《中大學生報》在鼓吹什麼?

致各大傳媒朋友︰

《中大學生報》於去年十二月增設情色版,近日遭輿論斥為「淫穢」

,與坊間報章風月版混為一談。對於此番誤會,本報深感意外。三十八年來,本報一直以針貶時弊,改革社會為己任,關注世道的篇章至今未嘗稍歇。創設情色版的用意,在於批判現今社會單線、扭曲的情慾想像,營造開闊討論性與慾望的空間,與本報傳統一脈相承。

抗拒對性污名化

本報對情色版嘗試加入多元的性想像,乃在抗拒現今香港社會論述性的單元。情色版之成立,旨在打破一元性論述,解放遭這論述壓迫的弱勢者。

本報四月號刊登同志指點異性戀者房事的書評即為一例,展現不同性傾向人士之間決非只有壓迫與屈從,卻有平等的交流溝通。備受爭議的情色問卷亦非刻意鼓吹某種性行為--如所謂的「亂倫」和「人獸交」--而讓讀者如實反映他們的性想像,藉此反思一元性論述。若說鼓勵同學發表意見等如「鼓吹」「淫亂」,實無異於將性傾向歧視條例立法等同於「鼓吹」同性戀、加劇愛滋病、打擊出生率等等。此皆以禁忌之名,無限上綱。

情色版強調每個人的慾望都需要被尊重,用之與「新亞桑拿」、風月版等等以販賣及標榜物化「身體」相提並論,恰恰就是社會對性論述膚淺一元之明證。若本報存心賣弄色情,譁眾取寵,何不刊登裸女艷照直接挑起讀者遐想?

反對權威與淫穢共生

有論者指責本報不以艱深學術談性,不以權威人士回覆讀者來信,彷彿不詳加解釋就無權威性。然而輿論何曾要求傳媒講飲講食之際,須經過專家學者剖釋?食色性也,選擇性索求解釋,為的不是求真,只是維持禁忌。

現今社會充斥著各種色情資訊,大學和師長卻對性三緘其口,是極為不健康的狀況。正因不能循正常的渠道獲得有關性的資訊,自由討論,才讓商業化的色情資訊有機可乘,把我們社會對於性的看法極度扭曲、渲染,變成單一的淫穢想像。如此種種,使我們的社會對性只有兩極化的論述。若非把性視為洪水猛獸,只以生理學或醫學的角度作「性教育」,完全不討論性在我們日常生活中的位置,便是把性理解為淫穢不堪的事物,男男女女都只能藏頭露尾,偷偷地竊取快感。

批判階級歧視

我們不反對學術性的談性,亦有這個能力,但這種經過消毒的象牙塔口吻究竟排拒了什麼社群?基層人士有多少能以這種語言表達自己性的經驗?不少人視大學為與市井隔絕的神聖廟堂,本報堅決反對這種偏見。1968年美國哥倫比亞大學故意興建體育館隔開校園和哈林區,校內學生群起抗議這個將大學和貧窮黑人分開的舉動。拿學位、賺錢、搵食,然後俯瞰黎民,不應是大學生的目標。大學的意義必需建基於與群眾同行,這亦是《中大學生報》的理念。

「性是亦只是男人對女人的淫慾發洩」、「大學生是天之驕子」都是本報極欲鼓勵同學打破的成見。指出國王沒穿衣的,唯有不拘謹害羞的誠實小子,讓同學感於由衷說出親身經驗和想像,才是求真相、問為什麼的第一步,我們希望透過《中大學生報》的空間鼓吹知道、面對、分享、溝通和尊重。

《中大學生報》出版委員會謹啟
二零零七年五月八日

回應

Link & cover

大佬,比條link上學生報同個cover喇唔該!

直接連結

"情色版"

我從商台黃偉文的節目得悉此事,中大的同學當日嘗試解釋為何有情色的版面,就是想將隱藏的性經驗地面化,黃先生認同此點,但是他不斷問若你報導情色的東西,例如有沒有想過與父母弟妹發生性行為,有沒有想過人獸交, 其它同學不想看,但又已付錢,咁咪不似其他人可以不買那些報紙...基本上他不認同那些問題有價值或能帶出什麼特別的信息,反省,角度及知識....在聽他們對話中,我未看那些"情色版"的內容,那時我心想,"可能又是將"批判的東西"變得太平民化".結果別人不明白訪問有其它意思...我的意思是訪問內容是一些個人或平民的經驗,同時所帶出的角度和信息也可能沒有什麼特別.

後來我再去看看only glance一次, 我發覺只是不同人的性經驗分享. 其實沒有什麼特別,總之好多種經驗.

若坊間的傳媒及批評者不用"道德主義的語調"批評中大學生,批評是可接受的,否則這些內容未必能吸引多人看. 問題不是內容應否學術化或"情色版"應否存在的必要...而是內容不要變得太個人化, 儘管這些題目涉及許多個人的經驗. 若內容太個人化,讀者便好似偷窺者般只想知道你的性態度和經驗,即只係去八怪或滿足個人的欲望, 結果那些經驗不能變成issue...但倘若內容只想誘發多些同學分享性經驗,則另當別論...

後來我再去問一位中大新傳系的老師,怎樣做編輯..她說:
"如果我遇到這些文章,我會考慮的基本原則是
文章背後的理念是甚麼?只是偷窺心理還是有別的深意
那種含意是否能帶出來,讓我們看到為探討一些更有意義的事,色情是必要的.
還有要考慮的是雜誌代表的是甚麼,他怎樣看自己的定位,他報道的目的是否為了滿足它的讀者群,他們怎樣看學生報的身分."

For all of your reference and further discussion

市場邏輯.登峰造極

香港人的市場邏輯可謂登峰造極,竟然是,因為同學付了錢,又唔想睇,冇得選擇,所以不對.

這個論據很容易駁到,請到中大學生報的網站,看一下情色版的幾篇文章,點擊率多少?嚇你一驚,你猜當中有多少是中大同學?

如果這個邏輯是對的,那麼,中大學生報不應談馬克思,不應談勞工權益,不應談環保,甚至不應談校政,因為,似乎有許多同學唔想睇,我沒有做市場調查,但從點擊率來看,可猜到有幾多同學想睇,有幾多同學唔想睇,我幾乎可以肯定,至少低過情色版.

呢個邏輯好有趣,我想到的例子是:我付了錢給政府,但係港台好多節目我都唔想睇,好差好離譜,我又冇得選擇,咁係唔係一個幾好的理由要關閉港台?香港政府可以參考一下.

如果要計市場價值,學生報的錢花得最有效率的,可能就是情色版,引起這麼多討論,香港的報章最懂打這個算盤,否則,又怎會追著這宗小新聞大報特報呢?

"中大學生"

今天再聽到報導,說有人將號外棄掉.若這真是中大人所做的,這才令人羞恥.
我覺得一般中大生對中大報未必感到興趣, 枉論"情色版".如果那些學生真的對那些東西感興趣,我想參加紫藤的活動應該不少..
若是因為受到傳媒的影響而去了解事件,好似我咁,則要小心消化傳媒的批評,更要小心消化那些"扣帽子"的批評, 講性,就有問題,但講某某校友的卓越成就,就沒有問題,就對中大及中大學生的名聲有好處. 這是講不過去的. "情色版"是沒有存在性的問題, 內容則可以改善及提升..我已經對現時的同學已沒有期望,因為大部份都是為前程力爭上游,以自已的事業來介紹自己,人各有志,棺蓋才定論.Good luck to them, 但希望不要藉此打壓別人..

傳媒邏輯

學生報的策略應該斷續寫, 每期寫, 係網站寫, 係大字報寫, 寫寫下大家習以為常, 就不會報了.

不過我大概看了一兩篇, 覺得內容有待改善, 其實可以用一些報導的手法, 去揭社會上的性保守.

前些日子去家計會做身體檢查, 男的要驗精子, 職員把一個膠瓶給予身體檢查的男子, 說: 這個你下星期拿到化驗所. 男的問: 什麼這個, 要交什麼? 家計會的男職員, 始終講唔出精液兩個字, 叫 "你自己睇啦". 那個瓶也可以驗大便啊.

其實呢啲野好搞笑. 好過好抽象地寫/答問如何搞 s.m 等.

中大學生報

不好意思先,我仲未看今期《中大學生報》,一來我呢輪冇去中大、皇后,二來是因為我工作的中學裡的電腦上不到《中大學生報》,可能係因為d死人過濾軟件將報社網頁封鎖。

我認同plato的憂慮,「個人化」的問題需要注意。我的關注點是因為雜誌、期刊這類刊物時間性比較短,篇幅有限,不及專書般能把基層的報道擴大。個人是重要,但如果用基層作為「論點」,則要將範圍擴大,否則「個人化」與「基層」的論點可能做成聽覺上的自相矛盾。

我也覺得阿藹的做法可取,年年講、月月講、日日講,不斷訪問個人,不斷搜集資料,匯個人成集體,同佢打場持久戰!

重點在於目的與手段

問題的重點在於目的怎與手段相符.
我們且當那同學所提出的動機不是假的,但他的手段又是否合符其動機或目的呢?
If the answer is negative, no wonder people will have doubt as of your real intention.

不要落入「今日是你、明日是我」的性道德祭旗境地

香港性學會:

中大學生報擺明是被擺上檯,鼓吹亂倫/人獸交/集體性愛都是被傳媒亂屈的罪名,很多人沒看學生報,信以為真,而社會輿論亦由此發展到學生不該在校園談性的地步.詳細請收聽5月8日的七一電台 http://www.radio71.hk 今晚潮濕節目中的分析和評論.

上次星島獨家抨擊城大商務賣一本講性愛姿勢的書籍,今次又係星島先挑撥新聞,院校輪流遭到道德祭旗的風氣出現了,打壓性討論之風亦恐怕波及 5.20 IDAHOHK 及 5.27 的性文化節.

「香港性學會」全力撐學生報,希望大家也團結一起反抗言禁之風,本星期四下午 2:00pm 中大校園本部文化廣場有論壇,星期六晚 7:00pm 在旺角西洋菜街舉行.

呼籲大家閱讀中大學生報原文,最好攞份正本,睇下你讀唔讀到d字?

