How Ethics Can Help You Make Better Decisions | Michael Schur | TED

翻译人员: Grace Man 校对人员: Yip Yan Yeung

I've been a television comedy writer for almost 25 years.

我做电视喜剧作家 已经快 25 年了。

I have written sketches and animated shows

我写过许多幽默短剧、动画片

and sitcoms,

以及情景喜剧。

but for the last decade,

但是最近十年

my real passion has been the study of ethics.

我真正的热情在伦理研究。

It's a classic cautionary tale, right?

这是个典型的警世故事，对吗？

You move to Hollywood,

你搬到了好莱坞，

you get seduced by the bright lights and the fast cars,

为五光十色的城市生活和跑车着迷，

and before you know it,

不知不觉地，

you're reading 18-century German philosophy.

你就在读 18 世纪的德国哲学了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I've always been an intense rule follower.

我一直是个严格遵守规则的人。

When I was in kindergarten,

在幼儿园时，

our teacher would tell everyone to line up,

老师让大家排队，

and I would immediately line up

我马上就去排队。

and then I would look at all the other kids

然后我看到其他小孩

who were still goofing off,

还在到处游晃。

and I would think, "What are they doing?

我心想：“他们这是在做什么？

Did they not hear her, she said to line up."

他们难道没听到老师说要排队吗？”

I rinsed my mouth with mouthwash for at least 30 seconds every night,

我每晚都会用漱口液 去漱口至少 30 秒，

because on the label, it says "Use for 30 seconds."

因为漱口液标签上写着： “使用 30 秒。”

I know, I'm irritated by me, too.

我明白，我也觉得自己很烦。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But the real reason that I became interested in ethics

但我对伦理研究真正感兴趣的原因，

is because in 2005,

是在 2005 年，

I royally and epically screwed something up.

我庄严而华丽地搞砸了一件事。

So, 2005, my wife JJ,

2005 年，我的妻子JJ，

driving along in slow-moving traffic bumps into the guy in front of her.

在车速很慢的交通环境下 撞到了前车。

Police officer looks everything over, doesn't see any damage,

警官检查了一切， 但未发现任何损坏之处。

they exchange numbers and they go on their way.

他们交换了电话然后各自离开。

A couple days later,

几天后，

we get a notice that the guy wants 836 dollars

我们收到通知， 车主索赔 836 美金。

because, according to him, the entire fender needs to be replaced.

因为根据这家伙的描述， 整个挡泥板都需要被更换。

This is happening during Hurricane Katrina.

这发生在卡特里娜颶風时期。

JJ and I had just been to New Orleans on a trip,

JJ和我当时刚去了新奥尔良。

we had really fallen in love with this beautiful city,

我们爱上了这座美丽的城市。

which was now literally under water.

而这座城正被泡在水里。

I was very riled up.

我大为恼火，

This was hitting me really hard.

受到了很大的打击。

So I went and I looked at the guy's car,

我去看了那家伙的车，

and if I got very close,

假如我凑得非常近，

and I strained my eyes,

尽力睁大我的眼睛，

I could just barely see this little line on the crease.

我才勉强看到缝隙上有道很小的线。

It looked like the mark you make with a pencil on the wall

它就像当你想把画挂在墙上时，

when you're trying to hang a picture.

用铅笔在墙上留的一个记号。

And I told the guy, essentially, that he shouldn't care about this.

我告诉那家伙 他就不该在乎这条线。

I told him that things like this

我同他说，诸如此类的情况

were why car insurance rates in LA were so expensive.

就是洛杉矶的汽车保险如此贵的原因。

I told him that cars get little dings and dents all the time,

我告诉他车总是难免 有各种小小的磕磕碰碰。

and he was stupid to care about that.

去在乎的话太蠢了。

I told him that there were more important things in life than this,

我告诉他生命里 有比这个更重要的事情，

like Hurricane Katrina.

比如卡特里娜颶風。

And then I made him an offer.

我向他建议，

I said that I would donate 836 dollars to the Red Cross Katrina relief fund

我可以以他的名义， 给红十字卡特里娜颶風援助基金，

in his name,

捐赠 836 美金，

if he agreed not to file this claim and fix his car.

只要他同意不索赔不修车。

He said he would think it over.

他说他会想一想。

So I went back to work,

我回去工作，

and as very confident people want to do,

就像非常自信的人都会做的那样，

I started telling all my friends about how awesome I was being.

我告诉周围的朋友我有多棒。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And then they jumped in

接着我同事们也参与进来，

and started pledging more and more money

开始承诺捐更多的钱，

if this guy would agree not to fix his car.

只要车主承诺不修车。

So suddenly, it was 2,000 dollars,

突然之间，数目变成了 2000 美金，

then it was 5,000 dollars.

