403.叔本华-Schopenhauer

Reader86

经典美文之叔本华：生活就整体而言，完全是一场骗局。如果我们生活的直接目的并非受苦，那我们的存在就是世界上与其目的最不相符的东西。世间充斥痛苦，欲求产生痛苦，这样如影随形、无穷无尽的悲苦困窘竟然毫无意义、纯属偶然，这样的设想未免荒谬。的确，个别的不幸是偶发事件，但不幸就总体而言却是定则。

正如一条平缓流动、无所遮挡的河，随顺己愿的，我们从不注意或觉察，这是人和动物的天性；若我们需注意到什么，则我们的意志必先遭遇挫折，必先经历某种震惊。反之，举凡与意志相违、相妨、相抗，即一切不快不幸之事，总是立刻引起我们重视，清楚直接。

周身无恙，我们了无所知；但当方寸之躯被鞋夹痛，我们不去想整体的成功，反倒只想细枝末节，或那些不断激扰我们的事物。有鉴于此，我常要人注意：安乐幸福是否定性的概念，痛苦则是肯定性的概念。

因此，几乎所有形而上学都把恶解释成某种否定性的东西，这是我了解到的最荒谬之事。因为恶恰恰是肯定性的，是不言自明的；而善，即幸福安乐，则是否定性的，无非是欲望的停止或痛苦的消除。

另一个证据是：通常我们感觉，快乐并不像我们所向往的那样强烈，而痛苦要比预料的强烈得多。有人宣称，世间快乐多于痛苦，或两者至少相抵。欲验其真伪，可作一简单比较：一只动物正大嚼猎物，则食肉者与被食者的感受孰强孰弱？ 每有悲苦不幸，最有效的安慰即是观察他人之不幸尤甚于我，此法人人可行。

但就人类整体的不幸而言，这又有什么意义？历史向我们展现了列国的存亡，但除战争与骚乱以外别无可述，和平年代只是偶尔出现的短暂间隙和插曲。同样，个体的生命也是无休止的斗争，不仅是与譬喻意义上的欲求和无聊的斗争，更是与他人实实在在的斗争。环顾皆是敌人，争斗永无止息，他至死仍剑不离手。

在纠缠我们的种种苦恼中，时间的逼迫是重要的一个。时间从不容我们喘息片刻，而是执鞭追赶，有如监工。除非我们被交付给无聊，否则时间不会停止迫害。若无大气压力，我们的身体就会炸为碎片；同样，我们的生活若无欲求、劳役、灾祸和挫败的压迫，人的自大心理也会膨胀，即便不会爆炸，也会发展为最放肆的愚蠢，乃至疯狂。

甚至可以说，我们时刻需要一些烦恼、悲伤或欲求，正如船只需要压舱的货物使之直线前进。苦扰悲辛确是贯穿几乎所有人生活的运命。然而，如果一有欲望即能满足，问题随之而来：人该如何填补生活，该如何打发时间？设想一下：人类迁移到某个世外桃源，那里万物自由生长，烤熟的火鸡飞来飞去，相爱的人一眼就找到对方，并安安稳稳长相厮守，那么，一些人会无聊至死或者上吊自杀，一些人会挑起争斗，互相杀戮，这样他们就会人为地制造苦难，比大自然施加给我们的苦难更多。

因此对于这样一个物种来说，现有的生存状态和生存形式再合适不过了。如上文重申，满足和安乐是否定性的，而苦难是肯定性的，因此，衡量一种生活幸福与否，不应根据其中的快乐和满足有多多，而应根据肯定性因素即苦难有多少。

虽然如此，动物的命运要比人的命运更可忍受。让我们对两者略加详查。　不管人类的苦乐形式如何多样，如何引诱人们舍此逐彼，苦乐的物质基础都是肉体的快感和痛苦。这一基础范围很窄，包括拥有或没有健康、食物、不受寒冷和潮湿侵袭的环境，以及性欲的满足。

所以，人并不比动物享有更多的肉体快感，只不过是他更加发达的神经系统强化了每一种快感，如同强化每一种痛感一样。他心中涌起的情感要比动物强烈多少倍，他的激情要比动物深刻浓烈多少倍，根本无法相提并论！而最终他得到的无非是同样的东西：健康、食物、蔽身之所，诸如此类。

之所以如此，最重要的原因是，因为顾及未有的和未来的，他的一切都得到了极大的强化，这实际上是烦恼、恐惧和希望的根源。这些情绪一旦激起，对人的影响就会远远大于当下的实际苦乐——动物的感官即仅限于此。由于缺少反思能力，在动物身上不会像人那样，快乐和悲伤通过记忆和预期累积起来。在动物那里，当下的痛苦不管重复多少次，都和最初时一样——痛苦不会累加。

因此，动物所特有的沉着和冷漠令人羡慕。而在人那里，从那些与动物相同的苦乐因素中，产生了感官对幸福和苦楚的强化。这种强化能让幸福瞬间达到极致，有时足以致人死命，也能把苦楚引向生不如死的绝望。

更进一步考虑，事实情况是，最初人的需求并不比动物的需求更难满足，但人刻意地去强化自己的需求以强化其快乐，这样才有了奢侈品、甜点、烟草、鸦片、酒、服饰及相关的一切。

Reader86

Schopenhauer: Life as a whole is a fraud. If the immediate purpose of our lives is not suffering, then our existence is the most incompatible thing in the world with its purpose. It would be absurd to imagine that the world is filled with pain, that desire produces pain, and that such endless suffering and embarrassment should be meaningless and accidental. It is true that individual misfortunes are accidental events, but misfortunes in general are the rule.

