John Searle: Our shared condition -- consciousness

翻译人员: Shiwen He 校对人员: E Fan

I'm going to talk about consciousness.

下面我来谈谈意识

Why consciousness?

为什么是意识呢？

Well, it's a curiously neglected subject,

恩，说来也怪，无论是在科学还是哲学领域

both in our scientific and our philosophical culture.

它都是一个被忽视的学科

Now why is that curious?

为什么说这很奇怪呢？

Well, it is the most important aspect of our lives

它在我们的生活中是及其重要的部分

for a very simple, logical reason,

原因很简单，也很好理解

namely, it's a necessary condition on anything

那就是：我们生命里一切重要事物存在的必要条件

being important in our lives that we're conscious.

就是我们拥有意识

You care about science, philosophy, music, art, whatever --

比如，你研究科学、哲学、音乐、艺术等等

it's no good if you're a zombie or in a coma, right?

但如果你是僵尸或植物人，那些东西对你就没有意义了吧？

So consciousness is number one.

所以说意识是最为重要的

The second reason is that when people do

第二个原因：当人们对意识感兴趣时

get interested in it, as I think they should,

我认为他们应该对它感兴趣

they tend to say the most appalling things.

他们就会说出一些非常惊人的话

And then, even when they're not saying appalling things

然后，即使他们没有说那么惊人的东西

and they're really trying to do serious research,

他们也会尝试去正儿八经地研究它

然而，研究进度一直很慢，目前进展依然缓慢

well, it's been slow. Progress has been slow.

When I first got interested in this, I thought, well,

我最开始对此感兴趣时，我认为

it's a straightforward problem in biology.

这纯粹就是一个生物学难题

Let's get these brain stabbers to get busy and figure out

那我们就打开脑子

how it works in the brain.

看看它是怎样在大脑中运作的

So I went over to UCSF and I talked to all

于是我去了加州大学旧金山分校

和知名的神经生物学专家们谈了谈

the heavy-duty neurobiologists there,

and they showed some impatience,

他们都不大耐烦

as scientists often do when you ask them embarrassing questions.

当别人问很难回答的问题时，科学家都这样

But the thing that struck me is, one guy said in exasperation,

但出乎我意料的是，一个很有名的

a very famous neurobiologist, he said, "Look,

神经生物学家恼怒地说：“听着

in my discipline it's okay to be interested in consciousness,

干这一行，你对意识感兴趣没关系

but get tenure first. Get tenure first."

但先拿到终身职位再说。要先拿到终身职位！”

Now I've been working on this for a long time.

我对意识已经研究了很长时间了

I think now you might actually get tenure

我想，说不定人们能通过研究意识

by working on consciousness.

得到终身职位呢

If so, that's a real step forward.

如果真那样，那可是个一大进步啊

Okay, now why then is this curious reluctance

好，现在我们说说为什么这些人不愿意

and curious hostility to consciousness?

甚至反对研究意识？

Well, I think it's a combination of two features

嗯，我觉得这与知识文化的

of our intellectual culture

两大特点有关

that like to think they're opposing each other

表面上，它们互相矛盾

but in fact they share a common set of assumptions.

但实际上两者却有一系列相同的前提假设

One feature is the tradition of religious dualism:

一个特征是带有宗教二元论的传统色彩

Consciousness is not a part of the physical world.

意识不是物质世界的组成部分

It's a part of the spiritual world.

而是精神世界的组成部分

It belongs to the soul,

它属于灵魂层面

and the soul is not a part of the physical world.

而灵魂并不是物质世界的组成部分

That's the tradition of God, the soul and immortality.

这就是从“上帝”，”灵魂“和“永生”的角度，提出的一种观点

There's another tradition that thinks it's opposed to this

还有一种说法，正好与此相悖

but accepts the worst assumption.

但却能接受最坏的假设

That tradition thinks that we are heavy-duty scientific materialists:

这种观点认为：我们是责任重大的科学唯物主义者

Consciousness is not a part of the physical world.

意识不是物质世界的组成部分

Either it doesn't exist at all, or it's something else,

要么它完全不存在，要么它就是其它什么东西

a computer program or some damn fool thing,

比如说电脑程序或其他什么玩意儿

but in any case it's not part of science.