另一種論述

學生報說希望用事件引起更多討論。這個目的,現在顯然已達到了。下一步,是討論該向什麼方向發展。是簡單的二元對立(主流vs.小眾,保守vs.進步,精英vs.基層,多元vs.單元),進一步激化矛盾,從而各不相聽,討論中止,還是大家能夠利用這個難得的機會,好好將不同的立場觀點說得更加清楚,從而深化討論,並爭取更多人的理解和支持。

學生報的聲明,說:「本報對情色版嘗試加入多元的性想像,乃在抗拒現今香港社會論述性的單元。情色版之成立,旨在打破一元性論述,解放遭這論述壓迫的弱勢者。」

這種說法,包括幾個觀點。一,現今社會對性的論述,是單元的。二,單元是不好的。三,要抗拒單元,便要多元。四,多元,便可以解放被論述壓迫的弱勢者。

這四個觀點,學生報有必要進一步解釋,以支持其立論。例如,香港社會對性的單元想像,所指為何?是如何的單元法?其背後的原因為何?為何這種單元是不好的?接著下來,為何多元本身便是好的?社會愈多不同的性想像便愈好?舉個例子。大部份社會是反對「戀童癖的」(paedophile),亦有不同法例禁止這些照片流通。我們會否可以簡單的說,為了鼓勵多元的性想像,所以這些法例並不應該。最後,為何多元便能夠「解放」這些弱勢者?這兩者的關係如何建立?

學生報的聲明,並沒好好解答這些問題(當然,考慮篇幅,這個要求也有點不合理)。而值得留意的,是它的回應,不自覺的迴避了某些價值問題,而這些問題,卻恰恰是它不可以迴避的。

例如它說「備受爭議的情色問卷亦非刻意鼓吹某種性行為--如所謂的「亂倫」和「人獸交」--而讓讀者如實反映他們的性想像,藉此反思一元性論述。」

學生報這裡似乎認為,它只是中立的平台,它不願意下任何價值判斷,所以它的做法,是設定問題以後,便讓極有限的幾個回應者「如實的反映」他們的想像,而這樣做便達到了反思的目的。因此,在該期刊登完問卷的回應後,學生報沒有提供一篇分析文章。它沒有告訴我們,到底他們要反思什麼,批評什麼樣的單一性論述,以及要建立什麼樣的立場(「解放」一詞,通常意味著從某種不合理的狀態中脫離出來,並轉變到另一種合理的狀態。這中間,當然需要一個價值判斷)。

但常識告訴我們,(學生報也常常說),沒有所謂客觀中立的傳媒。問卷的設定,問題的處理方式,必然預設了某種立場,或會引導讀者作某種思考。所以,所謂的「如實反映」及「客觀中立」並不太有說服力。而且我們可以追問,為什麼這種「如實反映」便能解放被壓迫的弱勢者?「被壓迫的弱勢者」顯然有價值判斷在內,即某些性取向的人士(例如人獸交)是不應該被壓迫的。既然如此,學生報為何又要止於「如實反映」,而不是更進一步,清楚的告訴我們這些壓迫的不合理所在,以及如何對抗這些不合理?

學生報或會回應說,不合理是因為不夠多元。但多元和被壓迫顯然是兩回事。多元as such並不能告訴我們什麼是合理的,什麼是不合理的,更不意味著愈多元社會便愈好。

因此,學生報的聲明,並不能很有說服力的支持他們的立場。而將多元=解放,並拒絕對多元的內容下價值判斷,背後呈現出一種什麼樣的一種文化和價值觀,是值得細想的。

我覺得,學生報可以有別的更好的論述。我嘗試從學生報朋友近日見諸傳媒的一些言論,整理出以下一種論述,以供討論(這當然不表示這便是學生報自己的立場)。

1.性是每個人的基本欲望和需要。它本身不是什麼禁忌或不道德的東西。

2.每個人都擁有自己的身體,都是所謂的行動主體。因此,每個人都有絕對的自由去支配自己的身體,並滿足自己的欲望,別人不應干涉──只要這些性實踐不會傷害別人。〈這裡假定傷害和冒犯(offend)有質或量上的差異〉

3.每個人都是平等的,因此每個人都應享有平等的權利去選擇自己的生活方式,包括自己的性取向和性實踐。

4.因此,即使社會有些人因為宗教、道德或其他理由,而對某些小眾的性實踐感到不滿,甚至覺得被冒犯,也不應用各種方式壓制他人的選擇,而應該容忍(tolerate),甚至尊重別人的選擇。因為這些理由,並不足以凌駕別人的自主的權利。而尊重每個人都是平等的選擇主體這一點,或許是今天社會上很多人都接受的。

5.如果以上所說成立,則學生報對這些問題的討論,或許處理未周,或許品味未合大眾期望,或許有損「大學生形象」,但卻不足以支持全城去到喊打喊殺,痛心疾首,言論審查,甚至恨不得將其千刀切的地步。這豈不是更加嚴重的不寬容!

(即使1-4不成立,也不表示壓制便合理,因為思想自由和出版自由,並不需要預設所表達的觀點必須是對的,又或被大多數人接受,更不要說這是在一所大學之中了。這是另一條論證的路線,當然方向並不一樣。前者牽涉到對某些性取向的實質態度,後者則強調公民自由的重要性。這兩種論證可以同時存在。)

當然,除了這個,也可以有其他論述。而這個論述,也有許多爭議之處。(其中一個最大問題,是個人自主是否具有最高的價值,及其背後的假定是什麼)。但我想這至少較「如實反映的多元」來得強一些。

作為一個學生組織過來人

我覺得問題在於,中大學生報本身憲制身份尷尬,才會令原教旨主義分子有位入。因為中大學生報某程度上是「公營傳媒」,只要品味稍有差池,就會萬箭穿心。而我個人覺得,份野用字品味,我係有保留。

中大學生報情色版,我個人不反對,但作為公營傳媒,尺度不能去盡,這是憲制所限,正如香港電台搞同性戀相關節目,尺度也是有所顧慮。

如果要衝擊大專,以至社會這些性虛偽,我寧可有一班學生,搞一份情色刊物,在大學裡派,一如哈佛耶魯,美國長春藤學校有學生自告奮勇做裸照Model,但無損這些大學的名聲。

事實上,如果中大校方可以老古董得懲處學生報中人,我作為校友評議會常委可以這樣說,中大國際化可以休矣。如果有人受罰,我一定寫成英文唱到周街都係,睇中大還搞什麼國際化。國際化不只是教學語言,要收交換生,請學習西方的寬容多元。

我十分同意中大學生報設立性專版的理念,因為香港華洋文化共眾多年,理應善用這方面的優勢,將各種文化大膽討論,營造多元的社會,從而在國際間建立出香港獨特的地位。

但是本人十分不同意該報在性專版中所采用的寫作手法,我不但覺得不智、甚至覺得有點兒不知所謂。該版用一個社會不被接納的方法去討論一些不被社會接受的內容,雖然挑戰權貴的精神可嘉,但要有人聽你講才怪。而對各種性愛行為的描繪,刺激思想的元素不足、渲染色情的成分則有餘,完全失去了作為一份報章該有的質素 - 就是把資訊有效率地傳遞給讀者。所以要懲處的,是文章的寫法的質素,而不是所寫的內容。

而且,自喻為哥大的學生,就絕對是井底之蛙的做法。

《中大學生報》後續活動

《中大學生報》於去年十二月增設情色版在近日引起各方極大爭議。對於此事本報已作出聲明,向各大傳媒發佈,而中大校方已正式介入處理。對於傳媒,本報認為有延續討論的必要,因此將舉行一連串後續活動,讓各方參與討論:

論壇一:
「性,我們如何表述」
日期:10/5/2007(四)
時間:下午兩時正
地點:烽火台

論壇二:
「言論空間的底線——多元與尊重」
日期:12/5/2007(六)
時間:晚上七時正
地點:旺角西洋菜街

請問有冇該期學生報的網上版?

如題

衝破禁忌 重建道德-要求影視處判決中大學生報無罪聯署聲明

衝破禁忌 重建道德-要求影視處判決中大學生報無罪聯署聲明

已貼於http://www.inmediahk.net/public/article?item_id=216934&group_id=11

《中大學生報》情色內容網上看

http://cusp07.blogspot.com
(that blog has all the《中大學生報》情色)

亂倫與人獸交

亂倫在法國是合法的。人獸交在西歐多國﹐德國﹐荷蘭﹐端典﹐俄國﹐丹麥等是合法的﹐怎麼香港好像沒有一張報紙列出這兩項事實呢﹖

就算在學生報中講亂倫和人獸交﹐ so what? 中大成日話自己國際化﹐ 學生好應該去理解一下外國的性文化﹐而不是動不動就用港產井蛙之見去批判異己。

批評者的無知

《short bus》影評、性信箱、《自慰》的書評、《滿足》的小說、情色問卷、《VV物語》的討論、「酷愛三八節」的議題....
呢D係情色版? 蘋果東方會有影評又有書評,如果呢D從電影和小說切入的性別研究課題都是算賣弄色情,sorry 囉! 不如將中大的性別研究摺埋啦!

一篇研究大島渚的《感官世界》和柏索里尼的《所多瑪120天》都是電影藝術的典堂作品,不過在無知的人眼中可能只屬旺角4仔貨色!一篇嚴謹的影評只會淪為情色版的感濕文章!

回应二言論

Well written, member 'Nothing'. Simply put,即手段怎与目的相符.
BTW, H member 說"人獸交在西歐多國﹐德國﹐荷蘭﹐端典﹐俄國﹐丹麥等是合法的" So I wonder, 彼國又会否告其虐畜?
The above may sound like a joke. But it is more than that. If we think deeper, how can we define 人獸交? Or do we need to in the first place? May be that explains why 人獸交 is not illegal in those countries. Because such an act is simply an abuse to animals.
See, we may discuss a sensitive topic like 人獸交 this way.

剛聽[左右大局]驚天爆料

校方講一套做一套,對外只要求禁止有情色版的刊物出版, 暗地要求禁止中大學生報出版, 唔通校方想藉情色版封殺學生刊物, 甚至學生組織?! 值得再查證.

