Eric Liu: Why ordinary people need to understand power

譯者: Zhiting Chen 審譯者: Geoff Chen

I'm a teacher and a practitioner

我是在美國教公民教育的老師，

of civics in America.

也是公民教育的實踐者。

Now, I will kindly ask those of you who have just fallen asleep

現在，請那些剛才睡著的人

to please wake up. (Laughter)

打起精神。（笑聲）

Why is it that the very word "civics"

為什麼人們一聽到 「公民教育」這個名詞

has such a soporific, even a narcoleptic effect

就昏昏欲睡，

甚至如患了發作性睡眠病一般？

on us?

I think it's because the very word signifies something

我想是因為這個名詞

象徵著非常崇高的道德， 非常重要，

exceedingly virtuous, exceedingly important,

and exceedingly boring.

和相當無聊。

Well, I think it's the responsibility of people like us,

我認為，我們大家，

people who show up for gatherings like this

來到這種聚會的人們，

in person or online, in any way we can,

以及在網上觀看的人， 有責任以力所能及的任何方式，

to make civics sexy again,

讓公民教育再度煥發生機，

as sexy as it was during the American Revolution,

如美國革命時,

as sexy as it was during the Civil Rights Movement.

或如美國民權運動時期 那樣生機勃勃。

And I believe the way we make civics sexy again

我相信讓公民教育 再度煥發生機的途徑是

is to make explicitly about the teaching of power.

明確的落實於關於權力的教育。

The way we do that, I believe,

我認為要實現它，

is at the level of the city.

關鍵是從城市這一層面入手。

This is what I want to talk about today,

這就是今天我想跟大家談論的主题。

and I want to start by defining some terms

我想從解釋一些概念開始，

and then I want to describe the scale

然後我會闡述我們目前

of the problem I think we face

面臨的問題，

and then suggest the ways that I believe cities

進而提出解決辦法，

can be the seat of the solution.

即城市是解決問題的根本。

So let me start with some definitions.

那麼，我們由一些定義開始吧。

By civics, I simply mean the art

所謂公民教育，簡單的說

of being a pro-social, problem-solving contributor

是在一個自主管轄的社區， 作為一名關愛社會、

in a self-governing community.

幫忙解決問題的貢獻者的藝術。

Civics is the art of citizenship,

公民教育是身為一個公民的藝術，

what Bill Gates Sr. calls simply

這正是比爾‧蓋茨之父所謂的

showing up for life,

「為生活出席」

and it encompasses three things:

它包含三個方面內容：

a foundation of values,

價值觀的基礎、

an understanding of the systems that make the world go round,

對於讓世界正常運轉的體系的理解、

and a set of skills

以及一套

that allow you to pursue goals

讓你追尋目標

and to have others join in that pursuit.

並讓他人跟隨你的願景的技能。

And that brings me to my definition of power,

這就引到了我對權力的定義，

which is simply this:

一個簡單的定義如下：

the capacity to make others do

讓他人按照你的意願

what you would have them do.

去做事情的能力。

It sounds menacing, doesn't it?

這聽起來有些邪惡，不是嗎？

We don't like to talk about power.

我們從來都不喜歡談論權力，

We find it scary. We find it somehow evil.

我們覺得這個名詞可怕， 而且有些邪惡。

連去定義它， 都會讓我們感覺不自在。

We feel uncomfortable naming it.

In the culture and mythology of democracy,

在民主的文化和神話裡，

power resides with the people.

權力掌握在人的手裡。

Period. End of story.

句號。就是如此而已！

Any further inquiry not necessary

沒有必要進一步探討權力，

and not really that welcome.

因為它不那麼受歡迎。

Power has a negative moral valence.

權力違背道德價值觀，

It sounds Machiavellian inherently.

而且它本質上就有些權謀術的味道，

It seems inherently evil.

似乎本質上就是邪惡的。

But in fact power is no more inherently good or evil

事實上， 權力在本質上不分好壞對錯，

than fire or physics.

就像自然界的火、物理原理那樣，

It just is.

