How could so many people support Hitler? - Joseph Lacey

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: C Leung

In Jerusalem, on April 11th, 1961,

1961 年4 月11 日，在耶路撒冷，

Adolf Eichmann stood trial for crimes against humanity.

阿道夫‧ 艾希曼因過去犯下的 反人類罪而受審。

Eichmann had been a Nazi official tasked with organizing the transport

曾是納粹軍官的他， 負責組織交通運輸，

of over 1.5 million European Jews to ghettos and concentration camps.

把超過一百五十萬名歐洲猶太人 運送到隔坨區和集中營。

He was popularly described as an evil mastermind

人們普遍認為他是個 在舒適的德國辦公室裡

who orchestrated atrocities from a cushy German office,

策劃殘酷暴行的邪惡主謀，

and many were eager to see the so-called “desk murderer” tried for his crimes.

甚至很多人都渴望看到 所謂的「辦公桌兇手」

因他的罪行受審。

But the squeamish man who took the stand seemed more like a dull bureaucrat

但出庭的這名膽怯男子看上去 更像是個無趣的官僚，

than a sadistic killer.

而非變態殺手。

The disparity between Eichmann’s nature and his actions

艾希曼的本性和他的行為如此不同，

was unsettling for many viewers,

讓許多旁聽者感到不安。

but for philosopher Hannah Arendt,

但對哲學家漢娜‧鄂蘭來說，

this contradiction inspired a disturbing revelation.

這種矛盾揭示出一種讓人不安的事情。

Arendt was a German Jew who fled her homeland in 1933

鄂蘭是德國猶太人， 被德國秘密警察短暫監禁後，

after being briefly imprisoned by the German secret police.

於 1933 年逃離家鄉。

As a refugee in France and then the United States,

之後她成為難民，待過法國， 接著去了美國，

she dedicated herself to understanding how the Nazi regime came to power,

她致力於了解納粹政權是如何上台執政，

and more specifically, how it inspired so many atrocities.

並更明確想知道它怎麼激發如此多暴行。

A common opinion at the time was that the Third Reich was a historical oddity;

當時普遍的見解認為，

第三帝國是歷史上的奇特現象；

a perfect storm of uniquely evil leaders

這是由德國公民支持的邪惡領導人 所引發的一場完美風暴，

supported by German citizens looking for revenge

旨在為第一次世界大戰的失敗復仇。

after their defeat in World War I.

But Arendt believed the true conditions behind this unprecedented rise

但鄂蘭認為，該極權主義 史無前例的崛起背後的真正條件，

of totalitarianism weren’t specific to Germany.

並非只是德國獨有。

Throughout the 1950s, Arendt developed a theory of the human condition

在 1950 年代，

鄂蘭發展出一種「人的境況」理論，

that divided life into three facets:

將人生分為三個面向：

labor— in which we satisfy our material needs and desires;

勞動——為滿足我們的物質需求和渴望；

work— in which we build the world’s physical and cultural infrastructure;

工作——為建立世界的 物質和文化基礎設施；

and action— in which we publicly articulate our values

行動——為公開表達我們的價值觀，

to collectively shape the world around us.

去共同塑造我們周圍的世界。

It was this last facet, the life of action,

鄂蘭認為，是最後 這個「行動」人生面向，

that Arendt believed was under attack,

both in Germany and many other industrialized societies.

在德國和許多其他 工業化社會皆受到攻擊。

She saw modernity as an age ruled by labor,

她認為現代是由勞動統治的時代，

where individuals mainly appear in the social world

個人主要出現於社會世界中，

to produce and consume goods and services

是在生產與消費商品和服務方面，

rather than share ideas and shape communities.

而不是分享想法和塑造群體。

Arendt believed this had fostered societies and ideologies

鄂蘭認為這樣培養出來的 社會和意識形態

where individuals were seen only for their economic value,

只會看見個人的經濟價值，

rather than their moral and political capacities.

而非他們的道德和政治能力。

She believed this isolated people from their neighbors and their sense of self.