我聽完左右大局的錄音

校方禁制言論自由,證據確鑿

劉遵義發乜癲呀?中大校譽呢鋪真係被校方徹底毀掉

誰比誰更淫穢

昨日看過中大學生報的3月和4月號,報館兩個同事都爭相取閱, 但她們快快地翻過後說, "吓, 邊頁係呀, 都無圖的, 咁多字, 超唔想睇LOR..."我細閱文字, 基本上不過是問卷調查中有亂倫和人獸交的問題, 和引述被訪者的答案, 答案亦不過是無想過, 之類, 亦沒有作深入繪影繪聲的描述.
然而,不明白中大, 影視處以無理據將之"入罪", 彷彿說了"亂倫"和"人獸交"也不可以, 如果真的如此, 僅引述明報今日政情版的一篇文章,更令人想入非非.
"中大情色版成熱話
立會現二級半答案 2007年5月10日
【明報專訊】《中大學生報》情色版事件鬧得熱烘烘,昨日更成為立法會前廳的熱門話題,議員及局長圍在一起「細聲講大聲笑」,有人更借題發揮,大談「二級半笑話」。
本身為教育界議員的張文光,亦因而成為圍攻對象。他昨日一踏入立法會前廳,財經事務及庫務局長馬時亨(圖)便即時大叫﹕「張文,立法會選你做中大校董會,你係時候做事啦!教下中大學生哥啦!」
「未來教育部長」投降
張文當然不會示弱,叫肥馬與他一齊開記者會,以正視聽。旁邊的馮檢基更抵死地道﹕「係呀,局長你可以用『未來教統局長』身分,與民主黨友好合作呀!」近日坊間盛傳肥馬會在7月1日新一屆政府轉任教育局長,所以他昨日一聽到阿基講這一句,就即時投晒降,立即坐定定。
不過,一行人就繼續就「情色版學生報」高談闊論,有人提及學生報問卷的其中一題是﹕「你最想與什麼動物做愛?」有議員就話﹕「梗係人啦!」而張文就答﹕「我見到牛,就只會諗起牛扒。」據悉肥馬都答左一個「二級半的答案」,不過班議員就死口拒絕爆料,大家想知道,就要親自問下肥馬啦!

不少報章均以"刊登涉及亂倫和人獸交內容", 也實在可圈可點, 極度懷疑有多少人, 包括被傳媒找來做REACT的梁天偉, 受訪同學等, 有幾多真的看過原文, 還是一聽到亂倫和人獸交, 而想得離天萬丈, 到底是學生報淫穢, 還是挑起人們心中不願意面對的"淫穢念頭", 然後拿起石頭, 群起攻之呢

Proper Education

We don't need no education
We don't need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave the kids alone
Hey teacher leave us kids alone
All in all it's just another brick in the wall
All in all you're just another brick in the wall

Another brick in the wall (part 2) - Pink Floyd
這是多麼傳神的歌詞!萬試萬靈!喂!這班自以為是的偽善者!

zoophilia & gay

//人獸交在西歐多國﹐德國﹐荷蘭﹐端典﹐俄國﹐丹麥等是合法的" So I wonder, 彼國又会否告其虐畜?
The above may sound like a joke. But it is more than that. If we think deeper, how can we define 人獸交? Or do we need to in the first place? May be that explains why 人獸交 is not illegal in those countries. Because such an act is simply an abuse to animals.//

簡單回答在動物沒有受到傷害的前題下﹐是沒有虐畜的。因為任何支持動物有人權的推論﹐必然會得出支持人獸交合法化的結論。詳細推論能差考Peter Stinger的書。

我一向反對動物權益﹐自然也反對人獸交。只不過那些平時口口聲聲支持動物權益的人﹐怎麼忽然間相重標準﹐紛紛反對人獸交。

同樣我一向反對同性戀﹐自然也反對亂倫。而那些平時口口聲聲支持同性戀的人﹐現在卻用攻擊同性戀的同一論據去反對亂倫﹐想考又系相重標準。

「道德佬再戰激進派」

一場被Eric ‘Spanner’ 譽為「道德佬再戰激進派」的陣地戰, 究竟如何收科?

我傾向支持激進派, 我倒想睇下會搞成點

例如話搵人租直昇機空投刊物傳單到中大, 睇下校方點阻止

問題係, 呢類類似台灣藍綠對決的事件, 最後只會成為不問是非, 只問立場的泥漿摔角, 雖然道德佬在目前環境下有勝算, 但若果日後有激進派有財有勢來個大反撃, 又會如何?

講笑咁講, 如果呢度在座聯署者有人中六合彩金多寶3T, 又願意將獎金用諸"社會", 即時多好多彈藥同教會抗衡......

當然, 講到好似用錢, 用勢力去打擊對手, 似乎正正就是"不問是非, 只問立場"的陣地戰, 但不幸地, 我覺得形勢正是如此......

回Jacky

當原教旨主義分子當呢場係聖戰咁打果陣,一早已是無是非可言。

而我對中大校方,以及那些在英語化事件打個落花流,無恥地想抽水的人的忠告是:當年拉登也是在美國受訓,養大拉登要付出昂貴代價。

怎能以禁令代替討論?

我在別處提過如下的問題,可見校方不應如此輕率的處理這事情。

一、學生報可不可以談論有關性生活的種種?

二、討論下來,怎樣才不致「被指為不雅及粗鄙」?

三、看來這正好是搞教育,搞大辯論,大調查的機會,為什麼校方沒有興趣?(現在只是下達一紙禁令!)

四、為什麼大學裡的各式管理層今回這樣重視傳媒的炒作?(這類傳媒一向視洋人的貼面禮為男女街頭情色搞作,值得信任嗎?)

五、唸大學了,研究性的問題,仍要遭打壓,那一生中仍有什麼好機會可以去搞這方面的研究?

六、連人生大慾當中的情愛性,想研究也沒研究過,這樣的學生將來對社會對學術可以有所作為?

七、一些未便在大眾傳媒上討論的議題,如果在大學校園內也不能搞,那該到哪處搞作去?

八、連人生大慾都沒有興趣研究過的,將來怎樣搞創意工業?

誠明之道,在乎實話實說、實事實做,希望參與其事的同學不要洩氣。

陳同

我撐你哋

中大學生報的學弟學妹,我撐你哋!

Shame on the university, which has abandoned the freedom of press and comdemned its students upon social pressure.

中大背離大學的使命

香港多間大學,包括中大,港大,城大,科大,嶺大,理大,浸大的圖書館都藏有著名法國作家薩德(Marquis de Sade)的多本色情名著,作品中有各式性虐待,雜交等的細緻抽述,我當年慕名借閱The 100 days of Sodom,讀著讀著也覺得難哽而沒有讀下去。

大學中不少人可能對薩德一樣覺得難哽,但圖書館為甚麼仍然收藏薩德的作品?我們社會需要言論自由,大學更加需要比社會有更大的容忍度,因為唯其如此,才能真正鼓勵學生培養獨立思考和勇於創新的精神!中大校方的做法反映香港的大學正日益背離大學的使命。

{中大} 墨守成規,(學生)無以為「報」

明報 世紀 吳嘉倫 2007-05-12

{中大} 墨守成規,(學生)無以為「報」

 編按:中大學生報情色版已刊半年,突然受傳媒狙擊、追訪,乃源於一教會人士「報料」。5 月20日為反恐同日,性小眾組織會舉行大遊行, 「正反雙方」似乎要開啟戰線。而中文學生報編輯們,抱持對社會上性文化、性論述的批判思考而作的出版,令他們同時面對來自四面八方的戰線:傳媒、校方、影視處、教會……創立情色版的前中大學生報編輯吳嘉倫,在此文堅定表明學生報的立場和想法。

文╱吳嘉倫前中大學生報執行編輯

去年底中大學生報改版後加入了情色版,試行半年,日前忽被各大傳媒抨擊。觀乎報章的報道,不難發現一眾傳媒單看「情色」二字,不打算細看其中內容便已把學生報斥為「鹹報」,情色版「無異於風月版」,風格「淫賤」、「低俗」、「猥褻」云云

。學生報情色版既沒有男女裸體艷照,亦無挑動情慾的色情故事,更不會有色情架步的宣傳或「賽後報告」。上述傳媒提出的指控,社會對學生談性的印象刻板如斯,這幾年來可說是毫無進步。

情字先行

事實上,去年學生報討論改版計劃時,編輯正是因為看到主流社會對性的想像和語言的空洞和單元,才有新增情色版的構思。同學認為現今社會充斥各種色情資訊,大學和師長卻對性三緘其口,是極為不健康的狀。

香港以自由開放聞名於世,但在筆者一輩青少年的成長過程中,深深感受到香港社會關於性的討論如何狹窄、性的議題處處被壓制。雖說中小學的課程中都有「性教育」,然而在課程之中「性」只是被約化為一些有關身體╱性器官的生理和衛生知識。對於我們應該如何看待性,例如處理兩性關係應有什麼態度,可以怎樣面對不同的性傾向等等,即使是在性教育的課堂中,都是校園的禁忌。

正因青少年不能循正常渠道獲得有關性的資訊(其實成年人也是如此),能夠以開放態度自由討論,商業化的色情資訊才會有機可乘。在主流社會中,我們經常可以看到有關性的描述如何單向地把女性(或是男性)的身體物化以至商品化,性或情慾的對體被矮化成只是某些能夠引起身體反應的誘惑和挑逗。

這些對性單薄而狹隘的理解竟然可以自由開放之名充斥我們香港社會,而沒有被反對或挑戰,可見社會對於性的禁忌和道德規範實在極需要反思。學生報編委相信社會應該抱持開放的態度、接受多元的性想像、對不同的情慾模式都有所尊重,才能開始對討論性的態度有所思考、探究。剛於三四月上任的新一屆編委在「傾莊」的過程中也參與了我們的討論,與我們的想法相當接近。他們在政綱上也表明學生報的情色版要「情字先行」,反對把靈性的「情」和身體的「色」截然二分, 避免把後者想像成充斥在社會之中單向度的欲望,而要把性重新放進我們的生活道德倫理之中思考。

編輯們都只是初出茅廬的大學生,固然明白自己能力或許有所不足。但我們相信大學校園應是一個相對開放、勇於接受進步、創新思想的地方,讓學生報的情色版可以成為大學校園內一個可正面、公開地談情論性的地方。

原文照錄,自由討論

我們認為,一個開明的社會應可容納多元的想法和聲音,對既有的成規不應未經反思便默從,而要與時並進。這些顯而易見的道理卻竟在大學校園之內也不被承認。情色版的問卷提及同學有否對親人和動物有性幻想,目的其實正是要讓同學重新敲問這些看起來理所當然的禁忌、成規。

然而如今卻有譁眾取寵的報道指學生報提出這些問題是「無異於鼓吹亂倫、人獸交」。這些都是傳統對於性的禁忌,但學生報編委認為並不代表這些問題不可被提出,而學生報在其後的出版之中,亦指出了這些禁忌並非如此理所當然,而是大有需要討論、反思之處。

這一次問卷調查的回應率並不高,學生報只收到幾位同學回應。這些同學對於問卷的內容都作出了認真的回應和討論,其中一位的回應內容更長逾千字。能夠讓同學擁有開放地談情論性的空間,我們認為十分可貴,故此我們決定把回應的內容原文照錄。徵詢過該同學的意見後,我們把同學的回應全數刊登在三月號之上。

從同學回答可見,他們對父母、親人和動物其實都沒有特別的幻想。如果他們確能夠代表同學的意見,我們大概可以推論跨越血緣和物種的性愛其實只是情色作品越軌犯禁的典型,至少在同學之間並不普遍。這又怎能算得上是鼓吹?