權力只是權力，僅此而已。

And power governs

權力支配著

how any form of government operates,

任何政府運作的所有形式，

whether a democracy or a dictatorship.

不管是民主的政府，或獨裁的政府。

And the problem we face today, here in America in particular,

我們今天面臨的問題，在美國尤甚，

but all around the world,

也是個全球性的問題，

is that far too many people are profoundly illiterate

即太多太多的人

對權力幾乎一無所知

in power —

what it is, who has it,

對於權力是什麼， 誰擁有權力，

how it operates, how it flows,

它如何運作，如何流轉，

what part of it is visible, what part of it is not,

權力的哪部分為人所知， 哪部分鮮為人知，

why some people have it, why that's compounded.

為何有些人擁有權力， 為何權力總是交錯繁雜。

And as a result of this illiteracy,

這種一無所知的結果就是，

those few who do understand

那些極少數了解

how power operates in civic life,

權力是如何在公民生活中運作的人，

those who understand

那些了解

how a bill becomes a law, yes,

如何讓一個法案變成一個法律條文，

but also how a friendship becomes a subsidy,

如何將友誼轉化為財富，

or how a bias becomes a policy,

如何讓一個偏見變成一項政策，

or how a slogan becomes a movement,

或如何讓一個口號發展成一場運動的人，

the people who understand those things

正是了解這些事情的人

wield disproportionate influence,

造成不成比例的影響力，

and they're perfectly happy

而且他們極其樂於

to fill the vacuum created by the ignorance

填補大多數民眾的無知

造成的空洞。

of the great majority.

這就是為什麼

This is why it is so fundamental for us right now

掌握權力的意義並將其大眾化

to grab hold of this idea of power

對我們當今這麼重要。

and to democratize it.

One of the things that is so profoundly exciting

另外有一件令人極度振奮

and challenging about this moment

又極具挑戰性的事情，

is that as a result of this power illiteracy

那就是由於這種 對權力一無所知的狀態，

that is so pervasive,

there is a concentration

如此廣泛的存在，

of knowledge, of understanding, of clout.

形成了一個

知識、理解和影響力的集中。

I mean, think about it:

你想想：

How does a friendship become a subsidy?

如何將友誼轉化為財富？

Seamlessly,

非常順暢地，

when a senior government official decides

當一個政府高級官員決定

to leave government and become a lobbyist

辭掉政府的工作， 成為一名私有企業的說客，

for a private interest

and convert his or her relationships into capital

將他或她的人脈資源

轉化為他們的新雇主

for their new masters.

的財富。

How does a bias become a policy?

偏見如何轉變為一項政策？

Insidiously, just the way that

不知不覺地，就如同

攔截盤查，

stop-and-frisk, for instance,

became over time a bureaucratic numbers game.

後來變成官僚的數字遊戲。

How does a slogan become a movement?

一個口號如何變成一場運動？

Virally, in the way that the Tea Party, for instance,

如病毒般，就如同

在美國革命中扛起

was able to take the "Don't Tread on Me" flag

from the American Revolution,

「不要踐踏我」的旗幟的茶黨身上。

or how, on the other side,

或者，另一方面，

a band of activists could take a magazine headline,

一群激進分子從刊在雜誌上的頭條，

"Occupy Wall Street,"

「占領華爾街」開始，

and turn that into a global meme and movement.

發展成為一場全球性的運動。

The thing is, though, most people

然而，大多數人

aren't looking for and don't want to see these realities.

並不主動尋找、 也不期望看到這些真實現狀。

So much of this ignorance, this civic illiteracy,

所以，這個無知，對公民權力的無知，

is willful.

很大程度上是有意的。

There are some millennials, for instance,

例如一些千禧世代的人們，

who think the whole business is just sordid.

認為整個政界都是肮髒的，

They don't want to have anything to do with politics.

他們不想與政治有任何交集，

They'd rather just opt out

他們甘願退出，

and engage in volunteerism.

而致力於社會志願服務。

There are some techies out there

也有一些極客們

who believe that the cure-all

認為解決一切權力失衡

for any power imbalance or power abuse

或權力濫用的萬能良藥，

is simply more data,

在於更多的數據，

more transparency.