然后变成 5000 美金。

In like, a day and a half,

在差不多一天半的时间里，

I had pledges from hundreds of people, all across the country,

我收到了全国数百人的捐款承诺，

of more than 25,000 dollars

数额超过 25000 美金，

if this guy would agree not to file an insurance claim and fix his car.

只要车主同意不索赔不修车。

And by the way, he has no idea this is happening.

顺带一提， 车主对正发生的一切一无所知。

He is completely in the dark.

他完全不知情。

I started a blog,

我创建了一个博客，

where I gave people hourly updates -- yeah.

每小时为大家更新进展——没错。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

It's beginning to dawn on you what a bad idea this is, right?

你也开始意识到 这点子很糟糕了，对吧？

I started a blog, gave people updates,

我创建博客，为大家更新。

I got media inquires from news programs, from NPR.

我收到了来自新闻节目和 美国国家公共电台的媒体查询。

I had a dream of rescuing New Orleans by myself,

我有个靠自己拯救新奥尔良的梦，

(Laughter)

（笑声）

with nothing more than my computer

这个梦仅需要靠着我的电脑，

and a fire hose of self-righteous anger.

和一腔自认为正义的愤怒。

And then I started to feel sick to my stomach.

接着我开始感到恶心，

And so did JJ, at the exact same moment.

与此同时，JJ也有相同的感觉。

We both were suddenly overcome with this awful feeling

我们俩忽然被很糟糕的感觉笼罩。

that there was something very bad and wrong

我们正在做的事

应该是有很恶劣并且错误的地方，

about what we were doing,

but we could not pinpoint what it was.

但我们又指不出是什么地方。

I just remember thinking,

我只记得当时我想：

"Alright, I don't care about cars getting little dings and dents,

“好吧，我并不在乎车上 细微的磕磕碰碰，

but this guy does.

但这车主在乎，

Is that wrong somehow?

这有错吗？

I don't think that's wrong.

我不觉得有错。

And also, is this little, tiny negotiation that we're in

并且，我们之间小小的协商，

really worth all of this fury and rage and shame

值得我针对他发起如此大的

that I'm whipping up and sending in his direction?

愤怒、怒火、以及羞辱吗？

I don't think it is."

我觉得并不值得。”

So I did what any rational person would do in this situation.

所以我做了所有理性的人 在那个情况下会做的事。

I started crying, and I hid under my bed.

我开始哭泣，躲在床下。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And then, I started reading philosophy.

然后，我开始阅读哲学。

And I started calling philosophy professors

我开始给哲学系的教授们打电话，

and asking them to talk this out with me.

请他们和我聊聊这件事。

And in the process --

顺道一提，在这个过程中，

yeah, and they all, by the way, did it,

是的，他们全都同意了。

because philosophy professors love talking about philosophy.

因为哲学系教授非常喜欢谈哲学。

The drop of a hat,

即刻之间，

they will all talk about philosophy with you.

他们就在和你谈哲学了。

So in the process,

所以在这个过程中，

I learn all of these incredibly wonderful theories

我学习了很多棒得不可思议的理论。

that the smartest people who have ever lived

这些理论是史上最聪明的人，

have developed over the last 2,500 years

在过去 2500 年里研究出来的。

that help us make better decisions and become better people.

这些理论帮我们做更好的决策， 成为更好的人。

For example, I learned about Immanuel Kant

比如，我学到伊曼努尔·康德 （Immanuel Kant）

and the categorical imperative.

以及绝对命令 （康德的伦理学原则）。

So Kant says, when we're about to do something

康德说，我们打算做某件事的时候，

we have to design a rule or a maxim

我们得制定一个可以普适所有人的

that we could will to be universal.

规则和准则。

Meaning, we have to imagine,

它的意思是，我们得去想象，

what if everyone did what we're about to do,

假如所有人都做了 我们打算去做的，会怎么样，

what would happen to the world?

这个世界会因此发生什么？

Would it be OK or would it get all screwed up?

这世界会没问题还是被搞砸？

So the maxim I'm designing here is something like,

所以我这里制定的准则是，

anytime two people are in any kind of negotiation,

在任何时间， 两个人制定任何协议的时候，

one of them can drag into the negotiation

其中一方可以把完全不相关的

an entirely unrelated global calamity

全球大灾难牵扯进协议中。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

and tell the other person

并且告诉协议另一方，

that they shouldn't care about whatever they care about,

他们不该在乎他们所在乎的，

because they should care about that instead.

他们应该去在乎全球大灾难。

That world would suck, right?

那这世界就变得很扯，对吧？

Like, your sister borrows five dollars from you,

就好比说，你姐姐向你借了 5 美金，

you ask for it back,

你让她还钱，

she says, "How dare you care about five dollars

她说：“你怎么敢在意这 5 美金？

when the polar ice caps are melting?"