倒行逆施的大學

無疑筆者不能苟同是次校方對待編委的態度。學生報情色版被傳媒以偏概全廣泛報道後,學生事務處馬上召見學生報的總編輯。這邊廂校方指支持學生報的出版動機,希望編委發聲明澄清誤會,那邊廂同學卻又看到校方在傳媒上指同學影響校譽,要「嚴正處理」,將召開「紀律委員會」作出調查。

當日下午,校方先後數次派人到報社拿取之前期數的學生報。筆者和編輯同學不禁狐疑,如果校方高層沒有讀過學生報,他們是如何作出「嚴正處理」的決定呢?翌日學生事務處再次召見學生報編輯,筆者聞訊陪同兩位現屆編委一起與校方對話。處長和輔導長聲言明白學生報成立情色版的立場,卻說認為我們報道的手法「某些位置出了界」,很有問題,校方要求學生報回收出版刊物云云。

但編輯們問及「出界」在何處,兩位師長卻支吾以對,直到副手遞上當日的剪報才對說起二、三月號刊登情色版問卷問題,一位說「不認為是幻想的許可範圍」,卻仍然堅持是不認同學生報報道的「手法」。另一位則指學生報「可以作問卷調查,但不應在報上刊登問題」,是「強迫同學回答問題」云云。筆者和兩位同學欲與兩位師長討論,談不到幾句他們卻道: 「我們不在這裏討論,這是紀律委員會的職責。」

大學作為知識生產、流傳之所,本應是社會的良心。同學有意在校園推動討論,本應得到支持。校方卻反其道而行之,拒絕討論,無理打壓同學聲音。如此中大,難道就可只憑什麼「兩大三語」的能力便成為一流國際學府嗎?

sign

湯雪欣 (浸大英文系一年級生 class of 09)

明光社老死的回應

香港性文化學會主席關啟文就這事的看法(內容包含不雅內容,敬請留意!):
(http://www.gospelherald.com.hk/news/soc_834.htm)

......他指出因爲「受性解放意識形態的影響」。他們要打破社會對性的禁忌,認爲這樣才是正義,才是道 德,有替天行道的意味。

關博士舉例問卷中問及想不想與獸交、有沒有想過偷窺父母,挑戰亂倫的禁忌,問題令人厭惡,很明顯是「自由性 解放的意識形態」,與台灣女性運動先驅何春蕤所鼓吹的建立一套新的「情慾自由」的性道德相似。

現任浸會大學宗哲系副教授的關啓文博士並批評,編委們使用中大學生報的地盤來鼓吹他們的思想。他們所持理據 「但並非鼓吹,只是問一下,想象一下」,關啓文指出,按照他們的意識形態,要打破禁忌,自然就是鼓吹,他們 很難「自圓其説」。就如有人出一個問卷問「你會如何對待女朋友」,答案選擇包括切鼻子、挖心肝送酒吃、先姦 後殺??這樣的問卷能說是尊重女性嗎?製作問卷的人能說「只是想象一下,只是打破禁忌」嗎?

有人搞聯署要求學生報道歉!

這個聯署沒有提及發起人,不過我個人估計,相信是一群與最初寫投訴信往報章的那類保守的基督徒發起的。

http://protest-cusp.hknameless.com/

我們歡迎中大同學、校友,和社會各界人士聯署(以團體名義聯署亦可),邀請在下面進行聯署,亦鼓勵你把這聲明廣傳。謝謝!

勇於認錯 重新改過
── 請《中大學生報》編委迷途知返

《中大學生報》情色版風波,擾攘一個多星期,編委會成員在社會及輿論強烈批評下,仍寸步不讓,沒有正視本身的錯處,反倒指責社會、傳媒甚至學校對他們未審先判。我們可以理解,年輕人在大學年代,思想處於蛻變階段,行事言論或有過於勇進或冒失的時候。有鑑於編委會同學已飽受壓力,我們希望當局、校方、同學以致社會及傳媒,均以正面態度對待他們,並從寬處理事件,以免剛進大學校園的年青人,承受過於嚴苛的後果。

然而,編委會成員畢竟已是成人,在行動之前,為何沒有考慮後果?在面對干犯出版刊物規定時,不對自身作出檢討,卻搬出「捍衛言論自由」的口號,諉過他人。難道大學生便可以享有特權,卻沒有責任?難道大學生便可罔顧法治,不用遵守法律?

再者,編委會取用學生會費營運,並打著「中文大學」的招牌,卻對同學、校友及學校的意見置若罔聞。難道編委會竟可以自把自為,而毋須向中大同學負責?

我們當中有不少中大同學和校友,對這次風波實在感到切膚之痛。我們當中亦有一些關心中大的社會人士,擔心假若學生報的同學繼續堅持歪理,只會對大學和社會產生不良影響。因此,我們嚴正要求學生報編委會成員:
1. 向中大師生及校友公開道歉;
2. 暫停刊出情色版,並召開中大學生全民大會,全面諮詢同學對此次事件的意見,特別應該虛心聆聽一些反對者的論點和感受。

今天的大學生,便是明天的社會領袖。我們絕不希望同學們面對錯誤決定,含混過關,以致驕縱而不知自愛。我們也不認同一些盲目鼓勵他們,卻不篤促他們反思的言論。

我們深切期望社會各界鼓勵並容許年輕人在遵守法律的大前提下,在錯誤中重新學習,尋找平衡,提昇自我。若有關同學能懸崖勒馬,那實在過而能改,善莫大焉,也是社會之福。

一群關心中大的中大同學、校友,和社會人士
2007年5月15日

藏頭露尾之輩

搞聯署, 連發起人個名都無, 不知所謂.

反聯署果然是有教會背景人士發起

我忽然注意到反聯署的日期是明天(15/5)才開始的,即未正式啟用的,於是心血來潮就上google看看已有的聯署人,發現大部份都有教會背景,而我也是從一個基督徒網友處得到這網頁的,所以這反聯署的匿名發起人的身份,就昭然若揭了。

林奕華的閱讀算是還學生報一個公平

ps.文中那個電車男,就是朱凱迪啊。

We don't want to talk about it
信報.城市筆記

  讀罷一共五期的《中大學生報》情色版,我並沒有覺得它「淫穢」;相反,我只有強烈感受到隱藏在一篇篇文章背後的抑壓,以及從字裏行間滲透出來的焦慮、苦悶、不安—總有急不及待想問的問題,想從別人口中聽到的答案,逼切地去闡釋、澄清、介紹與性有關的資訊和知識,渴望透過書寫讓感受和(性)經驗被更多人知道、明白。表面上是探索「情色」,我認為,這五期刊物的「潛文本」才應該是大眾的關心所在:這社會的「大學生」(年輕人)為何享受不到性所帶來的快樂,卻要因得不到想得到的性,備受肉體與精神的折磨?

  單從版面設計與視覺安排來看,每期情色版均有着統一風格:如果不是廁所牆壁上的塗鴉,就是被切割的圖片。不要說型男索女的裸露照片欠奉,就是線條簡單的插畫公仔,也大部分是「無性別(器)」,或只有下半身(腳)。上半身不是完全沒有,只是大多數以象徵代替,例如頸部以上不是頭,卻是四方框框內只有一張紅色大嘴。還有戴上「防毒面具」的頭顱,蹲着大便和抽煙的屁股,伸出青蛙似的舌頭的「怪物」,把眼耳口鼻(痛苦地)擠成一團的猩猩……唯一出現「真人」的一次,是在《自慰》一書的書評下有張戴眼鏡的男性照片,相中人低着頭垂着眼,十分切合旁邊的標題「也沉思」,卻與另一行「既尋樂」相去甚遠:對喝慣香港文化奶汁長大的人來說,整個版面活脫脫就是「書獃子」(電車男)的生活命題與寫照。

看不見的看見

  但是輿論似乎沒有興趣閱讀上述圖象,而只是抓住內文的文字不放。各大媒體引用最多的例子是「有否『裝』過阿爸阿媽兄弟姊妹做愛?」、「最想同咩動物造愛?」。若你問我,抽取這兩則問題其實是一種「看不見」的「看見」—在總共十條問題的調查問卷內,除了被認為是「嘩眾取寵」的該兩題,其餘八題均是圍繞「做愛是否好悶╱好煩」與「怎樣才能挑起(性)幻想」的主題。有此上文下理,「偷窺至親做愛」與「想同咩動物做愛」的出現便不是為了「引人犯罪」,而是有意喚起讀者對性幻想的「幻想」,然而編輯用心良苦(包括聲明「要答詳細D」),看不過眼者卻斷章取義,一場校園風暴與社會風波便像滔天大浪般翻起。

  本來,社會大眾可以藉《中大學生報》情色版的內容種種來關懷「是什麼令年青人在性面前有這許多挫敗感?」,但是指責和指控的態度明顯更有助大多數人掩飾一些什麼,於是「感到痛心、可惜」,「怒斥學生無知、教育水平太低」屬於條件反射式的反應鋪天蓋地而至,以至真正的問題才露出頭來旋即被打壓下去。

  「性」,從來不是獨立於人格和心理以外的行為。「性」,本來就是反映「我是誰」的鏡子。《中大學生報》情色版之會被部分教育界人士評為「眼高手低」,想必是學生的嚴肅手法被捉錯用神:大家真的以為「性」的意義永遠兩極:淫穢與神聖,所以忽略了情色版的另一層功能:同學藉着書寫與性有關的文字來尋找自己。