但绝不是科学的一部分

And I used to get in an argument that really gave me a stomachache.

过去我常常和别人争论一个问题，争得我都胃疼

Here's how it went.

这个命题是这样的

Science is objective, consciousness is subjective,

科学是客观的，意识是主观的

therefore there cannot be a science of consciousness.

所以不可能有研究意识的科学

Okay, so these twin traditions are paralyzing us.

好吧，这俩观点实在困住了我们

It's very hard to get out of these twin traditions.

真的很难跳脱出这俩说法

And I have only one real message in this lecture,

这次演讲我只有一个主旨想要传达

and that is, consciousness is a biological phenomenon

即：意识是一种生物现象

like photosynthesis, digestion, mitosis --

就像光合作用、消化作用、有丝分裂一样

you know all the biological phenomena -- and once you accept that,

你们知道这些生物学现象，而且一旦你承认它是生物现象

most, though not all, of the hard problems

大多数关于意识的疑难问题

about consciousness simply evaporate.

就自然而然就迎刃而解了

And I'm going to go through some of them.

其中的一些问题，我一会就给大家作相关解释

Okay, now I promised you to tell you some

好了，我说过给你们讲些

of the outrageous things said about consciousness.

关于意识的过分言论

One: Consciousness does not exist.

一：意识不存在

It's an illusion, like sunsets.

意识是幻觉，像太阳落山一样

Science has shown sunsets and rainbows are illusions.

科学已经表明日落和彩虹都是幻觉

So consciousness is an illusion.

所以意识也是一种幻觉

Two: Well, maybe it exists, but it's really something else.

二：好吧，也许意识存在，但它一定是其它什么东西

It's a computer program running in the brain.

它是在大脑里运转的电脑程序

Three: No, the only thing that exists is really behavior.

三：意识不存在，真正存在的只是行为

It's embarrassing how influential behaviorism was,

行为主义的影响力有多让人尴尬

but I'll get back to that.

我等会儿再说

And four: Maybe consciousness exists,

四：也许意识存在

but it can't make any difference to the world.

但它不会对世界有什么影响

如何靠意志挪动任何东西呢？

How could spirituality move anything?

Now, whenever somebody tells me that, I think,

现在，不管谁对我这样说的时候，我就想

you want to see spirituality move something?

你想看看意志能挪动东西吗？

看着，我有意识的决定抬起我的手臂

Watch. I decide consciously to raise my arm,

and the damn thing goes up. (Laughter)

这玩意儿就抬起来了（笑声）

Furthermore, notice this:

而且，请注意

We do not say, "Well, it's a bit like the weather in Geneva.

我们并没说：“嗯，有点像日内瓦的天气

Some days it goes up and some days it doesn't go up."

有些天儿好，有些天儿不好。”

No. It goes up whenever I damn well want it to.

并不是这样 我想抬手的时候，它就会抬起来

Okay. I'm going to tell you how that's possible.

好吧，我告诉你们怎么回事

到现在，我还没有给你们一个具体的定义

Now, I haven't yet given you a definition.

You can't do this if you don't give a definition.

如果没有明确定义，就讲不清楚

People always say consciousness is very hard to define.

人们老说很难给意识下定义

I think it's rather easy to define

我倒觉得很容易

if you're not trying to give a scientific definition.

如果你不是要给它一个科学的定义的话

We're not ready for a scientific definition,

我们现在还没准备好给它一个科学的定义

but here's a common-sense definition.

但有一个常识性的定义：

Consciousness consists of all those states of feeling

意识由感觉、知觉、认知

or sentience or awareness.

等各种心理过程组成

It begins in the morning when you wake up from a dreamless sleep,

它开始于你从无梦睡眠中醒来的清晨

and it goes on all day until you fall asleep

并持续一整天，直到你睡着

or die or otherwise become unconscious.

或死亡，或处于无意识状态

Dreams are a form of consciousness on this definition.

在这一定义下，梦是意识的一种形式

Now, that's the common-sense definition. That's our target.

