Ethical dilemma: Who should you believe? - Alex Worsnip

翻译人员: Siyu Lian 校对人员: Yuwei Wu

You’re sitting on the couch watching TV, when you hear a knock on the door.

你坐在沙发上看电视时 听到了敲门声，

The police have just arrived to arrest your spouse— for murder.

警察以谋杀罪来逮捕你的伴侣，

This accusation comes as a total shock.

这个指控让你大吃一惊。

In your experience, your partner has always been gentle and loving,

在你以往的经历里， 你的伴侣总是很温柔，很有爱心。

and you can't imagine them committing a grisly murder.

你无法想象他犯下可怕的谋杀罪，

But the evidence is serious:

但证据确凿：

their fingerprints were found on the murder weapon.

凶器上有他的指纹。

Your spouse insists they're innocent.

你的伴侣坚持认为他是无辜的。

“I know it looks bad,” they say, “but you have to believe me!

“我知道看起来是这样的”他说， “但你要相信我！

If you don’t, who will?”

如果你都不相信我了， 谁还会相信我？”

Should you believe your spouse,

当所有的证据都指向他时，

even though the evidence against them looks damning?

你应该相信你的伴侣吗？

Take a second to think what you would believe in this situation.

停下来想一想， 在这个情况下，你会相信谁。

This dilemma is part of what philosophers call the ethics of belief:

哲学家们称这个困境为伦理道德：

a field of study that explores how we ought to form beliefs,

一个探索我们是如何形成 看法的研究领域，

and whether we have ethical duties to believe certain things.

和我们是否有道德义务 去相信某些事物。

The question here isn't about what you should do,

这里的难题不在于你该做什么,

such as whether or not you should find your spouse guilty in a court of law.

比如你是否应该在法庭上 指证你伴侣的犯罪行为。

After all, you wouldn’t be on the jury in their trial!

毕竟，你根本不会在 审判中担任陪审团！

Rather, it’s about what you should believe to be true.

这在于你到底应该相信什么。

So, what factors should you consider?

所以，你应该考虑什么因素呢？

Perhaps the most obvious is your evidence.

也许最明显就是证据。

After all, to believe something is to take it to be true.

毕竟，相信某事就是 认定它是真实的。

And evidence is, by definition,

证据的定义是

all information that helps us determine what's true.

帮助我们决定真相的所有信息。

From this, some philosophers draw the conclusion that evidence

从这些，一些哲学家得出结论：

is the only thing that ought to determine what you believe.

证据是唯一决定 你应该相信什么的东西。

This view is called evidentialism, and a strict evidentialist would say

这种观点被称作证据主义。

一个严紧的证据主义者

it doesn’t matter that the accused is your spouse.

认为被指控者是 你的伴侣的因素并不重要。

You should evaluate the evidence from a neutral, objective point of view.

你应该从一个中立和客观的观点 来评估证据。

Taking the perspective of an unbiased third party,

以一个无偏见的第三方视角 来看这件事。

your judgment of your spouse's character is a relevant consideration.

你对你伴侣品质的判断 在有关的考虑范围里，

But finding their fingerprints at the crime scene

但他在犯罪现场留下的指纹

is surely stronger evidence.

是更有力的证据。

So, from an evidentialist point of view,

一个证据主义者的观点认为

you should either believe your spouse is guilty,

你要么相信你的伴侣是有罪的，

or at best remain undecided.

要么最好不要做决定。

Some philosophers present evidentialism only as a view

有些哲学家认为证据主义

of what’s most rational to believe.

是唯一一种理性的看法。

But others, like 19th century evidentialist W.K. Clifford,

有一些人， 比如 19 世纪的证据主义者

W.K.克利福德（W.K. Clifford）

think that following the evidence is also morally required.

认为我们道德上需要遵循证据。

One argument for this view is that having well-informed, accurate beliefs

这种看法的一个论点是 有充分了解和准确的信念

is often vitally important to determining the ethical way to act.

对做出符合道德的行为 是十分重要的。

Another argument is that there’s something unethical about being dishonest,

另一个论点认为 不诚实是没有道德的，

and refusing to follow the evidence is a way of being dishonest with oneself.

拒绝遵循证据是一种 对自己不诚实的行为。

However, perhaps there are other ethical factors in play.

但也许还有其他道德因素 应该被考虑。

Although the evidence against your spouse is strong,

虽然对你伴侣不利的证据 是强有力的，

there’s still a chance that they’re actually innocent.

但还是有可能他们 实际上是无辜的。

Think for a moment about how it would feel to be innocent,

停下来想一想， 如果你是无辜的，

and have no one believe you— not even your own partner!

但没有人相信你， 就连你的伴侣都不相信你！

By not trusting your spouse,

你不相信你的伴侣的做法

you run the risk of seriously hurting them in their crucial hour of need.

可能在他们最需要你的时刻 严重伤害到他们。

Moreover, consider what this lack of trust would do to your marriage.

再想想缺少信任 会给你的婚姻带来什么。

It would be incredibly difficult to continue a loving relationship

和一个你相信或强烈怀疑 是杀人犯的人

with someone that you believed— or even strongly suspected—

继续保持恋爱关系是极其困难的。

was a murderer.

You might try to pretend to believe that your spouse is innocent,

你可以尝试假装相信 你的伴侣是无辜的

but could you really go on living that lie?

但你真的能日日生活 在这个谎言里吗？

According to a theory of the ethics of belief called pragmatism,

根据一种被称为 实用主义的伦理学理论。

these kinds of practical considerations can sometimes make it right

即使在没有强有力的证据时，

to believe something even without strong evidence.

这些实际的考虑 有时让你相信某些事。

Some pragmatists would even say that you morally owe it to your spouse

一些实用主义者 甚至认为你道德上需要

to believe them.

相信你的伴侣。

But is it even possible to believe your spouse is innocent

你认为这对你们的关系有好处，

just because you think it’ll be good for your relationship?

你就会相信你的伴侣是无辜吗？

Or because you think you owe it to the accused?

或者你认为这是你欠他的吗？

You might desperately want to believe they’re innocent,

你可能极度地想要相信 他们是无辜的，

but can you control your beliefs in the same way you control your actions?

但你能控制你的想法 就像你控制你的行为吗？

It seems like you can’t just believe whatever you like

当事实摆在你的面前时，

when the truth is staring you in the face.

你不能只相信自己想相信的。

But on the other hand, recall your spouse’s plea.

另一方面，回忆你伴侣的恳求。

When we say things like this,

当我们说出这种话时，

we seem to be assuming that it is possible to control our beliefs in some way.

我们似乎相信我们 对自己的看法有一些控制权。

So what do you think? Can you control what beliefs you have?

你怎么认为呢？ 你能控制你的看法吗？

And if so, what will you believe about your spouse?

如果可以，你会相信你的伴侣？