看見地看不見

  那麼,是什麼讓二十出頭的年輕人對自己感到迷惑、惶恐?情色版內的文章統統有線索可尋。最鮮明的例子是對女性在性方面自覺和自主的「自白書」。○七年一、二月號分別有《滿足》和《做╱愛總是拉着痛苦一二三四五》兩篇由女性執筆的文章。不約而同,文中都是女性對於做愛不應只是為了滿足男方的體會。若把兩篇文章的「意義」放在學生報的讀者群來考慮,不難想像確是可以令不知如何與異性就性需要提出要求的同學得到啟發:不論是羞於啟齒還是誤會可以奉旨,《做╱ 愛總是拉着痛苦一二三四五》表述了女方有權主動、有權拒絕、有權不為不成功的「性」感到內疚;《滿足》則以散文方式道出不美滿的性不一定帶來不滿足的愛,如果性幻想能夠補償現實的缺陷。

  若說因有描寫露骨之嫌便等同報章的「風月版」,那真不知道是刻意貶低上述兩篇文章,抑或太抬高了(一般的)「風月版」(雖然「風月版」也出過不少水平極高的情色文學家)—《做╱愛總是拉着痛苦一二三四五》全文沒有落下一個標點符號,用最老土的比喻,它是「藝術電影」多於三仔四仔。因為內容以外,作者也追求在形式上有創意,甚至詩意(意境)。

  隨便用「鼓吹淫穢」來否定自我探索,有可能是由於「看見地看不見」,怪不得會對於他人的痛╱苦視而不見。「自己總是想像他是愛他他他或她我在陷害他同時一再令自己痛苦不已直到他又一次說他是多麼的被我吸引着他我才又不相信卻安心起來這是妒忌心或是不信任或者是虐待狂或者以為想存在」—類似矛盾,誰敢說只有該段文字的作者才有?這些矛盾被放在「性」的範疇內呈現—「越做越『乾』(?)因為已做了三次(如何計算?)或者是自己以為不想做突然越『乾』仍插入是痛╱痛╱我小聲地叫好痛呀他問要停嗎你那麼痛我說痛得很興奮繼續吧」—為何不會是、不能是把作為「女大學生」對於性的愛彼為難的呈現?對於自己身體又熟悉又陌生的感受的誠意分享?

窘態曝了光

  我不是說《中大學生報》情色版的每篇文章都是驚世之作。現實沒有那麼誇張—偏偏卻是對現實有着抗拒心理的人愛把平凡不過的事情以誇張的方式放大來逃避現實—逃避那有着無數慾望卻因害怕別人眼光而不得不假裝無求的自己;逃避那因為畏首畏尾而面目逐漸模糊的自己,以致逃避一個城市必須面對的大哉問:是什麼造成我們對「性」有着如此嚴重的焦慮,而當一群大學生對這現象作出反應,甚至反抗時,便令我們的窘態曝了光?

  與其說要他們道歉認錯,為什麼我們不先反問在議論這件事時,竟會如此missing the whole point?

非常不幸

現在這群原教旨主義分子,連阿爾蓋達也不如,回教恐怖組織搞了襲擊還會承認責任,這幫人就是連責任也不想承認,這還能自稱神的僕人乎。

藏頭露尾的把戲本來是列寧這幫人提出(富勒《戰爭指導》),難道衛道也得要向共產黨學習?

掘墓啊, 掘墓啊, 學生報唔使驚, 大家同坐一條船

今日太陽已問審裁署, 轉載學生報討論的明報會否被評為二級, 答案係 "會", 言則, 獨立媒體轉載亂倫人獸交的文章, 亦會被評為二級, 大家同坐一條船了, 學生報唔使驚.

節錄太陽報:

淫褻及不雅物品審裁員協會主席葉興國稱,若《星期日生活》轉載被暫評為二級不雅的版面,或刊出的內容文字,即使經過修改,如令讀者聯想來自二級不雅的版面,影視處亦有權主動將刊物交由淫審處送檢。他說,按此情況估計,「有關刊物都好難走得甩!」他批評,「部分報章咁做根本係想嘩眾取寵,身為可以入校園報紙,應該罪加一等。」

香港大學法律學院助理教授張達明表示,如淫審處正式公布二月號及三月號《中大學生報》被暫評為二級不雅後,其他轉載相關問題版面的報刊,亦很大機會被評為二級不雅物品。

另類基督徒學生的聯署

聯署請到:http://www.petitiononline.com/62302822/petition.html
討論請到:http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/scmhk2005/article?mid=40&new=1

放下手上的石頭
和平討論 踐行公義 見證基督 推廣天國

主內的姊妹弟兄:

我們是一群基督徒,我們認為對於社會上以「禮教吃人」的事,應該加以制止,並宣揚和平的信息,讓人們分享到主的愛。

在我們成長的過程中,中學時期由於未年滿十八歲而被禁止接觸性,甚至連基本的性教育也沒有,畢業後出來工作的成年人則營營役役朝八晚十,連性需要也沒有時間解決。大學本來是個開放自由論學談性的空間,也有性別研究、社會學和政治學等的學術研究作為資源,讓我們去思考社會上種種禁忌的由來,透過批判思考而成長。可是我們觀察到以下的種種現象,正正削弱我們論學談性的空間,並且加劇大學中學化的反智趨勢。

連日來傳媒對中大學生報情色版事件的不斷炒作,校方不公義的審判程序,反映暴力文化正在社會各個層面無孔不入。部分基督徒看到中大學生報情色版,便以法利賽人的道德警察姿態向傳媒告發,完全沒有尋求理性溝通;但當他們看到以上種種暴力,卻視而不見,置若罔聞。

我們相信神和祂的公義,現在呼籲主內的姊妹弟兄,本着「行公義,好憐憫」的精神,存謙卑的心與鄰舍同行。面對日益暴力的社會,權貴專門向弱勢開刀,借道德之名打擊言論自由等社會基石;這時候基督徒更需要挺身而出,不要再做沉默的羔羊,要勇敢地站出來承認自己需要討論性的空間,並反對一切形式的暴力,推動和平溝通及平等對話,讓世人知道還有一群支持道德公義的人存在。

經文這樣說:「你們是世上的光。城造在山上是不能隱藏的……你們的光也當這樣照在人前,叫他們看見你們的好行為,便將榮耀歸給你們在天上的父。」 (新約馬太福音 5:14-16)

我們在此呼籲各位基督徒,在任何場合中警醒自己是否已不自覺地變成了法利賽人,對鄰舍加以攻擊;相反地,應和平討論中大學生報情色版一事,並且正視同學們對論學談性的空間之需要。懇請各位平信徒及宗教領袖身體力行見證基督精神,體察鄰舍的真正需要。

很可惜,立志行善由得我,行出來卻由不得我。因此,我們要自我警醒並提醒身邊的基督徒緊緊跟隨基督,不要效法法利賽人以「禮教吃人」,並放下手上的石頭,察驗上帝純全可喜悅的旨意。阿們。

香港基督徒學生運動

Some Notes on the Argument by 2006

I should like to say a word on the core of your argument, which I reproduce below:

1.性是每個人的基本欲望和需要。它本身不是什麼禁忌或不道德的東西。

2.每個人都擁有自己的身體,都是所謂的行動主體。因此,每個人都有絕對的自由去支配自己的身體,並滿足自己的欲望,別人不應干涉──只要這些性實踐不會傷害別人。〈這裡假定傷害和冒犯(offend)有質或量上的差異〉

3.每個人都是平等的,因此每個人都應享有平等的權利去選擇自己的生活方式,包括自己的性取向和性實踐。

4.因此,即使社會有些人因為宗教、道德或其他理由,而對某些小眾的性實踐感到不滿,甚至覺得被冒犯,也不應用各種方式壓制他人的選擇,而應該容忍(tolerate),甚至尊重別人的選擇。因為這些理由,並不足以凌駕別人的自主的權利。而尊重每個人都是平等的選擇主體這一點,或許是今天社會上很多人都接受的。

5.如果以上所說成立,則學生報對這些問題的討論,或許處理未周,或許品味未合大眾期望,或許有損「大學生形象」,但卻不足以支持全城去到喊打喊殺,痛心疾首,言論審查,甚至恨不得將其千刀切的地步。這豈不是更加嚴重的不寬容!

(即使1-4不成立,也不表示壓制便合理,因為思想自由和出版自由,並不需要預設所表達的觀點必須是對的,又或被大多數人接受,更不要說這是在一所大學之中了。這是另一條論證的路線,當然方向並不一樣。前者牽涉到對某些性取向的實質態度,後者則強調公民自由的重要性。這兩種論證可以同時存在。)

(1) Harm and Offense
It seems, first of all, that 1-4 concern about a person's right to choose his or her sexual practice, not the person's right to articulate that practice in whatsoever place and in whatsoever manner. You might suggest, that one right implies the other, because if the person's choice does not harm other people, so will not his or her articulation of it. Of course, others might find that articulation offensive; but you would then maintain, I take it, that being harmful and being offensive are sufficiently distinct, that merely being offensive does not warrant public intervention. So the force of your whole argument must rest on this provision, whose importance you well recognized: "這裡假定傷害和冒犯(offend)有質或量上的差異"

Almost ever since Mr. Mill's writing, the difficulty of maintaining the said provision has caused many a thinking head to say many interesting things. Have I, say, the right to tell sexually harassing jokes in front of a girl? I may be offensive, but shall swear that I mean no harm. But she, deeply disturbed, alleges that I have violated some sacred right of hers; to which I answer: Be tolerant.

Berlin, a well-qualified liberal, frankly admits that Mill's Harm Principle could warrant almost every kind of public intervention, seeing that the action of one almost always affects the well-being of another. It is against some such thought, that a different category, called "offense" need to be carved out from "harm." But as the example above suggests, the distinction between the two might not be, as you believe, "qualitative."

(2) University and Society
Part of your argument--towards the end of it--hinges on a comparison which many commentators are fast to make, namely, that university is like society, so that the former must at least be as free as the latter.

Suppose next year some students in the CUHK propose to set up an SM Club, stating as its main goal the authentic exploration of different kinds of sexual experience and, impliedly, different modes of love-making; pledging at the same time that nothing will offend the criminal law. This ought, on your theory, to be allowed, if not welcomed.

Suppose further that the year after some students in the CUHK actively promote the use of foul language, not only in banners (which is already done), but also in formal notices, daily exchanges, written assignments and final exams; they demand that the school authorities interfere not with this practice, for it is but a form of expression. This ought too, on your theory, to be allowed, if not welcomed.

