Compassion and Solidarity with Sufferers

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1、DOI:10.1111/j.1468-0378.2008.00312.xCompassionandSolidaritywithSufferers:TheMetaphysicsofMitleidDavidE.CartwrightWilliamJamessketchedathoughtexperimentthathecouldnotrefrainfromansweringforus:[I]fthehypothesiswereofferedtousofaworldinwhichMessrs.Fourier’sandBellamy’sandMorris’utop

2、iasshouldbeoutdone,andmillionskeptpermanentlyhappyontheonesimpleconditionthatacertainlostsoulonthefar-offedgesofthingsshouldleadalifeoflonelytorture,whatexceptaspecificialandindependentsortofemotioncanitbewhichwouldmakeusimmediatelyfeel,eventhoughanimpulsewithinustoclutchatthehap

3、pinesssooffered,howhideousathingwouldbeitsenjoymentwhendeliberatelyacceptedasthefruitofsuchabargain?(James1956:188)TheAmericanpragmatistassumedthathisreaderswouldsharethesame‘specificialandindependentsortofemotion’thatwouldhaveledthemtofindhideousanyenjoymentboughtbysuchabargain.

4、Hemusthavealsothoughtthatutilitarianswouldnotreadapragmatist,sincethepurchaseofaheaven-on-earthattheexpenseofasingleindividualisinestimablyworthmorethanthecost.JamesalsocapturedArthurSchopenhauer’sresponsetothishideousbargain.Schopenhaueradvancedananalogousanti-utilitarianstance,

5、andhedroveittoapessimisticconclusion:[T]hatthousandshadlivedinhappinessandjoywouldneverdoawaywiththeanguishanddeath-agonyofoneindividual;andjustalittledoesmypresentwell-beingundomyprevioussuffering.Therefore,weretheevilinthisworldevenahundredtimeslessthanitis,itsmereexistencewoul

6、dstillbesufficienttoestablishatruththatmaybeexpressedinvariousways,althoughonlysomewhatindirectly,namelythatwehavenottobepleasedbutsorryabouttheworld;thatitsnonexistencewouldbepreferabletoitsexistence;thatitissomethingthatoughtnottobe,andsoon.(WWRII576/661)ButwhywouldSchopenhauer

7、shareJames’sentiments,andwhatunderlieshisownvariationofJames’theme?Howwouldthephilosopherofwill,whoclaimedthategoismwasthe‘naturalstandpoint’(WWRI332/392)andthat‘egoismiscolossal;ittowersabovetheworld;forifeveryindividualweregivenEuropeanJournalofPhilosophy16:2ISSN0966-8373pp.292

8、–310r2008TheAuthor.JournalcompilationrBl