Issue157 Objective or Subjective

DendisUID: 158017

Issue 157
------题目------
There is no such thing as purely objective observation. All observation is subjective; it is always guided by the observer's expectations or desires.
------正文------
Is all that we observe purely objective or purely subjective? The speaker asserts that all observation is under the desires and expectations of the subjective observer, which, however, plunges the claim into total absolutism and skepticism. In my view, observation is neither wholly objective nor subjective, but is in fact, a combination of both.

As a threshold matter, I strongly agree that there is no purely objective observation. By "purely objective" it means total absence of subjectivity, with no interference, no prejudice, even no emotional influences upon the observation. Nevertheless, the absolute objectivity is itself out of shape. Whether in the spheres of philosophy or in the fields of science, from the social life to psychological world, never before have we met anything which can be described as purely objective. So long as certain degrees of subjectivity consist in the observer, observed subject or the vehicle or anything whatever, on no account can we deem the observation as purely objective.

Likewise, nor is observation totally subjective. What we see and understand, as a matter of fact, is not a simple copy of the real world, or the self-imagination of an ideal realm, but is a combination of the factual and virtual cognition. Philosophers, strong-minded observers though, are still forced to consider the mind-body problems in that material existences are foundations on which all other intellectual speculation has rested. Obliged too are creative scientists or specialists to maintain objectivity over their detections and discoveries. All these aptly illustrate that the observation of the world depends on the synergic efforts of both objectivity and subjectivity for us to penetrate deeper into the essence of the things. Descartes has once said:” I think, therefore I am." When it comes to the observation, it may go as: “I observe, therefore I think--I think, therefore I observe." Observations without thinking may fall into simple depiction while thinking without observation will degrade into final fantasy.

On the other hand, however, even on the part of subjective observation, there is no indication that it is guided by the observer's expectations or desires. For one thing, despite that what we observe is more or less roused by our curiosity; hardly can desire take its dominant role in our exploration. People tend to allow unrestrained freedom in the process of observation, showing respect for truth and facts. For another, it is always through the detached observing, sometimes maybe fortuitous discoveries, that lead us to grasp the nature of things. Scottish physician Fleming, for example, accidentally noticed that mold growing on a staphylococcus culture had killed parts of the culture and thus invented the antibiotic Penicillin. Rarely has he ever thought the mold will work, not to mention that he had expected the killing effects.

In the final analysis, observation is not only an objective but a subjective process as well. It is through the endeavors of both that we may see the world clearer and more insightful. Any observation guided by observer's expectations or desires may fall on its own in the end.

Outline：
B1：没有纯粹客观的观察，只要观察的主体，客体或其他事物具有一定程度主观性，那么就不能说它是完全客观
B2：也没有完全主观的观察，所有的观察发现都是主客观的结合
B3：即使对于主观观察的部分，它也不是由人的欲望和期待所主导

这篇文章也是前些时候写的，最近大家帮助我修改很多，这两天要重新审视一下，再次谢谢g友的帮助，你们的帮助是我最大的财富。意见认真研读中……

lakeqianUID: 157560

哦，dendis的大作怎么沉底了。看看我签名，坛里留下贴子沉底的痕迹~~呵呵
有空再看啦~~先帮你顶顶~~~

讨厌下雨UID: 163095

希望Dendis多帮大家改文章, 你的帮助也会是大家的财富:)

DendisUID: 158017

最初由 讨厌下雨 发布
[B]希望Dendis多帮大家改文章, 你的帮助也会是大家的财富:) [/B]

距离考试的日期已经是个位数了，近两天可能时间来不及了，不过考好是一定会“回家”看看的，大家共同努力啊，加油！ :cool:

DaffiUID: 18714

呵呵，DENDIS，批得狠了，抱歉啊。=^^= 不过还是要提醒一下，我一向把别人文章当ARGU题目看，并不针对应试的。

------正文------
Is all that we observe purely objective or purely subjective? The speaker asserts that all observation is under the desires and expectations of the subjective observer, which, however, plunges the claim into total absolutism and skepticism. In my view, observation is neither wholly objective nor subjective, but is in fact, a combination of both.

……怎么说呢，我先看的提纲，没觉得太大问题。但再回头看你的正文，第一句，就觉得不太舒服了。题目中说：There is no such thing as purely objective observation. 对"完全客观"的全否；下一句，all observation is subjective，---- 注意，它只承认观察是带有主观性的，但它并未承认"完全主观"！但你的第一句，Is all that we observe purely objective or purely subjective? 很明显的偷换概念，虽然我不知道你是有意还是无意。

多了一个purely subjective，又是你整篇论证很重要的部分，我觉得你这篇是写偏了。：）

"plunges the claim into total absolutism and skepticism". 如果题目是对"完全主观"的立，那么你这句话攻击狠而准；可惜题目仅是对"完全客观"的破，就凸显出你这句话的绝对了。

As a threshold matter, I strongly agree that there is no purely objective observation. By "purely objective" it means total absence of subjectivity, with no interference, no prejudice, even no emotional influences upon the observation. Nevertheless, the absolute objectivity is itself out of shape. Whether in the spheres of philosophy or in the fields of science, from the social life to psychological world, never before have we met anything which can be described as purely objective. So long as certain degrees of subjectivity consist in the observer, observed subject or the vehicle or anything whatever, on no account can we deem the observation as purely objective.