So the new vision of a university is simply to dissolve it in society; it might be more critical than the latter, in some way, but, again on your theory, it cannot cultivate too actively among its students values that it believes worth cultivating. You might object, that it is not the end of cultivating values, but the means thereto, that is in question. But acknowledging that, provided the means be proper, a university can, and should, cultivate certain values among its students, shall invite us to move beyond the exclusive focus on the freedom of expression. This freedom is certainly important; but it is not necessarily over-riding. Even Berlin would acknowledge, as he does, that values clash, and freedom is but one--albeit an important one--among many.

To: YT

Hi Y.T., haven't seen you for a long time. Where have you been?

I think your whole counter argument rested on a single hidden assumption that incest, zoophilia, dirty jokes, SM, using the f-word are morally wrong, therefore it is not only offending but also should not be allowed in the society. Mind you that you have the burden of proof.

Here I gave you an example. Somewhere in Africa, the uncivilized locals still think taking a photo will lost their soul. Now an innocent tourist from the Western country take out his camera, take a picture of the locals and the locals felt they are offended. In this case, who is wrong? The local or the tourist?

I do agree the university should cultivate the student with the value they believe worth cultivating. Now, we have a new question, what value should the university cultivate? Freedom of thought, critical mind and the courage dare to challenge the status quo (although sometimes this lead to stupid mistakes like this one), or some sexual moral value of a particular religion? Do we want our higher education run by universities or monasteries?

Disclaimer: Once again, I have to declare my position. I am normal. I am against incest and zoophilia, I think they are wrong. But I don't think talking about incest or zoophilia is wrong at all.

回應YT:對「另一種論述」的補充

謝謝YT的回應。

回應之先,先作一點說明。之前的「另一種論述」的背景,是在學生報面對公眾審判學校處分的處境下,我嘗試提出另一種(實際上是兩種)論述策略,去為學生報出版情色版作出辯護。在該留言中,我既不認為這兩種策略沒有漏洞,更不認為它們可以抽離具體的脈絡而適用於所有情況。

1. Harm vs. Offense。我同意,傷害和冒犯之間沒有清楚的界線,甚至可能沒有質上的差異。而對於何者構成傷害,何者構成冒犯,也可以有不同理解。但這是否表示Mill的原則,便完全沒有意義呢?未必。即以這次爭論為例,反對學生報的一方,很少是說學生報的言論,令其受傷害的。(通常是說反感/噁心之類);

而就我所知,在七十年代英國一個有名的如何限制色情物品的報告中,該委員會的主席,著名哲學家Bernard Williams 似乎亦是用Mill的Harm Principle作為基本原則(參考:Obscenity and film censorship : an abridgement of the Williams report )我並不太記得該報告的內容了,遲點有機會再看之後,可補充。

我想說的是,即使承認這對概念難有清晰的界限,但不表示在我們的道德語言中,兩者沒有分別。如何判定,可能視乎具體情況及該道德社群普遍持有的道德信念。

退一步,如果這對概念真的沒有用,有沒有其他更好的區分方法呢?YT可以提出來,供大家參詳。我暫時想到的,是用權利來作限定:先界定什麼是人的權利,然後沒違反他人權利的,便容許做。

事實上,我個人對於前提二,即「每個人都有絕對的自由去支配自己的身體,並滿足自己的欲望,別人不應干涉──只要這些性實踐不會傷害別人。」也是有保留的。因為它似乎會導致Taylor所謂的self-sufficient atomist。這是後話。

2. 我同意你所說,自由不是絕對凌駕性的(overriding),也會和其他價值相衝突。我也同意,大學教育有其目的,不是所有行為都必須容忍或尊重。我之前的留言,並沒有這種含意。但在學生報的例子中,學生報是否有出版的自由呢?假設我們撇開審裁處的判決不論(即沒有違法的問題),那麼我認為學生報是有這樣的自由的--即使其他人不認同它的立場品味,甚至覺得被冒犯。(那當然不表示學生報這樣做十分好)

當然,這無可避免的牽涉到對事件的一些實質判斷,即實踐這種自由本身的重要性在那裡。這似乎有兩重考慮。一是自由討論性議題的重要性,一是一般意義上的思想和出版自由的重要性。所以,我沒有說所有的自由都同樣重要,更沒有說所有自由都應凌駕其他價值之上。(Charles Taylor的What is Wrong with Negative Liberty一文,對此有很好的分析。)

或許你會問,討論性/別問題的自由,設立SM Club的自由,和任意說粗口的自由,三者的significance的分別在那裡。我沒有一個既定的答案,我想這是需要我們一起坐下來討論的,其中包括對大學教育的理解,對人的理解,對該活動本身的意義的理解等等。

以上的回應,並沒有觸及一些實質的內容的爭論,只是從概念上釐清一些分析框架。至於裡面的內容,當然可以討論下去。

to: 2006

講meta-ethics有點離題﹐不過隨口問下。為什麼要用Mills的no harm principles? 為什麼不用Locks的social contract﹐又或者同樣也是Mills的utilitarian principles?

A Reply to 2006

Thank you, first of all, for your response. The difficulty of explicating, let alone applying, the Harm Principle is, I believe, best illustrated by looking not at kinds of activity which lovers of freedom tend, however hesitantly, to protect, but at those kinds which even lovers of freedom are on the whole eager to condemn. Hence my first example, the telling of sexually harassing jokes in front of a girl.

I suspect that many commentators on this forum--so many lovers of freedom--would not find it difficult to condemn the telling of that kind of jokes, once the girl alleges that the jokes are deeply offensive, let alone harmful. Whether she calls the jokes offensive or harmful seems, to justify the condemnation, immaterial: the presumption being that the girl's subjective resentment is all that is needed; neither the teller's intent, nor any sort of objective assessment of the act, matters.

Now, we may ask, if the subjective resentment is all that is needed to justify the condemnation, and if it is at least plausible to construe the Student Press's various articles and questions and answers as, for those who resent them, a public telling of deeply disturbing things; if these be granted, then why should not he who is ready to condemn the telling of sexually harassing jokes, on the Harm Principle or not, also be ready to condemn the articles and questions and answers in the Press? Remember, we accepted, arguendo, that in the case of the poor girl fed with sexually harassing jokes, her subjective resentment is all that is needed to ground the condemnation.

We need not speculate on the actual theory on which the lovers of freedom rally to the girl's support. We may call the theory X. The question my example puts to the reader hence is: Why can't those who find the Press offensive invoke X to condemn it? And if they do so, why shouldn't the lovers of freedom allow, and even endorse, the condemnation?

It might be objected that the Press does not aim at a specific person, while the teller of bad jokes does. But suppose the teller does not whisper the bad jokes to the ear of one girl, but tells them loudly in an office with quite a few female employees, a good portion of whom do find the jokes, weekly told, offensive. What then?

If we develop this example further, refining the details hither and thither, we may come to see that it is not that straightforward to distinguish it from the Student Press incident. I suspect that on no construal of the Harm Principle can one condemn one activity without being compelled to condemn the other. But many lovers of freedom do love to condemn the one: Thus a predicament, at least in theory, for the lovers of freedom.

回應YT 2 :具體問題具體談

幾點回應。

1. 你文中說:“the presumption being that the girl's subjective resentment is all that is needed; neither the teller's intent, nor any sort of objective assessment of the act, matters.”

你整個回應,都是基於這個假設。但我並不接受這個假設。如果subjective resentment是所有moral condemnation的必要及充分條件,那會推出不能接受的後果,因為不要說學生報,只要任何物品言論創作令得人們主觀感到被冒犯,便都可以作出合理的道德譴責。要支持你的立論,你需先證立這個前設。

2. 而我認為,整個爭論中,一個討論的盲點,正正是很多人認為,只要學生報的情色版令人感覺被冒犯,這種感覺本身,便構成一個充份條件,要求學生報道歉。問題並不如此簡單。讀者的感覺,雖然是真的感覺,但導致這種感覺出現的理由,不一定是合理的(reasonable)或理性的(rational)的。例如有人見到同性戀便反胃,不代表同性戀便應被譴責。因為反胃的原因,可能是源於一些假的信念,又或這些信念本身並不合理。

再者,退一步,即使這種感覺,能被證明為合理的,也不代表便應譴責學生報,因為正如你引Berlin所說,在整件事中,可能有其他價值,足以凌駕這種被冒犯的感覺。任何一個自由社會,可以容許許多不同的令人感覺被冒犯的東西存在,不正好說明這點嗎?

3. 你說:"If we develop this example further, refining the details hither and thither, we may come to see that it is not that straightforward to distinguish it from the Student Press incident."

問題卻正在於,你總是嘗試將問題調整到極端,然後指出其兩難。作為一種論證策略,這沒有問題,但正如我之前承認,自由和自由的界限,是一個相當困難的問題,沒有人可以提供一刀切的適用於所有情況的答案,我們只能盡量建立一個倫理框架,或一些基本原則,然後在具體情況中,考慮不同的因素,聆聽各方的理由,並展開討論對話。這不正是Berlin教給我們的智慧嗎?

學生報的內容,是否令人感覺冒犯;若是,導致冒犯的理由何在?這些理由是否成立?若成立,程度如何?該程度是否足以對他人作出道德譴責?這些譴責,又意味著什麼相應的道德及法律責任?

這些都可以,也應該討論。現實的情況,卻是這些討論並未充分展開,便被傳媒校方及政府打斷了。而在聽過不同理由之前,又或你對事件的詳細分析之前,我沒法給你一個確定的,straightforward的答案。

4. 我之前也說了,Harm/Offense的區分,理論上實際上都有困難。如果你覺得這兩個概念不能幫我們決定群己權界,那你也可以提出,有什麼更好的方法。我一早已說了,是可以有其他的論述的。

順便簡答H:1. 這裡討論的,不是meta-ethics, 而是ethics; 2. 這裡不考慮Locke的契約論和Utilitarianism,是因為前者關心的不是這問題,後者會導致一些難以克服的困難,例如principle of utility同樣可以用來限制自由。舉例:如果很多人覺得學生報令中大校譽受損,因此很不開心,那麼對學生報出版自由的限制,便是成立的。

Second Reply to 2006

Let me preface my reply by saying that I took two of the assumptions, which I used to derive certain results, from the lovers of freedom themselves; the assumptions being:

(1) That in the case of sexual harassment, a subjective, rather than an objective, standard ought to be adopted by the law; so that the victim's subjective resentment is all that is needed for condemnation prima facie. I only suggested, then, that he who urges to adopt this standard liberally has the burden of proof, as to why a very different standard ought to be adopted when it comes to the Student Press, I having pointed to the plausible comparison between the two situations.