和更大的透明度。

There are some on the left who think power resides

一些左翼人士認為權力

only with corporations,

只掌控在企業手裡，

and some on the right who think power

而右翼人士卻認為權力

resides only with government,

只掌控在政府手裡。

each side blinded by their selective outrage.

他們都被各自選擇性的憤怒 蒙蔽了雙眼。

There are the naive who believe that

也有些很天真的人相信，

good things just happen

美好的事情自然會來臨，

and the cynical who believe that bad things just happen,

也有憤世嫉俗的人， 相信糟糕的事情注定會發生。

the fortunate and unfortunate alike

還有那些幸運的或不幸運的人

who think that their lot is simply what they deserve

認為他們的命數已定，

rather than the eminently alterable result

而不是藉由事先安排和

of a prior arrangement, an inherited allocation,

一種權力的繼承分配

of power.

顯然可以改變的。

As a result of all of this creeping fatalism in public life,

由於對於公權力的 這種無可救藥的宿命論，

we here, particularly in America today,

尤其在當今的美國，

have depressingly low levels

我們對於

of civic knowledge, civic engagement, participation,

公民知識、公民參與，公民意識

awareness.

知之甚少。

The whole business of politics has been

政界裡裡外外都已

effectively subcontracted out to a band of professionals,

「轉包」給專家、

money people, outreach people,

富豪、圈外人、

message people, research people.

掌握資訊的人、研究人员。

The rest of us are meant to feel like amateurs

剩下的人注定感覺如外行一般，

in the sense of suckers.

是不折不扣的傻瓜。

We become demotivated to learn more

我們變得沒有動力去探究

about how things work.

事情怎樣運作，

We begin to opt out.

我們開始選擇不參與。

Well, this problem, this challenge,

這個問題，這個挑戰，

is a thing that we must now confront,

現在我們必須直視。

and I believe that when you have

我相信，如果你一直冷漠下去，

this kind of disengagement, this willful ignorance,

一直有意地視而不見，

it becomes both a cause and a consequence

這種冷漠就會成為我剛才所說的

of this concentration of opportunity

財富、勢力的聚集的原因和結果，

of wealth and clout that I was describing a moment ago,

造成嚴重的公民不平等。

this profound civic inequality.

This is why it is so important in our time right now

這就是為什麼 以權力的教育來理解公民教育

to reimagine civics as the teaching of power.

是如此重要、迫在眉睫。

Perhaps it's never been more important

也許從沒有像在今天

at any time in our lifetimes.

這麼重要過。

If people don't learn power,

如果人們不懂得權力，

people don't wake up,

人們不覺醒，

and if they don't wake up,

如果人們不覺醒，

they get left out.

就會被遺棄。

Now, part of the art of practicing power

施展權力的藝術，部分在於

means being awake and having a voice,

保持警醒，並有自己的見解，

but it also is about having an arena

也在於擁有一個可以

where you can plausibly practice deciding.

施展決斷力的舞台。

All of civics boils down to the simple question

所有公民教育的問題 都可歸結為這一簡單問題：

of who decides,

誰來決策？

and you have to play that out

因此，你必須有一個地方、 有一個舞台來施展。

in a place, in an arena.

And this brings me to the third point that I want to make today,

這就引到了我今天想強調的第三點，

which is simply that there is no better arena

當今而言，沒有比城市

in our time for the practicing of power

更適合作為練習施展權力的舞台。

than the city.

Think about the city where you live,

想一下你生活的城市，

where you're from.

你來自的城市，

Think about a problem in the common life of your city.

想一個你的城市裡日常生活中的問題，

It can be something small,

可以是小事情，

like where a street lamp should go,

比如路燈應安裝在何處；

or something medium like

或是稍微大一點的事情，

which library should have its hours extended or cut,

比如某個圖書館開放時間 該延長還是縮短；

or maybe something bigger,

或是更大的事情，

like whether a dilapidated waterfront should be

比如廢棄的海濱是否

turned into a highway or a greenway,

應改建為高速路或綠化帶，

or whether all the businesses in your town

或者當地所有的公司

should be required to pay a living wage.