以上就是那个常识性的定义，也就是我们的目标

If you're not talking about that, you're not talking about consciousness.

如果你们不是在说这个定义，你们就不是在谈意识

But they think, "Well, if that's it, that's an awful problem.

但他们觉得：“好啊 如果那样的话，这可就难了

How can such a thing exist as part of the real world?"

那样一个东西怎么会是真实世界的组成部分呢？”

And this, if you've ever had a philosophy course,

如果你们上过哲学课的话

this is known as the famous mind-body problem.

这就是那个有名的精神与肉体关系的难题

I think that has a simple solution too. I'm going to give it to you.

我觉得那个问题也有个简单的解决办法

And here it is: All of our conscious states, without exception,

那就是：所有的意识状态，没有例外

are caused by lower-level neurobiological processes in the brain,

都是由大脑中低层次神经生物学进程引起的

and they are realized in the brain

接着在大脑中，作为高层次神经进程

as higher-level or system features.

或者系统特征得以实现

It's about as mysterious as the liquidity of water.

它就像水的流动性一样神秘

Right? The liquidity is not an extra juice squirted out

对吧，水的流动特性并不是

by the H2O molecules.

由水分子喷射出来引起的

It's a condition that the system is in.

它只是一个状态，包含了这个系统

And just as the jar full of water can go from liquid to solid

就像一个装满水的罐子能从液体到固体

depending on the behavior of the molecules,

这取决于水分子的行为

所以大脑可以从有意识状态

so your brain can go from a state of being conscious

to a state of being unconscious,

到无意识状态

depending on the behavior of the molecules.

这取决于分子的行为

The famous mind-body problem is that simple.

著名的精神与肉体关系难题就这么简单

All right? But now we get into some harder questions.

好了，但我们现在要深入到更难的问题上去

Let's specify the exact features of consciousness,

我们现在指定意识的准确特征

so that we can then answer those four objections

好让我们能够反驳我刚才说的

that I made to it.

那四个异议

Well, the first feature is, it's real and irreducible.

第一个，它是真实的，不可削减的

You can't get rid of it.

你摆脱不了它

You see, the distinction between reality and illusion

你们知道，现实与幻觉的区别

is the distinction between how things

就是事物之于我们与

consciously seem to us and how they really are.

事物本身的区别

It consciously seems like there's --

之于我们，看起来像…...

I like the French "arc-en-ciel" —

我喜欢用这个法语词arc-en-ciel（虹）

it seems like there's an arch in the sky,

看起来像一个arch（拱门）在空中

or it seems like the sun is setting over the mountains.

或者说像太阳横亘在群山之上

It consciously seems to us, but that's not really happening.

那只是我们自己的认知，但不是它真实的样子

But for that distinction between

但是，对于事物之于我们

how things consciously seem and how they really are,

和事物本质之间的区别

you can't make that distinction for the very existence of consciousness,

你不能把那个区别加诸到意识存在这个问题上

because where the very existence of consciousness is concerned,

因为意识存在的具体地方还亟待讨论

if it consciously seems to you that you are conscious,

如果你清楚的意识到你是清醒的

you are conscious.

你就是清醒的

I mean, if a bunch of experts come to me and say,

我是说，如果一堆专家跑来对我说

"We are heavy-duty neurobiologists and we've done a study

“我们是尽职尽责的神经生物学家，而且做了一个

关于你的研究，赛尔，我们一致认为你没有意识

of you, Searle, and we're convinced you are not conscious,

you are a very cleverly constructed robot,"

你只是一个构造精良的聪明机器人”

我不会说：“嗯，可能他们说对啦”

I don't think, "Well, maybe these guys are right, you know?"

I don't think that for a moment, because, I mean,

我完全不会那样想，

Descartes may have made a lot of mistakes, but he was right about this.

笛卡尔也许犯过很多错误，但有一点他是对的：

You cannot doubt the existence of your own consciousness.

你不能怀疑自身意识的存在

Okay, that's the first feature of consciousness.

好了，这是意识的第一个特征

它是真实的、不可简化的

It's real and irreducible.

You cannot get rid of it by showing that it's an illusion

你不能像对待其它幻觉那样

in a way that you can with other standard illusions.

