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发表于 2003-11-7 19:15:49
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142. "The well-being of a society is enhanced when many of its people question authority."
当很多人都质疑权威的时候社会才会繁荣昌盛。
We mankind are the lord of the earth, who have the power, the intelligence, especially the will to solve all the problems that encumber our search of truth. While there is obvious need of the authority to set certain examples, disciplines, rules that can prevent the beginners from deviating from the right path, the analytical challenge towards it, on the other hand, leads to progress in all fields and the development of the society.
Challenging political authority forces politicians and the government to be more democratic, efficient, responsible and honest. The political authority is entitled the power to manage the machine of country, which can be used to confine the behavior of people and distribute the limited sources. The machine can of course run smoothly if the operator has the fidelity towards the people, however, while every sword has two blades, any self-interest involved can cause malfunction and probably the collapse of the architecture. As a result, the inquiry institution or organization must try its utmost to monitor the operation of the political authority and question it if necessary, more important never succumb to the pressure of it. Richard Nixon's Watergate controversy is a good example. The president did something inappropriate, spying the behavior of his political rival, and this was unfolded harshly, finally leading to the historic resignation under the pressure of the public. The resignation is not only the end of an unfair competition or of the political life of Nixon, but also the termination of abuse of privilege towards private interest, what’s more, a start of a purified political circumstance as well as the glorified guard of fairness, justice, and the honor of American.
Challenging academic authority promotes academic progress. In the era of so much knowledge exploding as ours, the academic field all the time emphasizes as essential the revolution of knowledge structure which can revise even totally uproot the out-dated information and entrench the sound position of the vital, much the way metabolism works .If the out-dated authority keeps defending the out-dated discipline, there will be no stage for the new canon to perform and consequently no possibility of academic progress. In that case, here comes the need of not only questioning but oversetting the authority, so as to clear the obstacle of the academic development. As Aristotle once said, ”I love my teacher, but I love the truth more ”, it is the truth that deserves our worship, not the authority. I think Aristotle will not be unhappy if he last long enough to watch the famous Pisa tower experiment of Galieo that was devised to disabuse his wrong but authority-regarded assertion about the speed of two equal-quantity objects which fall from the same height, because the truth clarified is what he loves the best.
However, a society that exerts exaction rather than respect on any forms of authority will get trapped into the swamp of misleading. The authorities are not entrenched by the others, rather, they are set by themselves—by their beautiful mind, their erudition, and their lofty morality. The virtues of them, which can transmit to us the truth towards which there is no easy way, are the great wealth of the society. Of course, we should question them when them make mistakes that hamper the steps of society, however, while they are directing the right way, which is usually of more occurrence, we should follow them with veneration. It is unfair to put exaction on the authorities, if we don’t appreciate what they have done for us, we should at least treat them justly. If they have make minor mistakes that is of no harm or totally out of the major, we should forgive them just as forgive a common person, rather than censure them only because they are authorities. Because exaction can destroy authorities that act as beacons for us, without which misunderstanding spreads. Bill Clinton, who acted as the president of American for two periods during which the economy developed at high speed and society stabilized, should not be scolded as a irresponsible president as a result of the complex relationship between him and miss 来温斯基, which is related to nothing but his private life. After all, nobody is perfect.
In conclusion, we should question the authorities with analytical attitude, just how we accept them. By this method, we can further our knowledge as well as defend the truth, behind which comes the prosperity of the society. |
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