是否需支付足以生活的工資。

考慮一下你希望 你的城市要做出的改變，

Think about the change that you want in your city,

and then think about how you would get it,

然後考慮你如何實現它，

how you would make it happen.

如何讓它成為現實。

Take an inventory of all the forms of power

列出你所在的城市裡

that are at play in your city's situation:

所有形式的權力：

money, of course, people, yes,

金錢，當然了。 人，是的。

ideas, information, misinformation,

理念、資訊、錯誤的資訊、

the threat of force, the force of norms.

武力的威脅、規範的力量，

All of these form of power are at play.

所有形式的權力都在發揮著作用。

Now think about how you would activate

現在考慮一下你如何激發

or perhaps neutralize these various forms of power.

或調和這些不同形式的權力。

This is not some Game of Thrones

這不是《權力的游戲》中

empire-level set of questions.

帝國層面的問題，

These are questions that play out

這是地球上任何地方都

in every single place on the planet.

在上演的問題。

I'll just tell you quickly about two stories

下面我快速地講兩個故事，

drawn from recent headlines.

這兩個故事都來自於近期頭條新聞。

In Boulder, Colorado,

在科羅拉多州的博爾德，

voters not too long ago approved a process

選民在不久前通過了一項決議，

to replace the private power company,

將一個私有的電力公司，

literally the power company, the electric company Xcel,

即艾克賽爾能源公司，

with a publicly owned utility

轉變為公有制，

that would forego profits

不謀利潤，

and attend far more to climate change.

而會更多關注氣候變化。

Well, Xcel fought back,

艾克賽爾公司回擊抵抗，

and Xcel has now put in play a ballot measure

目前，它在通過一種投票的方式，

that would undermine or undo

試圖干擾或駁回

this municipalization.

這次公有化運動。

And so the citizen activists in Boulder who have been pushing this

因此推動這項運動的博爾德的積極人士，

now literally have to fight the power

現在不得不對抗權力

in order to fight for power.

來爭取電力。

In Tuscaloosa, at the University of Alabama,

在塔斯卡盧薩，阿拉巴馬大學，

there's an organization on campus

校園裡有個組織

called, kind of menacingly, the Machine,

聽起來有些邪惡，叫「機器」。

and it draws from largely white sororities

其成員多大來自學校 白人姐妹會和兄弟會。

and fraternities on campus,

and for decades, the Machine has dominated

數十年來，「機器」控制了

student government elections.

學生的政府選票。

Well now, recently, the Machine

最近，「機器」

has started to get involved

開始參與到真正的城市政治中。

in actual city politics,

and they've engineered the election

他們主導了

of a former Machine member,

一個前「機器」成員的參選，

a young, pro-business recent graduate

讓這位剛畢業的商業掛帥的年輕人

to the Tuscaloosa city school board.

進入塔斯卡盧薩市教育董事會。

Now, as I say, these are just two examples

如我前面所述， 這只是從近期新聞頭條中

drawn almost at random from the headlines.

隨意摘取的兩個故事。

Every day, there are thousands more like them.

每天都有類似的數以千計的例子。

And you may like or dislike

無論你喜不喜歡我剛剛描述的

the efforts I'm describing here

發生在博爾德和塔斯卡盧薩的事情，

in Boulder or in Tuscaloosa,

but you cannot help but admire

你都不得不欣賞

the power literacy of the players involved,

他們施展權力的素養

their skill.

和技巧。

You cannot help but reckon with and recognize

你也不得不考慮到並且意識到

the command they have

他們掌握公民權力的一些最基本的問題——

of the elemental questions

of civic power —

what objective, what strategy, what tactics,

目的是什麼、策略是什麼、戰術是什麼、

what is the terrain, who are your enemies,

戰場是什麼、誰是敵人、誰是戰友？

who are your allies?

Now I want you to return

現在，讓我們回過頭，

to thinking about that problem or that opportunity

考慮你的城市中的問題、機會、挑戰，

or that challenge in your city,

and the thing it was that you want to fix

還有你期望在你的城市中解決的事情

or create in your city,

或創造的事物。

and ask yourself,

問問你自己，

do you have command of these elemental questions of power?