Just like a river flowing smoothly and without obstruction, we never notice or notice what we want. This is the nature of humans and animals. If we need to pay attention to something, our will must first encounter setbacks and experience Some kind of shock. On the contrary, anything that goes against, interferes with, or contradicts our will, that is, anything unpleasant or unfortunate, always attracts our attention immediately, clearly and directly.

When the whole body is fine, we know nothing; but when a small part of our body is pinched by a shoe, we don't think about the overall success, but only the details, or the things that constantly irritate us. In view of this, I often want people to note: happiness and well-being are negative concepts, while pain is a positive concept.

Therefore, almost all metaphysics interprets evil as something negative, which is the most ridiculous thing I have ever learned. Because evil is positive and self-evident; while good, that is, happiness and well-being, is negative and is nothing more than the cessation of desire or the elimination of pain.

Another piece of evidence is this: Often we feel that pleasure is not as intense as we would like it to be, and that pain is much greater than expected. Some people claim that there is more happiness than pain in the world, or at least a balance between the two. To test its authenticity, you can make a simple comparison: an animal is chewing its prey. Which of the feelings of the meat-eater and the eaten is stronger or weaker? Whenever there is misfortune, the most effective consolation is to observe that others are more miserable than me. This method can be practiced by everyone.

But what does this mean in terms of overall human misfortune? History shows us the survival and fall of nations, but tells us nothing but wars and tumults, and times of peace but occasional brief gaps and interludes. Likewise, individual life is an endless struggle, not only against figurative desires and boredom, but also a real struggle against others. There are enemies everywhere around him, and the battle never ends. He will never leave his hand with his sword until he dies.

Among the various troubles that plague us, the pressure of time is an important one. Time never allows us to take a breath, but chases us with a whip, like an overseer. Time will not cease its persecution unless we are delivered to boredom. Without atmospheric pressure, our bodies would explode into pieces; similarly, without the oppression of desire, labor, disaster, and frustration in our lives, human arrogance would expand, and even if it did not explode, it would develop into the ultimate form. Unbridled stupidity, even madness.

It can even be said that we need some worry, sadness or desire at all times, just like a ship needs ballast cargo to keep it going in a straight line. Suffering and sorrow are indeed the fate that runs through almost everyone's life. However, if desires can be satisfied as soon as they exist, the question arises: How should people fill their lives and how should they spend their time? Imagine: Human beings move to some paradise, where everything grows freely, roasted turkeys fly around, and people who love each other find each other at a glance and stay together peacefully for a long time. Then, some people will be bored to death or Hang yourself, some people will start fights and kill each other, so that they artificially create more misery than nature inflicts on us.

Therefore, for such a species, the current living status and form of survival are more suitable. As reiterated above, satisfaction and happiness are negative, while suffering is positive. Therefore, measuring whether a life is happy or not should not be based on the amount of happiness and satisfaction in it, but should be based on the positive factor, that is, the amount of suffering.

Nonetheless, the fate of animals is more tolerable than that of humans. Let's examine both in a little more detail. No matter how diverse the forms of human suffering and happiness are, and how tempting they are to abandon one thing and chase another, the material basis of suffering and happiness is physical pleasure and pain. This basis is narrow and includes the possession or absence of health, food, protection from cold and damp, and the satisfaction of sexual desire.

Therefore, man does not enjoy more physical pleasure than animals, but his more developed nervous system intensifies every pleasure, just like every pain. The emotions welling up in his heart are many times stronger than those of animals, and his passions are many times deeper and more intense than those of animals. There is no comparison at all! And in the end all he gets is the same thing: health, food, shelter, and so on.

The most important reason for this is that everything about him is greatly strengthened by taking into account the future and the future, which is actually the source of troubles, fears and hopes. Once these emotions are aroused, their impact on people will be far greater than the actual pain and joy at the moment-animal senses are limited to this. Lacking the ability to reflect, happiness and sorrow do not accumulate in animals through memory and anticipation as in humans. In animals, no matter how many times the current pain is repeated, it remains the same as when it first occurred - the pain does not add up.

Therefore, the calmness and indifference unique to animals are enviable. In humans, the sensory enhancement of happiness and suffering arises from the same factors of pain and pleasure as animals. This kind of enhancement can bring happiness to the extreme in an instant, sometimes enough to cause death, and it can also lead to pain and despair where life is worse than death.

Thinking further, the fact is that initially human needs are no more difficult to satisfy than animal needs, but humans deliberately intensify their needs to enhance their happiness. This is how we have luxury goods, desserts, tobacco, opium, wine, etc. Clothing and everything related.

Reader86

在此之上，同样由于反思，又加入了一种先是引起快乐，后又招致痛苦，为他所独有的东西，他对此痴迷不已，远远超过此外的一切。这种东西就是野心及荣辱感，简言之，他认为别人眼中自己的形象。

这个形象表现不一，往往千奇百怪，超越肉体的苦乐，成为他一切努力的目标。

的确，他比动物更能享受智力的乐趣。这些乐趣程度不一，从简单的玩笑和交谈到思维的最高成就。但与此相抵消的是，无聊与痛苦相伴而行。

动物不知无聊为何物，至少自然状态的动物是如此，极为聪明的驯养动物对无聊也只略知一二。

但对人类来说，无聊却堪称苦刑。欲求和无聊确是人生的两极。最后还要提到的是，人的性欲满足局限在很偏执的对象上，有时强化成热烈的爱情；因此对人来说，性带来的欢乐很短暂，痛苦却很漫长。