论证得很废。你这段其实只在说"世界上没有绝对（purely）的东西"，但这几乎是不需要论证的。这段话里没有推理，只有重复表达。

Likewise, nor is observation totally subjective. What we see and understand, as a matter of fact, is not a simple copy of the real world, or the self-imagination of an ideal realm, but is a combination of the factual and virtual cognition. Philosophers, strong-minded observers though, are still forced to consider the mind-body problems in that material existences are foundations on which all other intellectual speculation has rested. Obliged too are creative scientists or specialists to maintain objectivity over their detections and discoveries. All these aptly illustrate that the observation of the world depends on the synergic efforts of both objectivity and subjectivity for us to penetrate deeper into the essence of the things. Descartes has once said:” I think, therefore I am." When it comes to the observation, it may go as: “I observe, therefore I think--I think, therefore I observe." Observations without thinking may fall into simple depiction while thinking without observation will degrade into final fantasy.

这段说（observation） is a combination of the factual and virtual cognition，中规中矩。但后半部分，对 I think, therefore I am. 的引用，我觉得不仅画蛇添足，而且混淆视听（至少我是重复看了好几遍才大致弄懂你要表达的意思，而且还不太敢确定）。因为：1、I think, therefore I am. 这句话本身是对主观和客观的命题，所以看到的时候忍不住会想一下它和你这一段的关系。但从下文看，你可能只是想借用它的格式吧？ 2、但后面，I observe, therefore I think-- I think, therefore I observe. 为什么要引出这个结论？它与整篇的论证又有什么关系？题目说的是 observation 的主观/客观性，但你却说到 observation（主客观性并存）与 thinking （纯主观）之间的关系，我觉得是离题了。

On the other hand, however, even on the part of subjective observation, there is no indication that it is guided by the observer's expectations or desires. For one thing, despite that what we observe is more or less roused by our curiosity; hardly can desire take its dominant role in our exploration. People tend to allow unrestrained freedom in the process of observation, showing respect for truth and facts. For another, it is always through the detached observing, sometimes maybe fortuitous discoveries, that lead us to grasp the nature of things. Scottish physician Fleming, for example, accidentally noticed that mold growing on a staphylococcus culture had killed parts of the culture and thus invented the antibiotic Penicillin. Rarely has he ever thought the mold will work, not to mention that he had expected the killing effects.

In the final analysis, observation is not only an objective but a subjective process as well. It is through the endeavors of both that we may see the world clearer and more insightful. Any observation guided by observer's expectations or desires may fall on its own in the end.

汗，fall on its own 是什么意思？

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

总的来说，我觉得DENDIS你这篇蛮水的。你对这个题目没有自己比较鲜明的观点。（笑，因为我觉得，比较没有鲜明观点的时候，就会 resort to 这种 black-and-white thinking。当然这个推论也很不严密的，错了的话请原谅我。：P）

也许确实，GRE ISSUE只要写得"自圆其说"就好了，针对应试的话。但我仍认为，Every question has the power that does not lie in the answer. 我喜欢GRE的ISSUE题目，因为它留下了很大的思维空间。

譬如这一题，There is no such thing as purely objective observation. All observation is subjective; it is always guided by the observer's expectations or desires.

ISSUE里还有一个与此类似的题目，说 historians 是不是 storyteller 的那个。前几天刚看了《1984》。我们，要如何相信一段历史？

“我们怎么知道二加二等于四呢？或者怎么知道重力发生作用呢？或者怎么知道过去是不可改变的呢？如果过去和客观世界都只存在于头脑中，而头脑又是可以控制的——那怎么办？”（-----《1984》）

在〈1984〉里，WINSTON是一个外围党员，他每天的工作就是负责纂改历史，将过去的所有记载修改成党需要的内容。譬如说，党的核心成员（BIG BROTHER，“大哥”）昨天发表了一段对战争的预言，今天被证明是错误的，他们就得负责把所有关于这段预言的记录改过来，以使所有人都开始怀疑是自己的记忆出了问题。再譬如，在〈1984〉里，党排除异己时是做得很彻底的，VAPORIZE，将这人彻底“蒸发”掉，从所有的文字记录上，然后渐渐从人们的记忆里。而这样做的结果，是人们渐渐按照党所需要的模式思想、记忆，而失去了怀疑和思辨的能力。

正如党的一句名言中所说的："谁控制了过去，谁就控制了将来；谁控制了现在，谁就控制了过去。"

------这是观察的主观性的极端利用了。即使不是像《1984》中的极权社会，舆论控制和纂改历史仍是政治上的惯用手法。（呵呵，我写storyteller这题的话，会用"三个代表入宪"做例子的。）

"观察的主观性"的另一个意义，在于它可能并不是以显在的 the observer's expectations or desires 表现出来，而是以他的 subconscious expectations. 观察者自以为是的客观，有时候可能危害更大。譬如"在月球上看见长城"，这可能是政治宣导（显在的expectation），也可能只是观察者可悲的臆想（subconscious expectations）。但不管哪种，它够煽情，够激起国人的爱国主义热情的了，所以即使知道它违背客观事实，这种谎言也很容易被原谅。

所以，如果是我的话，我的题纲会是：承认观察的主观性 + 强调观察应尽可能客观（One should not "create" or "alter" the observed, unless for some particular reason.）+ 其现实意义（拥有自己的思辨能力，能避免他人打着"客观"的旗号向你潜移默化地惯输思想）。

笑~ 扯得远了。抱歉。