你是否熟稔這些問題， 這些權力的最基本的問題？

Could you put into practice effectively

你能有效地將你知道的東西付諸實踐，

what it is that you know?

達到你的目的嗎？

This is the challenge and the opportunity for us.

這對於我們是挑戰，也是機會。

We live in a time right now

在我們如今生活的年代，

where in spite of globalization

即使朝著全球化發展，

or perhaps because of globalization,

也許正因為全球化進程，

all citizenship is ever more resonantly,

市民交互影響的程度更深，無一例外，

powerfully local.

尤其在本地。

Indeed, power in our time is flowing

確實，當今的權力正以更快的速度

ever faster to the city.

匯聚到城市。

Here in the United States, the national government

在美國，中央政府囿於黨派之爭，

has tied itself up in partisan knots.

Civic imagination and innovation and creativity

公民的設想、創新力、創造力

are emerging from local ecosystems now

正在當地的圈子中產生，並向外輻射，

and radiating outward,

and this great innovation,

而且這股本土化的偉大創造力

this great wave

和偉大浪潮，正洶涌而來。

of localism that's now arriving,

and you see it in how people eat

你可從人們吃飯、工作、 社交、購物、交通等

and work and share and buy and move

and live their everyday lives,

日常生活的點滴中看到。

this isn't some precious parochialism,

這不是矯揉造作的偏狹，

this isn't some retreat into insularity, no.

這不是退卻到狹隘思維，不是的。

This is emergent.

這是正在發生的。

The localism of our time is networked powerfully.

當今的時代，本土化正強有力地進行。

And so, for instance,

比如說，

consider the ways that strategies

看看那些致力於讓城市 更適合於自行車通行的理念吧，

for making cities more bike-friendly

have spread so rapidly from Copenhagen

這些理念擴散得如此迅速，

從哥本哈根，到紐約，到奧斯丁， 到波士頓，到西雅圖。

to New York to Austin to Boston to Seattle.

Think about how experiments in participatory budgeting,

再想想「參與式預算」的實踐，

where everyday citizens get a chance

每天市民都有機會

to allocate and decide upon

分配和决定

the allocation of city funds.

市政資金的流向。

Those experiments have spread from Porto Alegre, Brazil

這些實踐已經從巴西的阿雷格里港

to here in New York City, to the wards of Chicago.

推廣到紐約和芝加哥。

Migrant workers from Rome to Los Angeles

從羅馬到洛杉磯， 還有其間的其他城市的移民工人，

and many cities between

are now organizing to stage strikes

正組織罷工，

to remind the people who live in their cities

來提醒那些在其城市居住的人們， 要他們設想一下，

what a day without immigrants would look like.

在沒有移民的城市裡 一天的生活會是什麼樣。

In China, all across that country,

在中國，全國範圍內，

members of the New Citizens' Movement

中國新公民運動的成員

are beginning to activate and organize

正在組織行動，

to fight official corruption and graft,

反對政府官員貪污腐敗。

and they're drawing the ire of officials there,

他們激怒了官員，

but they're also drawing the attention

但他們也吸引了

of anti-corruption activists all around the world.

全世界的反貪腐組織的目光。

In Seattle, where I'm from,

在我來自的地方——西雅圖，

we've become part of a great global array of cities

我們成為了全球一系列城市中的一員。

that are now working together

這一系列城市團結在一起，

bypassing government altogether,

繞開政府，

national government altogether,

繞開中央政府，

in order to try to meet the carbon reduction goals

努力實現京都議定書規定的

of the Kyoto Protocol.

減少碳排放量的目標。

All of these citizens, united,

所有這些市民，聯合在一起，

are forming a web,

形成一個網絡，

a great archipelago of power

雖地域分散，力量卻集中，

that allows us to bypass

讓我們可以繞開

brokenness and monopolies of control.

壟斷權力的控制。

And our task now is to accelerate this work.

我們現在的任務是 加速這一進程，

Our task now is to bring more and more people

我們現在的任務是 吸引越來越多的人

into the fold of this work.