You objected: "你整個回應,都是基於這個假設。但我並不接受這個假設。如果subjective resentment是所有moral condemnation的必要及充分條件,那會推出不能接受的後果,因為不要說學生報,只要任何物品言論創作令得人們主觀感到被冒犯,便都可以作出合理的道德譴責。要支持你的立論,你需先證立這個前設。" You might be right, that adopting the said standard could lead to very undesirable consequences. Yet, when it comes to protecting women, precisely that standard seems to be very welcomed by the lovers of freedom. If so, then they ought to say, at some point, why protecting the sentiment of women warrants a much more subjective standard than protecting the sentiment of those who truly find casual talks of incest very offensive.

I need not "證立這個前設"; for I did not say that I must adopt it. The structure of the argument--in fact a comparison of the two cases of sexual harassment and, shall we say, harassment of sexually conservative people by the Student Press--shows clearly that it is an internal critique, internal to the thought structure of the lovers of freedom in the above sense.

(2) That the Press ought to be allowed to publish in its pages those articles and questions and answers which quite a few students, let alone members of the public, find offensive, not because the truth of the content, but because it is a good thing to challenge the public and to provoke wider discussion.

I cannot see how this assumption, allegedly maintained by many lovers of freedom, can square with your view, that "讀者的感覺,雖然是真的感覺,但導致這種感覺出現的理由,不一定是合理的(reasonable)或理性的(rational)的。例如有人見到同性戀便反胃,不代表同性戀便應被譴責。因為這種反胃,要麼是源於一些假的信念;要麼這些信念本身並不合理。"

If calling another's belief "假的信念" is sufficient to warrant freedom from condemnation, conservative Christians would have every right to assert, bona fide, that those articles and questions and answers published in the Press are false, and false tout court; hence their condemnation thereof should itself not be condemned.

======================

As for points 3 and 4, I do not think that sexual harassment is an extreme case for comparison. If you maintain, that those who find the Press offensive have that feeling because of a false belief, I fail to see why the same cannot be said of a girl complaining of sexual harassment: were she as sexually emancipated as certain people, she would have found the harassing act perhaps a little troubling, but otherwise quite normal; and her failing to behave that way, is all because of her false belief. In what concrete sense the comparison is extreme--instead of simply troubling to you--you did not say.

I have no good criterion to offer, that would draw a proper line between the social and the individual spheres. But I simply do not think you, or any lover of freedom for that matter, can propose a clear distinction between harm and offense, that would do the job. It might be more promising if, focusing on the present incident, you argue that promoting the discussion the Press tried to promote, however offensive it be to the sexually conservative, is beneficial to the CUHK community on the whole--admittedly a utilitarian argument--while telling obscene jokes is not. But of course it would be you, or the lovers of freedom, who assert this high benefit; for the conservatives, a collective harassment on campus is worse than a single obscene joke.

I hope, by way of these few remarks, to clarify the structure of the argument that seems to hinge, at one place or another, on the Harm Principle or some like thought. On closer examination, I suspect that many who endorse the Press do not really come to their conclusion from the Harm Principle or suchlike, but are moved to it in the belief that what the Press tacitly promotes is a good thing--just as they would say that an obscene joke in front of a girl is bad. If it is THIS value judgment that is the factor decisive, then the freedom of speech is not really the rub.

To highlight the last point, particularly for the readership of this forum, I suggested elsewhere the thought experiment: Fancy that the Press were controlled, not by ardent challengers of "the mainstream discourse," but by conservative Christians (of which let me say I am not a member). Would the lovers of freedom be equally ardent in defending the freedom of that Press? To condemn it, there would be, I dare say, no lack of commentators.

回應YT

YT,

1.Let me preface my reply by saying that I took two of the assumptions, which I used to derive certain results, from the lovers of freedom themselves

我不是這裡的常客,所以當你說你的前提是源於the lovers of freedom themselves時,我覺得太含糊了,說服力不夠。誰是你口中的the lovers of freedom?是所有或大部分反對譴責學生報的人嗎?你這樣說難免流於印象,假如你能舉一兩個例子(包括具體人物及以往言論)來說明--不是證明--相信效果會好一點。

2.the victim's subjective resentment is all that is needed for condemnation prima facie.

上面"all that is needed"是重點。由於你未有舉出我在第一點質疑中所提及的具體人物、具體言論,你這句斬釘截鐵的"all that is needed"就完全被架空,換言之,只要你第一前提予人有片面、主觀之嫌,不管你之後的論證有多嚴謹,結論也沒說服力。因為"all that is needed"就是說, subjective resentment就是condemnation的necessary and sufficient condition,但 the lovers of freedom 真有如此極端的見解?抑或他們只認為那是necessary condition呢?(假設只是後者,他們便可完全瓦解你的internal critique了)但如果他們確有流露過這樣可笑的想法,也勞煩YT舉證一下,否則就有鑿空之嫌了。

3.你在A Reply to 2006說:It might be objected that the Press does not aim at a specific person, while the teller of bad jokes does. But suppose the teller does not whisper the bad jokes to the ear of one girl, but tells them loudly in an office with quite a few female employees, a good portion of whom do find the jokes, weekly told, offensive. What then?

If we develop this example further, refining the details hither and thither, we may come to see that it is not that straightforward to distinguish it from the Student Press incident.

假設你證明了the lovers of freedom真認為subjective resentment就是定罪的necessary and sufficient condition,那大眾對中大學生報的反感,又是否跟一個被性騷擾的女孩所感受到的subjective resentment同類且程度相若呢?你一個人給老師痛罵的感覺,跟全班被罵的感覺明顯是不同的--留意,這個類比只在"以subjective resentment為唯一參考標準下"才能成立--所以the lovers of freedom可以反駁:"大眾的subjective resentment跟一個被性騷擾的女孩相比,根本就輕微得不值一提,所以YT你批評學生有傷風化是可以的,但那只是你的false belief,你始終不能說我們自打嘴巴,有雙重標準。"
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附帶一提,我贊成譴責學生的低水平和壞品味,但不支持不必要的懲罰(包括禁止色情版及刑事責任)。

回應YT 3:傷害原則和主觀感受

若我理解沒錯,現在討論的重點,是YT認為Harm Principle站不住腳,因為傷害和冒犯的界線根本難以界定,尤其當lovers of freedom將受眾的主觀感受視為被傷害和冒犯的充份條件的話。按此定義,我不是YT所稱的那種lovers of freedom,但不嫌重覆長氣,我再次闡述我的觀點。

1. 我一早已承認了傷害和冒犯不是截然二分,而要作出判斷,需要具體問題具體談,需要將不同因素考慮進去。以YT所提出的對著女孩說黃色笑話為例,如果你抽離context去作一個空泛的類比,很難下什麼結論。在我們的生活中,什麼樣的黃色笑話無傷大雅,什麼樣的構成冒犯,什麼樣的構成傷害,(三者中間又有程度之分),要看笑話的具體內容,在什麼場合談,說笑話的人的動機,聽者感受的背後理由等等。將問題抽離具體情景,然後認為學生報和說性騷擾笑話的性質是一樣的,似乎不太公平。(留意:我這裡並沒有說,學生報的情色版必然是合理的。是否合理,要看學生報提出什麼理由,以及如何回應讀者提出的質疑)

YT似乎沒有告訴我們,為什麼這種判斷問題的進路必然不可行,也沒有告訴我們,為何能從傷害和冒犯兩者界線難以界定得一清二楚,能夠推出將Harm Principle放棄。(事實上,在政治哲學和法律哲學的討論中,Harm Principle依然被很多人討論,甚至接受。)例如他說,“But I simply do not think you, or any lover of freedom for that matter, can propose a clear distinction between harm and offense, that would do the job.”

重覆一次:這種態度,不正是YT推崇的Berlin的立場嗎?既然價值多元,沒有任何價值有必然的優先性,因此作出判斷時,要因應具體處境,衡量不同價值的重要性,而不要期望有個一勞永逸的clear distinction。

YT的用意,似乎是想引出以下立場:“It might be more promising if, focusing on the present incident, you argue that promoting the discussion the Press tried to promote, however offensive it be to the sexually conservative, is beneficial to the CUHK community on the whole--admittedly a utilitarian argument--while telling obscene jokes is not.”

我同意,這可以是另一種論證的理由。但這是YT本人的立場,還是只是一個策略,希望引導Lovers of Freedom接受的立場,然後再由此引出另一輪的批評?如果是前者,那請YT先清楚的將你的觀點說出來,我們再作討論。如果是後者,那因為我暫時不覺得Harm Principle完全失效,所以我暫不打算回應,雖然我同意YT的觀察,即很多人的確認為情色版的討論是好事,因為它能帶來不少好的後果──即使這樣會導致不少人覺得被冒犯。

2. YT說:“If calling another's belief "假的信念" is sufficient to warrant freedom from condemnation.”我沒有說過這是免被譴責的Sufficient理由。我只是說,一個人的主觀感覺as such,並不構成譴責的充份理由,因為其中一種情況,是該人的感覺可能基於false belief。因此,我同意你所說,在性騷擾的例子中,如果你有充足的理由,指出被騷擾者的感受是基於false belief,那是構成一個反駁理由的(不一定充分)。

舉個極端一點的例子。某女子在辦公室見到某男人穿著一件印有大衛像的T恤,然後聲稱受到嚴重的性騷擾,因為她以為這男人正在意圖性侵犯她,令她極度恐懼(因為她由小至大都未看過這樣的東西)。假定這個女子當下的感受是真的,這是否構成道德譴責的充分條件呢?這男人至少可以有辯護的餘地吧。

為何YT認為Lovers of Freedom必須接受這個主觀感受的前設呢?如果不是,那你整個討論的基礎,似乎便不那麼穩妥,甚至有點像在攻擊稻草人了。

Mill的傷害原則

方便這裡的讀者,我將J.S.Mill在On Liberty一書的Harm Principle打下來,供大家參考。我手上沒有中譯本,但英文應該也不難理解。On Liberty是討論言論出版思想自由的經典,也是第一本被譯為中文的西方政治哲學著作(嚴復,《群己權界論》)。坊間很多地方可以買到,網上也應有不少電子版本。

The object of this essay is to assert one very simple principle, as entitled to govern absolutely the dealing of society with the individual in the way of compulsion and control, whether the means used be physical force in the form of legal penalties or the moral coercion of public opinion. That principle is that the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number is self-protection. That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinions of others, to do so would be wise or even right. These are good reasons for remonstrating with him, or reasoning with him, or persuading him, or entreating him, but not for compelling him or visiting him with any evil in case he do otherwise. To justify that, the conduct from which it is desired to deter him must be calculated to produce evil to someone else. The only part of the conduct of anyone for which he is amendable to society is that which concerns others. In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign.

