2009年3月12日 星期四

蘇格拉底的答辯詞

蘇格拉底七十歲時,受控腐化青年與不敬神,他首次到法庭中(501人的集會)上,為自己辯護。
這篇辯護詞,生動地闡述蘇格拉底的哲人生活,以及他關心城邦中人們靈魂的善。
蘇格拉底最後還是被判死刑,未能成功地說服聽眾。
不過,Allan Bloom認為《理想國》承接蘇格拉底辯護的主題,是柏拉圖以更大的篇幅,以及在適當的方式,為哲學作辯護。
因此,在研讀《理想國》之前,我們也需要先知道,蘇格拉底(哲人生活)受到哪些控訴?以及哲人生活的樣貌?哲人與城邦間的關係?

2009年3月5日 星期四

Featured Speaker_唐欣偉_Information War

About technologies and new war, we invited 唐欣偉, who is associate professor at 佛光 University, doctor from Claremont Graduate University. The following is his PPT file of his speech.

2009年3月4日 星期三

洞穴中的囚犯

下文是一篇很久久以前,我在閱讀《柏拉圖理想國》之後,又看到當時政治情勢,
有感而發的一篇短文。

我真的覺得好的經典,其實跟我們的生活息息相關,隨時皆可以成為我們反省當前的一些思考上的活頭源水。
當然,絕不是要照單全收,這是一種偏執了。
我很喜歡理想國中,在談哲人教育時,辯證法要5年,實務訓練15年。
可見柏拉圖也不是真的那麼不食人間煙火,沈溺在理型世界。他是真的有心從政之人,
知道現實世界的複雜。



洞穴中的囚犯


【胡全威/大學生(台北市)】
日前,看到許多篇報導,說是有許多家庭中、朋友之間因為支持的候選人、政黨不同而起爭執,小則心存芥蒂;大則反目成仇。筆者希望「洞穴之喻」能提供大家對「政治爭辯」更多面向的看法,而在爭吵時能「輕鬆一下」!

「洞穴之喻」是出現在西方政治思想經典柏拉圖的「理想國」一書中,它將人類的處境比作洞穴中被鍊著的囚犯,四週一片黑暗。有一些人手持著動物、人、器具的肖像躲在囚犯後方,遠處有火光照過這些肖像投射到牆上,形成陰影。對看不到洞外真實世界的囚犯而言,只能看到這些扭曲的陰影,並以為這些就是「真實的事物」。

對譬喻作詮釋,而放到現實政治生活來看,手持肖像的這些人,不就像是政客、學者嗎?他們製作出真實的仿品,來教育、傳達訊息給一般的民眾,並塑造了我們的世界。

說這故事的人--柏拉圖──提了一個解決方案,就是有一位掙脫鐵鍊的囚犯逃到洞穴外,看到真實世界的真相,此人就是「哲王」。他像個雕刻家,腦海中是真實的景象,而將眼前的世界大刀闊斧一番,以符合真實。回到我們的政治世界中,「哲王」卻不僅不是可欲的,還是有害的。因為不符合他理念的人,都要被趕下台灣海峽,現實中我們無法分辨出「暴君」與「哲王」的差別。因此,沒有「哲王」告訴我們真相,我們一般人對「政治爭辯」似乎難以避免;但希望天家在爭吵時能想想自己與對方所持的理由,可能不過是政客、專家們製造出模糊、扭曲的「陰影」,若因此而傷害彼此「真實的感倩」,豈不就以小失大了。

近幾年來,台灣人民的情感似乎被接踵而來的選舉熱潮所掩沒,當親朋好友的政治選擇不同於自己時,似乎原本溫暖的親情友情就「著涼了」,真心期待下一屆總統為大家辦桌講和,選在一個充滿陽光約午後,你、我坐下來「大和解」。


【1996-03-23/聯合報/11版/民意論壇】

2009年2月25日 星期三

Featured Speaker_胡元正_生物技術革命

It's a great honor to invite Mr. 胡元正 to deliver a speech on biotechnological revolution. Not only does he have professional knowledge about the topic, but also wide experience in the biotech field.

