Liang
Liang

論工業社會及其未來-88

88

「造福人類」的解釋也同樣沒多好。有些科學工作與人類的福祉沒什麼想得到的關聯──例如大多數的考古學或比較語言學。另一些科學領域顯然存在造成危險的可能性。然而這些領域的科學家和開發疫苗或研究空氣污染的科學家一樣熱衷於他們的工作。 想想愛德華泰勒博士的例子,他對提倡核能發電廠有明顯的情感投入。這種投入是否根於造福人類的願望? 如果是,那為什麼泰勒博士對其它「人道主義」的目標沒有充滿強烈情感呢?如果他是人道主義者,那為什麼他要幫助開發氫彈呢? 如同其他科學成就一樣,核能發電廠是否造福人類值得商榷。便宜的電力是否比累積的廢料和意外的風險還重要?泰勒博士只看到問題的一個面向。很明顯他對核電的情感投入並非源於「造福人類」的渴望,而是源於從工作中以及從看到核電投入實際使用所得到的自我實現。

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The “benefit of humanity” explanation doesn’t work any better. Some scientific work has no conceivable relation to the welfare of the human race—most of archaeology or comparative linguistics for example. Some other areas of science present obviously dangerous possibilities. Yet scientists in these areas are just as enthusiastic about their work as those who develop vaccines or study air pollution. Consider the case of Dr. Edward Teller, who had an obvious emotional involvement in promoting nuclear power plants. Did this involvement stem from a desire to benefit humanity? If so, then why didn’t Dr. Teller get emotional about other “humanitarian” causes? If he was such a humanitarian then why did he help to develop the H- bomb? As with many other scientific achievements, it is very much open to question whether nuclear power plants actually do benefit humanity. Does the cheap electricity outweigh the accumulating waste and the risk of accidents? Dr. Teller saw only one side of the question. Clearly his emotional involvement with nuclear power arose not from a desire to “benefit humanity” but from a personal fulfillment he got from his work and from seeing it put to practical use.

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