都比它多一條尾巴，那麼每隻貓一定都有三條尾巴！而這當然是錯的

And it takes a moment to understand the source of our confusion.

要了解令我們困惑的原因需要花一點時間

The conclusion is faulty, because it mistakes the absence of something for the presence of something.

這個結論是錯的，因為他把某物的不存在當作另一物的存在

But it strikes us as plausible, on some level, because language has duped us into considering

但是某種程度上來說，我們卻認為這是合理的，因為語言讓我們誤認為

a reality where a creature called No Cat with two tails is actually a thing.

現實中真的有叫做「沒有貓」的兩條尾巴生物

Figuring out puzzles like this is kind of like flipping a switch -- first you’re confused,

理解這種問題有點像是打開開關：一開始你很困惑

and then the cause of the confusion seems obvious.

結果造成疑惑的原因卻又如此理所當然

It’s just a matter of sorting through what’s really real.

這只是攸關要分辨哪些東西才是真的正確

And Plato thinks philosophy is like that too -- going from the darkness into the light

而柏拉圖認為哲學也是如此：由黑暗走入光明

is both disorienting and rewarding.

令人既迷惘又有成就感

It’s kinda too bad in this case, though. Because: a cat with three tails? I’d kind

不過以這個例子來說太糟了，因為：有塞條尾巴的貓？

of like to see that. Though, to be honest I’d mostly just like looking at any cat.

我挺想看看的，不過說真的，我只是喜歡看任何貓

And with that, we wrap up this episode of Crash Course Philosophy. Today we learned

就這樣，這集的哲學速成班來到了尾聲

about Plato’s famous Myth of the Cave, questioned the relationship between appearance and reality,

我們今天學了柏拉圖有名的洞穴預言，探討了外表及現實之間的關係

and talked about the process of philosophical discovery.

還討論了哲學發想的過程

Next time, we’re going to disappear even deeper into the hole of shadow and disbelief

下一次，我們要更深入到影子和懷疑的黑洞中

– all in the hopes of eventually emerging into the light.

希望最終能夠探入光明

This episode is brought to you by Squarespace. Squarespace helps to create websites, blogs

這集是由Squarespace提供，Squarespace協助為妳和妳的點子架設網站

or online stores for you and your ideas. Websites look professionally designed regardless of

部落格或是網路商店，網站看起來都經由專業設計

skill level, no coding required. Try Squarespace at squarespace.com/crashcourse for a special offer.

不論技術如何，也不需要寫程式，到squarespace.com/crashcourse用優惠適用看看吧

Crash Course Philosophy is produced in association with PBS Digital Studios. You can head over

哲學速成班由PBS數位工作室協助製作，你可以到

to their channel to check out amazing shows like Shanx FX, Gross Science, and PBS Game/Show.

他們的頻道上看看一些超棒的節目，像是Shanx FX、Gross Science和PBS Game/Show

This episode of Crash Course was filmed in the Doctor Cheryl C. Kinney Crash Course Studio

這集的哲學速成班由Doctor Cheryl C. Kinney速成班工作室

with the help of all of these amazing people and our Graphics Team is Thought Cafe.

以及這些超棒的人拍攝的，而我們的高品質、優質動畫團隊是Thought Cafe