她相信這會讓人 疏離鄰居及對自己的感知。

And in her 1951 book, “The Origins of Totalitarianism,”

在她 1951 年出版的書 《極權主義的起源》中，

Arendt argued these conditions provided fertile ground for totalitarian regimes,

鄂蘭認為，這些條件提供了 肥沃的土壤給極權主義政權萌芽，

which use fear and violence to increase isolation

去利用恐懼和暴力來加劇孤立，

and make it dangerous to publicly engage as freethinking political agents.

並讓以自由思想政治行動者 公開參與的處境變得危險。

In this lonely state, participating in the regime

在這種孤立的狀態下，

加入政權成為找回身分認同 和團體認同的唯一方法。

becomes the only way to recover a sense of identity and community.

Arendt believed it was this kind of environment

鄂蘭認為艾希曼是在 這種環境中犯下他的罪行。

where Eichmann committed his crimes.

Most people expected the Jewish German philosopher

大部分人都期望這位猶太德國 哲學家會嚴厲批判前納粹的艾希曼。

to judge the ex-Nazi harshly.

But while she condemned his monstrous actions,

雖然鄂蘭譴責他那駭人的行為，

Arendt saw no evidence that Eichmann himself was uniquely evil.

鄂蘭並沒有看到任何證據證明， 艾希曼是特別邪惡的人。

She saw him as a distinctly ordinary man who considered diligent obedience

她把他視為非常普通的人，

單單認為勤奮服從是公民義務最高形式。

the highest form of civic duty.

And for Arendt, it was exactly this ordinariness that was most terrifying.

對鄂蘭來說，

正正是這種平常性才讓人心寒。

Her point wasn't just that anyone could do what Eichmann did,

她的觀點是，不僅任何人 都能做出艾希曼所做的事，

but that his story suggested ordinary people

還有他的故事意味著普通人

could willingly accept their societal role—

會願意接受他們在社會中的角色——

even when it contributed to genocide.

即使那會促成種族滅絕。

Arendt called this phenomenon “the banality of evil,”

顎蘭稱這種現象為「平凡的邪惡」，

and warned that it can emerge whenever society inhibits our ability to think;

並警告大家，當社會 約束我們的思考能力時，

or more specifically, to question our beliefs and actions

或更具體地，是在我們自省式內心對話中

in a self-reflective internal dialogue.

質疑自己的信念和行為時， 它就可能浮現。

Arendt believed this kind of thinking is the only way to confront moral problems,

顎蘭認為這種思維是 正視道德問題的唯一方法，

and that our responsibility to self-reflect is especially important

而我們的自省責任

在獨立思考受到威脅時尤其重要。

when independent thought is threatened.

She acknowledged that critical thinking in oppressive spaces

她承認在受壓迫的空間作批判性思考

is a defiant act that requires personal courage.

是違抗的行為，很需要個人勇氣。

But it must be done regardless,

但無論如何這是必須做的，

which is why Arendt still held Eichmann accountable.

這就是為什麼鄂蘭 仍然追究艾希曼責任。

This thread runs throughout Arendt's work,

這條思路貫穿鄂蘭的作品，

where she continually insisted that thinking was our greatest weapon

她不斷堅持

思考是我們對抗現代威脅的最強武器。

against the threats of modernity.

Namely, a relentless drive for economic and technological development

例如，在持續推動經濟和科技發展時，

which would increase social alienation and inhibit human freedom.

將會令社會疏離增加及約束人類自由。

To foster this essential value,

要培養這種重要的價值觀，

Arendt believed we need to create formal and informal forums

鄂蘭認為我們需要建立 正式和非正式的論壇，

that allowed for open conversations about shaping our collective future.

容許大家開放談論如何 塑造我們共同的未來。

These might include townhall meetings, self-governing workplaces,

這類論壇可能包括市政廳會議、

自主管理的工作場所，或學生會。

or student unions.

But whatever shape they take,

但是無論用什麼形式， 對鄂蘭而言最重要的

what’s most important to Arendt is that they value open dialogue

是它們要重視開放對話

and critical self-reflection.

以及批判性的自省。