通过说明它是幻觉的方式来摆脱它

Okay, the second feature is this one

第二个特征

that has been such a source of trouble to us,

一直以来都是我们的烦恼来源

and that is, all of our conscious states

即，所有的意识状态

have this qualitative character to them.

都存在这个定性的特点

There's something that it feels like to drink beer

你喝啤酒的感觉

which is not what it feels like to do your income tax

并不像你付所得税

or listen to music, and this qualitative feel

或听音乐时的感觉，这个定性感受

automatically generates a third feature,

自然就引出了第三个特征：

namely, conscious states are by definition subjective

意识状态明显是主观的

in the sense that they only exist as experienced

它们只以人类或动物的经验状态存在

by some human or animal subject,

它们只以人类或动物的经验状态存在

some self that experiences them.

本体体验到了它们

Maybe we'll be able to build a conscious machine.

或许我们能建造一台意识机器

Since we don't know how our brains do it,

既然我们不清楚大脑是怎么做到的

we're not in a position, so far, to build a conscious machine.

我们现在就无法建造意识机器

Okay. Another feature of consciousness

好了，意识的另外一个特征就是

is that it comes in unified conscious fields.

它以统一的意识域方式出现

So I don't just have the sight of the people in front of me

所以，我不仅能看到我眼前的人

and the sound of my voice and the weight of my shoes

还能听到自己的声音，感受到地板上鞋的重量

against the floor, but they occur to me

但他们以单一的

as part of one single great conscious field

意识域部分出现

that stretches forward and backward.

而且还能前后移动

That is the key to understanding

这是理解意识的力量的关键

the enormous power of consciousness.

这就是理解意识的力量的关键

And we have not been able to do that in a robot.

现在我们还没法在机器人里做到这一点

The disappointment of robotics derives from the fact

机器人学令人失望之处就是

that we don't know how to make a conscious robot,

我们不知道如何制造一台有意识的机器人

so we don't have a machine that can do this kind of thing.

所以我们便没有一台能这样做的的机器

Okay, the next feature of consciousness,

好了，在统一的意识域这个特征后

after this marvelous unified conscious field,

意识的另一个特征是

is that it functions causally in our behavior.

它在我们的行为中随意运行

I gave you a scientific demonstration by raising my hand,

我刚给你们了一个科学的演示：举手

but how is that possible?

但是这是怎么回事呢？

How can it be that this thought in my brain

我脑袋里的想法怎么能

can move material objects?

让一个实质物体运动呢

Well, I'll tell you the answer.

恩，我来给你们说明吧

I mean, we don't know the detailed answer,

我是说，我们并不知道具体的答案

but we know the basic part of the answer, and that is,

但我们知道答案的基本部分，即

there is a sequence of neuron firings,

有那么一系列的神经元兴奋存在

and they terminate where the acetylcholine

它们会在分泌了乙酰胆碱的

is secreted at the axon end-plates of the motor neurons.

运动神经元的轴突终板处终止

Sorry to use philosophical terminology here,

抱歉这儿用了一些难懂的术语

but when it's secreted at the axon end-plates of the motor neurons,

但当运动神经元轴突终板分泌的时候

a whole lot of wonderful things happen in the ion channels

离子通道内会发生许多奇妙的事

and the damned arm goes up.

然后手臂这玩意儿就抬起来了

Now, think of what I told you.

现在想想我给你们讲的

One and the same event,

完全相同的一件事

my conscious decision to raise my arm

我举起手臂的有意识决定

has a level of description where it has all of these

有一定的描述性，这个描述性包括了这些

touchy-feely spiritual qualities.

情感化的精神特点

It's a thought in my brain, but at the same time,

它是我脑袋里的想法，但同时

it's busy secreting acetylcholine

它也忙着分泌乙酰胆碱

and doing all sorts of other things

和做所有其它各种事情

当它顺着手臂内的运动皮质到神经纤维运动时

as it makes its way from the motor cortex

down through the nerve fibers in the arm.

