在上一节的内容中，康德定义了“启蒙”的本质，即启蒙在于追求个人做理性判断的自由。对于康德来说，大众存在的问题并不是没有理性，而是他们认为自己没有独立判断的能力，因此需要依赖他人的力量去做判断。康德进一步分析了存在这种问题的原因，上一节我们已经讲过第一点，即大众的懒惰（Laziness）；在今天这一节的内容中，我们将分析第二点原因，即大众的懦弱（Cowardice）。
That the step to competence is held to be very dangerous by the far greater portion of mankind (and by the entire fair sex)—quite apart from its being arduous—is seen to by those guardians who have so kindly assumed superintendence over them. After the guardians have first made their domestic cattle dumb and have made sure that these placid creatures will not dare take a single step without the harness of the cart to which they are tethered, the guardians then show them the danger which threatens if they try to go alone. Actually, however, this danger is not so great, for by falling a few times they would finally learn to walk alone. But an example of this failure makes them timid and ordinarily frightens them away from all further trials.
For any single individual to work himself out of the life under tutelage which has become almost his nature is very difficult. He has come to be fond of this state, and he is for the present really incapable of making use of his reason, for no one has ever let him try it out.
注：tutelage 读音为/'tjuːtɪlɪdʒ//'tʊtəlɪdʒ/
▍生词好句
competence: n. 能力
arduous: adj. 努力的；费力的
guardian: n. 监护人
superintendence: n. 负责；监护
placid: adj. 平静的；温和的
harness: n. 马具；甲胄
timid: adj. 胆小的；羞怯的
tutelage: n. 监护；指导
网友评论