北极的冰川正在融化！”

No one wants to live in this world, right?

没人想生活在这样的世界，对吗？

Kant also says, by the way,

顺道一提，康德还说，

that you should treat people as ends in themselves,

人是目的，

and not a means to an end,

而不是手段。

meaning, you shouldn't use people to get what you want.

它的意思是，你不能利用人 得到你想要的，

Well, that's what I was doing.

好吧，也就是我当时正在做的事情。

I also learned about Aristotle and the study of virtue ethics.

我也学到亚里士多德（Aristotle） 以及德性伦理学。

So Aristotle says there's certain qualities we should all have.

亚里士多德说，有一些品格是 所有人都具有的。

Things like generosity and courage

比如慷慨、勇气、

and friendliness and mildness,

友善和温和。

and he wants us to practice them every day

亚里士多德希望大家每天都去 练习这些品格。

so that we not only have them,

这样我们不仅可以拥有这些品格，

we have them in the exact right amount.

还可以拥有恰到好处的分量。

We don't have a deficiency of them,

不会太少，

and we don't have an excess of them.

也不会太多。

Now virtue ethics can be kind of, maddeningly imprecise,

德性伦理学可能有些 不准确得让人发疯，

but at the very least, it was pretty clear that I was exhibiting an excess of anger

但至少很清晰的是， 我展现了过量的愤怒，

and maybe a deficiency of friendliness.

欠缺了友善。

I wasn't nailing it, is the point.

重点是，我做得不够好。

Like, I definitely was not getting it exactly right.

我一定不是完全正确的。

Then I learned about utilitarianism,

接下来我学习了功利主义，

made famous by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill.

它因杰里米·边沁（Jeremy Bentham）和 约翰·斯图尔特·密尔（John Stuart Mill）闻名。

And this one actually gave me a shred of hope

事实上功利主义给了我一线希望，

that I was doing something good,

让我觉得自己在做一些对的事。

because utilitarians only care about the results of our actions,

因为功利主义只考虑行为的结果。

they only care that we are creating more happiness and pleasure

他们只在乎我们创造的幸福和愉悦

than we are pain and suffering.

多于带来的疼痛和苦难。

So yes, I'm being obnoxious and moralistic,

所以没错，我粗鲁无礼又爱说教，

and I hand it to this guy, causing him some amount of pain,

我把这些施加于那位车主， 给他带来了一些痛苦，

but an enormous amount of money

但是一笔数量可观的钱

is going to be given to people in great need.

会被送给急需用钱的人们。

So the amount of happiness I’m creating

所以我所创造的幸福

outweighs the amount of pain and suffering.

大过了我所创造的疼痛和苦难。

But the utilitarians also said

但功利主义也说，

that when we're calculating the amount of happiness

当我们计算我们所创造的

or pain we've created,

开心与痛苦时，

we can't just think about the one person we're dealing with,

我们不能只考虑正在面对的那个人，

we have to think about the fact that everybody in our society

事实上，我们所要考虑的是 我们社会上的每个人

will now both know this happened

都将会知道发生的事情，

and will fear that it could someday happen to them.

并且忧心这样的事 有一天会发生在自己身上。

And since we've already seen what a terrible, stinky world

既然我们已经看到了 我试图创造的世界

I was trying to create,

有多么糟糕又令人生厌，

everyone in our society would become a little bit bummed out and sad

我们社会当中的每个人 都会因我所做的事

by what I did,

而有一些闷闷不乐和伤怀，

and so the total amount of pain and suffering I've created

所以我所创造的疼痛和苦难的总量

might actually outweigh the happiness.

可能实际上多过我所创造的幸福。

I never got a straightforward answer, obviously,

显而易见， 我从未能得到一个直接答案，

because Aristotle never wrote

因为亚里士多德从未写过

about, like, fender benders involving horse-drawn carriages

例如古雅典马车

in ancient Athens.

轻微碰撞事故这样的事件。

But at the very least,

但是至少，

it sure felt like Jeremy Bentham

感觉起来杰里米·边沁和 约翰·斯图尔特·密尔

and John Stuart Mill would be a little disappointed in me.

对我一定是有点失望。

And it sure felt like Aristotle would be a little annoyed,

亚里士多德应该一定也会有点恼火。

and it sure felt like Immanuel Kant would wave a disapproving finger at me.

伊曼努尔·康德应该是会 冲我摇手指来表示否定。

And if all of the world's greatest philosophers

假如这世界上最伟大的哲学家们

are on one side of a debate,

都站在一场辩论的一边，

and you are on the other side ...