当它顺着手臂内的运动皮质到神经纤维运动时

Now, what that tells us is that our traditional vocabularies

这个现象告诉我们，用来讨论

for discussing these issues are totally obsolete.

这些问题的传统的词汇都过时了

One and the same event has a level of description

完全相同的一件事，既含有一定的神经生物学的描述性

where it's neurobiological, and another level of description

又有一定程度的精神描述性

where it's mental, and that's a single event,

后者就是一个单一事件

and that's how nature works. That's how it's possible

大自然就是这样运作的 这也是意识能够随意运行的原因

for consciousness to function causally.

大自然就是这样运作的 这也是意识能够随意运行的原因

Okay, now with that in mind,

好了，有了上述概念

with going through these various features of consciousness,

了解了意识的不同特征

let's go back and answer some of those early objections.

我们倒回去回答那些异议

Well, the first one I said was, consciousness doesn't exist,

首先，第一个异议是意识并不存在

it's an illusion. Well, I've already answered that.

它是幻觉，好吧，我已经反驳过这个异议了

I don't think we need to worry about that.

我觉得我们没必要再啰嗦它了

But the second one had an incredible influence,

但第二个异议的的影响力就大了

and may still be around, and that is,

或许现在还存在呢

"Well, if consciousness exists, it's really something else.

"恩，如果意识存在，它一定是其它什么东西

It's really a digital computer program running in your brain

就是在你脑子里运作的电脑程序

and that's what we need to do to create consciousness

来创造意识，我们要做的就是

is get the right program.

找到正确的程序"

Yeah, forget about the hardware. Any hardware will do

是啊，别管硬件了，随便什么硬件都行

provided it's rich enough and stable enough to carry the program."

只要它足够丰富和稳定，能承载程序

Now, we know that that's wrong.

现在我们知道这样说不对

I mean, anybody who's thought about computers at all

只要对电脑有点兴趣的人

can see that that's wrong, because computation

谁都知道那不对

is defined as symbol manipulation,

因为计算被定义为符号处理

usually thought of as zeros as ones, but any symbols will do.

通常看作是许多0和1，但是什么符号都行

You get an algorithm that you can program

你可以通过二进制代码编程得到算法

in a binary code, and that's the defining trait

这就是计算机程序的典型特征

of the computer program.

这就是计算机程序的典型特征

But we know that that's purely syntactical. That's symbolic.

但是这纯粹是依据句法规则而来，有象征性

We know that actual human consciousness has something more than that.

我们知道人类意识却远不止如此

It's got a content in addition to the syntax.

除句法外，意识还有其他内容

It's got a semantics.

它还有语义

Now that argument, I made that argument 30 --

说到那个论据，30年前我就提出了——

oh my God, I don't want to think about it —

天啊，我不愿去想都过去这么多年了——

more than 30 years ago,

是30多年前才对

but there's a deeper argument implicit in what I've told you,

但是我刚才告诉你们的论据里还有更深的含义

and I want to tell you that argument briefly, and that is,

我就简单给你们说说那个论据：

consciousness creates an observer-independent reality.

意识创造了“观察者独立”的现实

It creates a reality of money, property, government,

它创造了金钱、财产、政府、

marriage, CERN conferences,

婚姻、CERN会议（欧洲核子研究委员会）、

cocktail parties and summer vacations,

鸡尾酒聚会、夏日旅行等存在的现实

and all of those are creations of consciousness.

这些都是意识的产物

Their existence is observer-relative.

它们的存在都是“观察者相关的”

It's only relative to conscious agents that a piece of paper

它只跟有意识的对象相关 （对这些对象而言）一张纸就是钱

is money or that a bunch of buildings is a university.

或者一群建筑就成了一所大学

Now, ask yourself about computation.

现在，你们自问一下“计算”

Is that absolute, like force and mass and gravitational attraction?

它绝对吗？就像力、质量和万有引力一样？

Or is it observer-relative?

还是说，它是“观察者相关”的？

Well, some computations are intrinsic.

是的，有些计算是固定的

I add two plus two to get four.

二加二等于四

That's going on no matter what anybody thinks.

