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1、Page5WhatUseIsPhilosophy?ByJ.B.S.HaldaneG.AlexandrovandfourcolleagueshavejustbeenawardedaStalinprizeof200,000roublesforathree-volumebookonthehistoryofphilosophy.Mostoftheotherprizeswenttoscientists.Manypeoplewillbeinclinedtosay,"Whyrankwithscientistsmenwhohavem
2、erelydescribedtheopinions,mostlyfalse,heldbyanumberofpeopleinthepast?Nodoubtthishassomeinterest,likeahistoryoffairytalesorastrology,butitisn'tmuchuse,particularlyatthepresentgrimmoment."Thereareagreatmanyreasonsforstudyingwhatphilosophershavesaidinthepast.Oneist
3、hatwecannotseparatethehistoryofphilosophyfromthatofscience.Philosophyislargelydiscussionaboutmattersonwhichfewpeoplearequitecertain,andthosefewholdoppositeopinions.Asknowledgeincreases,philosophybudsoffthesciences.Forexample,intheancientworldandtheMiddleAgesphi
4、losophersdiscussedmotion.AristotleandSt.ThomasAquinastaughtthatamovingbodywouldslowdownunlessaforcewereconstantlyappliedtoit.Theywerewrong.Itgoesonmovingunlesssomethingslowsitdown.Buttheyhadgoodargumentsontheirside,andifwestudythese,andtheexperimentswhichprovedt
5、hemwrong,thiswillhelpustodistinguishtruthfromfalsehoodinthescientificcontroversiesoftoday.Wealsoseehoweveryphilosopherreflectsthesociallifeofhisday.PlatoandAristotle,intheslave-owningsocietyofancientGreece,thoughtman'shigheststatewascontemplationratherthanactivi
6、ty.IntheMiddleAgesSt.Thomasbelievedinaregularfeudalsystemofnineranksofangels.HerbertSpencer,inthetimeoffreecompetitionbetweencapitalists,foundthekeytoprogressinthesurvivalofthefittest.ThusMarxismisseentofitintoitsplaceasthephilosophyfortheworkers,theonlyclasswi
7、thafuture.Butwecanhardlyguesswhattheworldwilllookliketomenandwomenwithseveralgenerationsofcommunismbehindthem,whotakethebrotherhoodofmanforgranted,notasanidealtobeaimedat,butafactoflife,andyetknowthatthisbrotherhoodwasonlyachievedbyghastlystruggles.Thestudyofphi
8、losophiesshouldmakeourownideasflexible.Weareallofusapttotakecertaingeneralideasforgranted,andcallthemcommonsense.Weshouldlearnthatotherpeoplehaveheldquitedifferentid
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