而你却站在另一边……

(Laughter)

（笑声）

You fucked up, OK.

好吧，你就是搞砸了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（鼓掌）

So I called the guy.

所以我给那位车主打了电话。

I apologized profusely,

我诚恳地道歉。

I told him the entire story.

将整个故事告诉了他。

He was very kind and forgiving,

他非常善良宽容，

which was an enormous relief to me.

这着实让我松了一口气。

I told him I had already cut him a check, which was in the mail.

我告诉他，我已经写了支票 寄给了他。

I went back to the blog, I told everybody the outcome.

我回到博客，告知了大家结果。

Most people, not all, but most of them,

大多数人，并不是所有，但是大多数人，

thought it was a pretty happy outcome.

觉得这是一个开心的结果。

I encouraged them to give money to the Red Cross anyway,

我鼓励他们还是把钱捐给红十字，

because giving money to hurricane victims is a nice thing to do,

因为捐款给飓风受害者是在做好事。

and in the end,

最后，

more than 25,000 dollars was indeed donated

有超过 25000 美金确实被捐赠给了

to the Red Cross Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

红十字特里娜颶風援助工作。

Don't applaud that,

别为此鼓掌，

because that's the happy result of a bad event.

因为这只是因祸得福。

So why did this embarrassing, miserable mistake that I made

所以为什么我犯的这个令人尴尬 悲伤的错误

make me want to continue to study moral philosophy?

使我想继续学习道德哲学呢？

If I told you that you were going to be on Jeopardy,

如果我告诉你，你将会参加智力问答竞赛节目 《危险边缘》（Jeopardy），

how would you prepare?

你会怎么做准备呢？

You would read some trivia books and flip through a world atlas.

你会阅读一些冷知识书籍， 翻看一下世界地图集。

If I told you that you were going to take a half-court shot

如果我告诉你，假如你在NBA比赛

at an NBA game

球场的半场位置投篮成功，

for the chance to win 50,000 dollars,

你就可以赢得五万美金，

how would you prepare?

你会怎么准备？

You would get a basketball,

你会先拿到一颗篮球，

you would go to the YMCA

你会去基督教青年会

and you would practice hucking up half-court shots.

在半场位置练习投篮。

Well, you're probably never going to be on Jeopardy.

好吧，你可能 永远不会参加《危险边缘》，

You are probably never going to take a half-court shot

你可能永远不会在一场NBA比赛的

at an NBA game

半场为五万美金的机会

for a chance to win 50,000 dollars.

去投篮。

But you will, I guarantee it,

但我保证，在某个时间节点，

at some point,

你会被

become embroiled in a complicated,

卷进一个复杂的、令人困惑的、

confusing, ugly, gut-wrenching moral dilemma.

丑陋的、让人愤怒忧虑的 道德两难境地。

That is just a fact of life on Earth.

在地球上生活就是这样子。

There will be a dilemma in which there is no clear rule to follow.

得去面对没有清楚规则可循的两难处境。

There is only a kind of, vague investigation

你只能模糊地摸索，

and everything you do seems like it might be wrong.

而你所做的所有事都似乎是错的。

So how do you prepare for that?

你该怎样为它做准备？

By reading theories of ethics

通过阅读伦理理论，

and understanding what they say,

理解它们所讲述的、

what they mean,

它们的意义、

how they purport to help us make better decisions

它们如何声称可以帮我们 更好地做决定、

and become better people.

成为更好的人。

And by the way,

顺道一提，

just reading these theories is no guarantee

仅仅去读这些理论并不能保证

that you will actually make the right choice

在你身处

when you're inside one of these complicated

复杂和纠结的道德困境时，

and tangled ethical dilemmas.

你可以做出正确的选择。

You can take all the practice half-court shots you want

你可以在基督教青年会练习半场投篮，

at the YMCA,

想练多少次，就练习多少次。

but when you set foot on the floor of the NBA arena,

但当你踏上NBA球场，

and there are 15,000 screaming fans,

面对 15000 名尖叫的观众时，

you're probably still going to throw up an air ball, right?

你可能还是会扔出一颗三不沾，对吗？

But if you've prepared,

但假如你练习了，

you will increase your odds of success.

你成功的概率会变大。

You will increase the chances that you sink the shot

你会增加命中概率，

or that you at least get the ball close enough to the rim

或者至少让投出的球离球框近一点，

that you don't embarrass yourself and become a meme.

这样你就不会很尴尬或者 被制作成表情包。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Understanding ethical theories

了解伦理理论增加了我们

is how we increase our chances of success at simply being human beings

扮演一个必须 和其他人类做协商的人类

who have to negotiate with other human beings.

成功的机会。

And to me, there is nothing more important than that.

对我来说，没什么比这更重要了。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）