.

2009年2月21日 星期六

General Introduction

GTR: Syllabus

Course Description

The fundamentals of business and the economy are changing in every market, in every industry, and in every nation. From YouTube to eGovernment, from iPods, Wii to entertainment initiatives, the impact of technology is changing daily lives more and more each day. This course tries to point out how and why and shows ways we can take advantage of the "revolution" in our personal and professional lives. The class aims to provide various examples so that students will see that transformations are taking place and will think of the consequence.

Teaching in the course is mainly divided into two parts. First part, almost each week an expert with different profession will be invited to give us a talk in one’s own field, such as information technology, biology, macro economics, environmental protection and etc. In this part , students are also required to read the textbook, ”楊棨等著,《廿一世紀:全球科技革命之衝擊》”.

Second part, I will stand in the same opposition with students to think how to respond the technology transformation, how to survive, how to take advantage, and even criticize the legitimacy of a new technology. In this part, Henry C. Lucas’s Inside the Future: Surviving the Technology Revolution will be discussed more.

Requirements and Grading
Each student enrolled in the course is required to discuss frequently in class. And from 5th week(Mar. 17-18), each one in turn has to present an oral report in class about ten minutes. One who reports should turn in “PPT (Power Point) file”(or something similar)to the classmates a week ago. The report should introduce a new specific technology, and include the following questions (optional):
1. What is the technology? Your classmates and teacher may never hear of it.
2. How dose it change from the past?
3. What is its impact, especially “global impact”?
4. How do people use the technology?
5. What are advantages and disadvantages of the technology?
6. How shall we respond to the technology and take advantages?
7. Does the technology have any ethical, political problem? What’s the
debate? What’s your position?
8. What is the future goal of the technology? When will it succeed?
9. What will happen if people live without it?
10. Dose the technology lead to “unequal problem”?

Grading: Oral Report with “PPT file” 60%; Class Discussion 40%

Readings
Antón, Philip S. Richard Silberglitt, James Schneider, 2001, The Global Technology
Revolution: Bio/Nano/Materials Trends and Their Synergies with Information
Technology by 2015, Rand National Defense Research Council.
Ashall, Frank,1998,潘麗芬等譯,《科學大發現》,台北:幼獅。
Boyens, Ingeborg,1999,杜默譯,《基因騙術》,台北:時報。
OECD, 1999, 21st Century Technologies: Promises and Perils of a Dynamic Future,
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Tumber, Howard and Frank Webster, 2006. Journalists Under Fire: Information War
and Journalistic Practices. London: Sage.
Lucas, Henry C. Jr., 2008, Inside The Future: Surviving The Technology Revolution.
楊棨等著,2005,《廿一世紀:全球科技革命之衝擊》,台北縣:淡江大學出版
中心。

Schedule of Class and Lecture Topics
1 Feb.17-18 Course Introduction
Assignment: Lucas’ Chapter 1
2 Feb. 24-25 Eugenics and Cloning
2/25 Speaker: 胡元正博士 (國防醫學院)
3 Mar. 3-4 Technologies and the New War
3/4 Speaker: 唐欣偉博士(Claremont Graduate University)
Only for 3:00-5:00 PM
4 Mar. 10-11 Energy Crisis & Energy-Saving
3/11 Speaker: 郭博堯博士 (North Carolina State University)
5 Mar. 17-18 Electronic Democracy
5/18 Speaker: 胡全威講師
6 Mar. 24-25 Information Technology
3/25 Speaker:謝昇達博士(國立東華大學電機博士)
Spring Vacation
8 Apr. 7-8 Global Financial Crisis
4/8 Speaker:胡聲安分析師(投信策略分析師)
9 Apr. 14-15 Oral Presentation