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《(Done) Ayn Rand - Philosophy - Who Needs It》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在学术论文-天天文库。
1、Philosophy:WhoNeedsIt(1974)(AnaddressgiventothegraduatingclassoftheUnitedStatesMilitaryAcademyatWestPointonMarch6,1973.)SinceIamafictionwriter,letusstartwithashortstory.Supposethatyouareanastronautwhosespaceshipgetsoutofcontrolandcrashesonanunknownplanet.Whenyouregainco
2、nsciousnessandfindthatyouarenothurtbadly,thefirstthreequestionsinyourmindwouldbe:WhereamI?HowcanIdiscoverit?WhatshouldIdo?Youseeunfamiliarvegetationoutside,andthereisairtobreathe;thesunlightseemspalerthanyourememberitandcolder.Youturntolookatthesky,butstop.Youarestruckb
3、yasuddenfeeling:ifyoudon'tlook,youwon'thavetoknowthatyouare,perhaps,toofarfromtheearthandnoreturnispossible;solongasyoudon'tknowit,youarefreetobelievewhatyouwish--andyouexperienceafoggy,pleasant,butsomehowguilty,kindofhope.Youturntoyourinstruments:theymaybedamaged,youdo
4、n'tknowhowseriously.Butyoustop,struckbyasuddenfear:howcanyoutrusttheseinstruments?Howcanyoubesurethattheywon'tmisleadyou?Howcanyouknowwhethertheywillworkinadifferentworld?Youturnawayfromtheinstruments.Nowyoubegintowonderwhyyouhavenodesiretodoanything.Itseemsmuchsaferjus
5、ttowaitforsomethingtoturnupsomehow;itisbetter,youtellyourself,nottorockthespaceship.Farinthedistance,youseesomelivingcreaturesapproaching;youdon'tknowwhethertheyarehuman,buttheywalkontwofeet.They,youdecide,willtellyouwhattodo.Youareneverheardfromagain.Thisisfantasy,yous
6、ay?Youwouldnotactlikethatandnoastronauteverwould?Perhapsnot.Butthisisthewaymostmenlivetheirlives,here,onearth.Mostmenspendtheirdaysstrugglingtoevadethreequestions,theanswerstowhichunderlieman'severythought,feelingandaction,whetherheisconsciouslyawareofitornot:WhereamI?H
7、owdoIknowit?whatshouldIdo?Bythetimetheyareoldenoughtounderstandthesequestions,menbelievethattheyknowtheanswers.WhereamI?Say,inNewYorkCity.HowdoIknowit?Itsself-evident.WhatshouldIdo?Here,theyarenottoosure--buttheusualansweris:whatevereverybodyelsedoes.Theonlytroubleseems
8、tobethattheyarenotveryactive,notveryconfident,notveryhappy--andtheyexperience,attimes,acauselesssfearandanunde