加入到我們的行動中。

That's why my organization, Citizen University,

這也是我的組織——公民大學

has undertaken a project now

在進行的一個專案的原因。

to create an everyman's curriculum

這個案子致力於為所有人提供

in civic power.

公民權力的課程。

And this curriculum starts with this triad

這個課程以我剛才 所述的三方面為起點，

that I described earlier of values,

systems and skills.

即價值觀、系統和能力。

And what I'd like to do is to invite all of you

我想邀請你們所有人，

to help create this curriculum

幫助我建立這個課程，

with the stories and the experiences

請你們分享故事和經歷，

and the challenges that each of you lives and faces,

以及生活中的挑戰，

to create something powerfully collective.

來匯聚成強大的智慧的結晶。

And I want to invite you in particular to try

我想請你們參與一項實踐練習，

a simple exercise drawn

這是一個簡單的實踐，

from the early frameworks of this curriculum.

來自這項課程的初步框架。

I want you to write a narrative,

我想請你寫下一段故事，

a narrative from the future of your city,

一段來自你的未來城市的故事。

and you can date it, set it out one year from now,

你來決定這個城市來自多遠的未來，

可以是一年後，五年後，十年後，

five years from now, a decade from now,

a generation from now,

也可以是一代以後，

and write it as a case study looking back,

如一個案例研究， 從那時回過頭來看現在，

looking back at the change

看現在的你希望

that you wanted in your city,

你的城市做出怎樣的改變，

looking back at the cause that you were championing,

看現在的你在鼎力支持著什麼事業，

and describing the ways that that change

並描述一下你期望的改變 和你從事的事業

and that cause came, in fact, to succeed.

如何走向成功；

Describe the values

描繪一下

of your fellow citizens that you activated,

你所鼓舞的市民們擁有的價值觀，

and the sense of moral purpose that you were able to stir.

以及你所激發出的人們的品行道德；

Recount all the different ways

叙述一下

that you engaged the systems of government,

你參與到政府體制、

of the marketplace,

市場環境、

of social institutions, of faith organizations,

社會機構、宗教組織、

of the media.

媒體的不同的方式；

Catalog all the skills you had to deploy,

將你施展的技能分門別類，

how to negotiate, how to advocate,

如何協商、如何鼓舞、

how to frame issues,

如何分析問題、

how to navigate diversity in conflict,

如何在矛盾中調和不同的意見，

all those skills that enabled you

正是這些技能讓你

to bring folks on board

帶領人們參與其中，

and to overcome resistance.

克服困難。

What you'll be doing when you write that narrative

你寫下這段故事，與此同時，

is you'll be discovering how to read power,

你會發現如何解讀權力，

and in the process, how to write power.

如何用書面的形式表達權力。

So share what you write,

請分享你寫下的故事，

do you what you write,

並將你的故事付諸實踐，

and then share what you do.

進而分享你的所作所為。

I invite you to literally share

我請你們把你們的故事

the narratives that you create

以文字的形式分享到

on our Facebook page for Citizen University.

到公民大學的臉書網站上。

But even beyond that, it's in the conversations

不僅於此，此時此刻

that we have today

世界各地正在進行的

all around the world in the simultaneous gatherings

和我們一樣的集會中，

that are happening on this topic at this moment,

在談論公民教育這個話題。

and to think about how we can become

考慮一下我們如何學習權力，

one another's teachers and students in power.

做彼此的老師和學生。

If we do that, then together

如果我們同心協力，

we can make civics sexy again.

就能讓公民教育再度煥發生機。

Together, we can democratize democracy

我們一起，能讓民主思想大眾化，

and make it safe again for amateurs.

讓外行人也覺得安全。

Together, we can create a great network of city

我們一起，能創造出

一個非常龐大的城市網，

that will be the most powerful collective laboratory

它會是地球上前所未有的 最強大的自主管轄的實驗室。

for self-government this planet has ever seen.

We have the power to do that.

我們有能力實現它。

Thank you very much.

非常感謝你們。

（掌聲）

(Applause)