約翰·洛克的教育思想(中英對照)-17: 人道精神

CRUELTY | One thing I have frequently observed in children, that, when they have got possession of any poor creature, they are apt to use it ill: they often torment and treat very roughly young birds, butterflies, and such other poor animals which fall into their hands, and that with a seeming kind of pleasure. This I think should be watched in them, and if they incline to any such cruelty, they should be taught the contrary usage. For the custom of tormenting and killing of beasts will, by degrees, harden their minds even towards men; and they who delight in the suffering and destruction of inferior creatures, will not be apt to be very compassionate or benign to those of their own kind. Our practice takes notice of this, in the exclusion of butchers from juries of life and death. Children should from the beginning be bred up in an abhorrence of killing or tormenting any living creature, and be taught not to spoil or destroy any thing unless it be for the preservation or advantage of some other that is nobler. And truly, if the preservation of all mankind, as much as in him lies, were every one's persuasion, as indeed it is every one’s duty, and the true principle to regulate our religion, politics, and morality by, the world would be much quieter, and better natured than it is. But to return to our present business; I cannot but commend both the kindness and prudence of a mother I knew, who was wont always to indulge her daughters, when any of them desired dogs, squirrels, birds, or any such things, as young girls use to be delighted with: but then, when they had them, they must be sure to keep them well, and look diligently after them, that they wanted nothing, or were not ill used. For if they were negligent in their care of them, it was counted a great fault, which often forfeited their possession, or at least they failed not to be rebuked for it; whereby they were early taught diligence and good nature. And indeed I think people should be accustomed, from their cradles, to be tender to all sensible creatures, and to spoil or waste nothing at all.

殘忍 |  我在小孩中間經常觀察到一件事情，就是他們掌握任何可憐的小動物，他們總傾向於虐待它；他們常常折磨與粗暴地對待落到他們手中的幼鳥、蝴蝶、以及其它可憐的動物，並且以此取樂。我認為應該注意他們這種情況，如果他們有任何殘忍的傾向，就應該教他們相反的作法。因為折磨與殺害動物的習慣會使他們對人的心腸逐漸變硬；那些虐待與摧殘弱小動物的人，是不會很同情或善待他們的同類的。我們的司法實踐注意到這一點，因此不讓屠夫做決定生死的陪審員。小孩應該一開始就被教導對折磨或殺害任何生物深惡痛絕，教育他們不要糟蹋或毀害任何東西，除非是為保護或有益於其它一些更高尚的事情。假如保全整個人類，能成為每個人的信仰，如同成為每個人的職責，以及調節我們的宗教、政治與道德的真正原則，這個世界就會更安靜、更和睦。但是回到我們現在的話題；我認識一個做母親的人，我不能不讚許她的和善與睿智，當她的女兒想要小狗、鬆鼠、小鳥、或任何諸如此類的東西，就象年輕女孩通常喜歡的，她總是慣於滿足她們的願望；不過當她們得到後，她們必須好好對待它們，細心照料它們，使它們不致缺乏任何東西或受到虐待。因為一旦她們照顧不周，那會被認為重大過失，常常使她們的寵物被沒收，或者至少讓她們因此受訓斥；因此她們很早就學會勤勉用心與溫和善良。我認為人們應該真正從小養成習慣，溫柔地對待一切有知覺的動物，不要糟蹋浪費任何東西。

This delight they take in doing of mischief, whereby I mean spoiling of any thing to no purpose, but more especially the pleasure they take to put any thing in pain, that is capable of it; I cannot persuade my self to be any other than a foreign and introduced disposition, an habit borrowed from custom and conversation. People teach children to strike, and laugh when they hurt or see harm come to others: and they have the examples of most about them, to confirm them in it. All the entertainment and talk of history is nothing almost but fighting and killing: and the honour and renown that is bestowed on conquerors (who for the most part are but the great butchers of mankind) farther mislead growing youth, who by this means come to think slaughter the laudable business of mankind, and the most heroic of virtues. By these steps unnatural cruelty is planted in us; and what humanity abhors, custom reconciles and recommends to us, by laying it in the way to honour. Thus, by fashion and opinion, that comes to be a pleasure, which in itself neither is, nor can be any. This ought carefully to be watched, and early remedied; so as to settle and cherish the contrary and more natural temper of benignity and compassion in the room of it; but still by the same gentle methods which are to be applied to the other two faults before mentioned. It may not perhaps be unreasonable here to add this farther caution, viz., That the mischiefs or harms that come by play, inadvertency, or ignorance, and were not known to be harms, or designed for mischief's sake, though they may perhaps be sometimes of considerable damage, yet are not at all, or but very gently, to be taken notice of. For this, I think, I cannot too often inculcate, that whatever miscarriage a child is guilty of, and whatever be the consequence of it, the thing to be regarded in taking notice of it, is only what root it springs from, and what habit it is like to establish: and to that the correction ought to be directed, and the child not to suffer any punishment for any harm which may have come by his play or inadvertency. The faults to be amended lie in the mind; and if they are such as either age will cure, or no ill habits will follow from, the present action, whatever displeasing circumstances it may have, is to be passed by without any animadversion.