不管别人怎么想，结果始终是这样

But when I haul out my pocket calculator

但是我把便携计算器掏出来

and do the calculation, the only intrinsic phenomenon

算个数，这一本质现象

is the electronic circuit and its behavior.

其实就是电子电路及其行为

That's the only absolute phenomenon.

这就是唯一的绝对现象

All the rest is interpreted by us.

其他的都是人为制造的

Computation only exists relative to consciousness.

计算只跟意识的存在相关

Either a conscious agent is carrying out the computation,

要么“意识对象”自己实现了计算

or he's got a piece of machinery that admits of a computational interpretation.

要么“意识对象”用了一个机器 由机器承载了计算性阐释

Now that doesn't mean computation is arbitrary.

那并不表示计算就是任意的

I spent a lot of money on this hardware.

我在这个硬件上可是花了大钱

But we have this persistent confusion

但我们在“现实”和“要求”的

between objectivity and subjectivity as features of reality

主观性和客观性上

and objectivity and subjectivity as features of claims.

一直存在混淆

And the bottom line of this part of my talk is this:

我这部分的演说的主旨就是：

You can have a completely objective science,

你可以有完全客观的学科

a science where you make objectively true claims,

你可在这个学科上进行客观的真实要求

about a domain whose existence is subjective,

该领域的存在可以是主观的

whose existence is in the human brain

存在于由知觉、感觉和意识组成的人脑中

consisting of subjective states of sentience

存在于由知觉、感觉和意识组成的人脑中

or feeling or awareness.

存在于由知觉、感觉和意识组成的人脑中

So the objection that you can't have an objective science of consciousness

所以别听那些人说： 因为意识是主观的，科学是客观的，

because it's subjective and science is objective, that's a pun.

所以不能有客观的意识科学。 ——瞧这是个双关语啊

That's a bad pun on objectivity and subjectivity.

是个关于客观性与主观性的劣质双关

You can make objective claims

你可以进行对这些领域进行客观要求

about a domain that is subjective in its mode of existence,

（即使）这些领域的存在模式是主观的

and indeed that's what neurologists do.

神经科学家也的确是这么做的

I mean, you have patients that actually suffer pains,

我是说，现在有病人正忍受疼痛呢

and you try to get an objective science of that.

你却要搞出一个疼痛的客观科学出来

Okay, I promised to refute all these guys,

好吧，我承认说要把这些家伙全驳倒

and I don't have an awful lot of time left,

既然现在又没多少演讲时间

but let me refute a couple more of them.

就让我再多反驳两三个

I said that behaviorism ought to be

我说过行为主义应该是

one of the great embarrassments of our intellectual culture,

我们智育文化中的一大窘境

because it's refuted the moment you think about it.

因为它在你思考它时就被反驳了

Your mental states are identical with your behavior?

你的精神和行为能完全一致吗？

Well, think about the distinction between feeling a pain

想想“感受痛楚”与“制造痛感”的区别

and engaging in pain behavior.

想想“感受痛楚”与“制造痛感”的区别

I won't demonstrate pain behavior, but I can tell you

我就不演示痛感行为了，但我可以告诉大家

I'm not having any pains right now.

我现在并没有感觉到任何痛楚

So it's an obvious mistake. Why did they make the mistake?

所以说它是个明显的失误，为什么他们犯这个错误？

The mistake was — and you can go back and read

你们可以回去读读这方面的文献

the literature on this, you can see this over and over —

可以看到很多很多

他们的失误在于，如果你认可了意识的不存在性

they think if you accept the irreducible existence

of consciousness, you're giving up on science.

你就放弃了这个学科

You're giving up on 300 years of human progress

放弃了300年来的人类进步

and human hope and all the rest of it.

人类的希望及其它一切

And the message I want to leave you with is,

我想告诉大家的是

consciousness has to become accepted

意识一定会被认可为一个真正的生物学现象

as a genuine biological phenomenon,

意识一定会被认可为一个真正的生物学现象

as much subject to scientific analysis

像科学分析里的其它主题一样

as any other phenomenon in biology,

像生物学里的其它现象一样

or, for that matter, the rest of science.

或者像其它所有科学一样

Thank you very much.

非常感谢大家！

(Applause)

（掌声）