他們從做惡作劇中取樂，我指的是無故糟蹋東西，特別是讓任何有知覺的東西受痛苦來取樂；我認為那隻是外來習得的性情，是習俗與社交中得來的習慣。人們教小孩去打人，看到他們受傷或傷著別人就哈哈大笑；他們周圍也有很多這樣的例子來加深這一點。曆史上講的多是爭鬥與殺戮，獻給征服者 (他們絕大多數隻是殺人的大屠夫)的榮譽與威名更加誤導了成長中的年輕人，他們由此以為屠殺是值得讚美的人類行為，是最英雄的美德。這樣一步步的，違背人性的殘忍在我們心中紮下根來；人性所憎惡的事情，習俗通過把它作為取得榮譽的方式推薦給我們，讓我們接受。於是，由於風尚和輿論，它成為了一種快樂，而它本身既不是快樂，也不能成為快樂。這應該小心地監察，及早地糾正；以便把與之相反的、更自然的仁愛與同情培養起來，將其取代；但是還是應該用矯正前麵提到的兩種過失的同樣溫和的方法。這裏也許可以合理地加上這進一步的提醒，就是從遊戲、不小心或無知帶來的麻煩或傷害，隻要不預知那是危害，不是為惡作劇的緣故，即使它們有時可能產生較大的損害，也可以完全不用介意，或隻是稍加注意。對此，我不能不多加強調，就是無論小孩犯什麽錯誤，無論後果是什麽，應該注意的是產生錯誤的根源，以及可能養成的習慣；改正責罰應該著眼於那裏，小孩不該因為遊戲或不小心引起的傷害而受到任何懲罰。應該糾正的過失是在心裏；假如過失能隨著年紀增長而消除，或不會養成惡習，無論現在的行為如何令人不愉快，都不必加以任何譴責。

Another way to instil sentiments of humanity, and to keep them lively in young folks, will be, to accustom them to civility, in their language and deportment towards their inferiours, and the meaner sort of people, particularly servants. It is not unusual to observe the children, in gentlemen's families, treat the servants of the house with domineering words, names of contempt, and an imperious carriage; as if they were of another race, and species beneath them. Whether ill example, the advantage of fortune, or their natural vanity, inspire this haughtiness, it should be prevented, or weeded out; and a gentle, courteous, affable carriage towards the lower ranks of men, placed in the room of it. No part of their superiority will be hereby lost, but the distinction increased, and their authority strengthened, when love in inferiours is joined to outward respect, and an esteem of the person has a share in their submission; and domestics will pay a more ready and cheerful service, when they find themselves not spurned, because fortune has laid them below the level of others, at their master's feet. Children should not be suffered to lose the consideration of human nature in the shufflings of outward conditions: the more they have, the better-humoured they should be taught to be, and the more compassionate and gentle to those of their brethren, who are placed lower, and have scantier portions. If they are suffered from their cradles to treat men ill and rudely, because, by their father's title, they think they have a little power over them; at best it is ill-bred; and, if care be not taken, will, by degrees, nurse up their natural pride into an habitual contempt of those beneath them: and where will that probably end, but in oppression and cruelty?

另外一種方法使年輕人養成仁愛之心，並讓其在他們之中持續，是使他們對待地位低的、卑下的人，特別是仆人，在言談舉止上習慣於以禮相待。紳士家庭中的小孩對家中的仆人常常用蠻橫的語言、輕蔑的稱呼、還有跋扈的姿態，這並不罕見；好像仆人是另一個種族，是比他們低下的一個物種。不管這是由壞的榜樣、有錢人的優越、還是天生的自負引起的這種傲慢，都應該加以製止根除；應該以一種對下人溫和、有禮、友善的態度來取代它。當小孩能夠愛護下人，並在外表上尊重他們，使他們在服從中得到主人的看重，那小孩的優勢不會就此喪失，反而顯得更優秀，更有權威；而仆人不覺得因為命運將他們放在別人之下、放在主人腳下，所以他們被人蔑視，他們就會更情願、更高興地服事。小孩不應該因為外在條件的不一樣而喪失對人的天性的考慮；他們越富有，越應該教他們更好的脾氣，使他們更同情、更溫和地對待他們那些地位更低、財產更少的同胞。假如他們從小就憑藉父親的頭銜而認為自己有權支配他人，因此惡意和粗魯地待人，這頂多是教養不好；如果不當心，這會逐漸使他們本性的驕傲成為一種對下人的習慣性的輕視，結果怎不會導致壓迫和殘忍呢？

 

摘自Some Thoughts Concerning Education (English-Chinese Edition)(ISBN-10: 1537479857)