Student Press and Sexual Harassment: A Reply to Arnold, pt.1

Thank you for your rejoinder, Arnold. Each of the three points you raised urges me to enlarge upon some aspect of my argument, and I shall do that accordingly.

(1) The Lovers of Freedom
Who, you asked me, are these "lovers of freedom," whose thought structure I meant to examine? The question may be answered in three different ways, depending on how you want to take my argument.

(a) One answer, which is also the safest, is that the lovers of freedom are they who accept the two assumptions I mentioned in my previous post. The drawback of this answer is, of course, that it renders the statement "I took the assumptions from the lovers of freedom" tautological; and yet, it does not undermine the force of the argument itself. For the argument still sets up this predicament, that if ANYONE happens to accept the two assumptions, that person will have something to explain if he or she also objects to condemning the Student Press. We can, to begin with, ask some of the more outspoken participants on this forum, e.g. 阿藹, 小西, tsw, Perspex, XOX, just to name a few, whether they indeed accept the two assumptions. Maybe some do, maybe none.

(b) Another answer, which I call the broad one, is that the phrase "lovers of freedom" indeed refers to "大部分反對譴責學生報的人," to follow one of your speculations. It is plain that not all who object to condemning the Student Press must needs accept the two assumptions, just as not all of them who are routinely called "liberals," "conservatives," or "the mainstream," must needs accept everything the appellation is meant to convey. But prima facie, it is plausible that quite a few of those who object to condemning the Student Press would accept the assumptions; I hope I may thus be allowed to use the phrase--just as we would use "liberals" etc. But, for analytical purposes, this answer seems to leave something to be desired. Hence:

(c) The third, and intermediate, answer builds on the second, by including an argument to the effect that there are concrete indications that the two assumptions are indeed accepted by the said group. Last year, 番茄 reported, in the article "校園(反)性騷擾的政策、條例、執行" (Oct. 8, 2006 http://www.inmediahk.net/public/article?item_id=156902&group_id=82) the following:

"《蘋果日報》今天(8-10-2006)報道平機會較早前向民政事務局提出修訂性騷擾的法例,把校園納入規管範圍的建議已獲民政事務局接納,本年底將把修訂條例提上立法會討論,我認為這是值得大眾歡迎的一步。

"現時法例已規定即使沒有動機或特定對象的騷擾行為,只要能證明已構成製造性方面的「敵意環境」(如在辨公室張貼色情海報或大講鹹濕說話),以致令人不安或感到受侮辱也屬違例。可是條例對製造「敵意環境」的限制的適用範圍並不包括校園環境,以致過去幾年一些大學迎新營都出現含色情成份的活動或口號,即使引起一些同學感到不安及受侮,平機會卻未能直接引用該條例展開正式調查。"

The author endorsed the existing law, according to which "在辨公室[...]大講鹹濕說話 [...] 以致令人不安或感到受侮辱也屬違例," and championed extending it to cover the university campus. The standard adopted by the law clearly leans towards the subjective end; in fact, "即使沒有動機或特定對象 [...] 也屬違例." We observe that the Student Press's problematic publications might be construed to indicate neither malicious motive nor specific target, but, under a subjective standard, this would not matter at all, respecting whether those publications constitute, for some readers, a form of sexual harassment. No outspoken commentators on this forum has, to the best of my knowledge, ever found the subjective legal standard, in matters of sexual harassment, disturbing.

To get a sense of the strong support certain commentators lend, or lent, to the subjective standard in matters of sexual harassment, we may recall certain exchanges during the 森美小儀 incident. Under 阿藹's thread "抗議商業電台節目「架勢堂」節目鼓吹性暴力、踐踏女性尊嚴" (Jun. 6, 2006 http://www.inmediahk.net/public/article?item_id=119285&group_id=14), we have this statement from

tsw: "女仔自己用自己的身材來講笑當然冇問題,甚至同friend講笑都可以冇問題。不過,如果怎[the interlocutor]你係女仔,真係有d三唔識七九唔搭八的人,行過擺明用不友善的色迷迷眼光望你,甚至用言語性騷擾你,咁你又點呢?就算你覺得冇所謂,咁有人覺得唔舒服,有乜咁夾硬黎呢?點解源於性的不友善態度,不能是產生並累積自無惡意的流行文化的呢?連人地的確實不愉快甚至慘痛經驗你都可以否定為夾硬黎,邊個夾硬黎d呢?"

The writer stresses "有人覺得唔舒服," and once that happens, we have, according to the writer, reason to be concerned. She says nothing--neither here nor anywhere in the debate--about the objectivity of that "bad feeling," nor whether the feeling is based on true or false belief. In a more angry tone, she even suggests:

tsw: "如果你覺得要聽節目大晒,你班受到性騷擾及性侵犯既人唔該同我死開!咁我地冇謂講落去啦。"

One participant in that debate, much hated by most others, writes thus:

怎: "個投票係講緊「想」非禮姐。我想你死。我想你死全家。我咒你陷家剷。咁係咪等於我已經有計劃殺你全家?係咪等於我已經犯左法?你冇病呀?...。你聽到我咒你陷家剷,你感到不安,呢個係你問題。你唔了解語言。你將的說話按照字面意思直接解釋。如果有人同你講句屌你老母,咁你係咪就會好驚慌咁仆返屋企睇睇個老母有冇穿有冇爛呢?"

To which 小狼 answers:

小狼: "用呢位人兄你的邏輯,想唔等於做,將的說話按照字面意思直接解釋係唔了解語言。好,呢個叫阿「怎」的仆街請同我聽住,我真係想你死,想你冚家鏟!我同你講:「屌你老母!」你有種嘅就咪批評我!係你自己話咁講、咁想都是冇問題的! "

But why is this "「想」非禮" so troubling to 小狼? Another commentator, who styles himself/herself as cynical, says:

cynical critic: "同埋始終用一樣會令人受傷害既刑事罪行黎開玩笑, 真係令人覺得難受同"梗耳"."

To which the much-hated participant answers:

怎: "令「某些人」覺得難受同梗耳。但肯定唔係令「所有人」覺得難受同梗耳(睇返事實,的確有人表示過佢地可以接受森美小儀果個投票,唔覺得有問題)。即係,而家個事實係:有人覺得難受、有人覺得唔難受。咁點解前者既感受係感受,後者既感受就唔係感受?點解要後者遷就前者?"

This last bit sounds familiar: We are often told that the Student Press need not take so much care about the feeling of the conservative Christians, within campus and without, so long as it aims at challenging the settled values of the mainstream.

The reader might, at this point, suspect that quite a few participants in the debate over the 森美小儀 incident are inclined to adopt, not only a subjective standard for sexual harassment, wherever the victim feels bad, but also an objective one, so to speak, wherever, even though the victim does not feel bad, they the commentators themselves--feeling that the victim should have felt bad, just like the conservative Christians on campus now feel that others should have felt bad about obscene talks of incest--do not like the act in question. But the latter inclination does not concern us. The stress on FEELING, on the subjective perception of the act, which we documented just now ("咁有人覺得唔舒服,有乜咁夾硬黎呢"), renders quite plausible, I hope, my contention that among those who object to condemning the Student Press, not a few indeed adopt a subjective standard in matters of sexual harassment.

You might say, that this disposes only of the first assumption. But I would you agree, that those who support the Student Press on grounds of freedom of speech tend, on the whole, to argue, not that the published matters are true, but that it is the right of the Press them to publish, true or false. I am, therefore, inclined to believe that it is by now sufficiently clear what the third answer to the question, Who are the lovers of freedom? consists in.

This part of my reply being already quite long, let me relegate the rest to a subsequent.

Student Press and Sexual Harassment: A Reply to Arnold, ptt.2 &

(2) All that is needed
It is trivially true that subjective resentment cannot literally be a "sufficient" condition for legal conviction: one has at least to file a complaint, prove the allegedly harassing act, etc. But to say that it is "all that is needed," I meant to contrast it with the objective standard, which asks, whether or not a reasonable person would find the act harassing.

As for moral condemnation, with all the legal formalities gone, we no longer need the qualification above. So when a lover of freedom agrees that in matters of sexual harassment, the victim's feeling or perception is the factor decisive--neither the perpetrator's motive nor his intent nor his perception of the act matters. I take it, that my previous reply has shown that quite a few commentators do seem to hold such a view.

(3) Matter of Degree
You said: "大眾對中大學生報的反感,又是否跟一個被性騷擾的女孩所感受到的subjective resentment同類且程度相若呢?你一個人給老師痛罵的感覺,跟全班被罵的感覺明顯是不同的." I take it that you are still concerned about the position of the lovers of freedom. Now, can they assert that "你一個人給老師痛罵的感覺,跟全班被罵的感覺明顯是不同的"? or "大眾的subjective resentment跟一個被性騷擾的女孩相比,根本就輕微得不值一提"?

Well, we may first ask, In the 森美小儀 incident, was the experience of some female protester, who found the question offensive, more like "你一個人給老師痛罵的感覺" or "全班被罵的感覺"? Plainly, the DJs did not aim their question at a specific woman; but many women felt that the whole class of females was insulted. The lovers of freedom, therefore, cannot quite answer my criticism in the way you suggested. You might insist that the 森美小儀 incident is neither like this nor like that, but sui generis; the relativistic consequences of such a move are, I hope, too patent to need explicating.

Thank you again for your rejoinder.

Third Reply to 2006: 傷害原則和主觀感受

My gratitude, 2006. I shall in the following reply refer liberally to my answer to Arnold, pt.1, supra.

1. I certainly do not oppose the suggestion that one may try to examine the analogy between the Student Press's publications and some well known forms of sexual harassment; to do so, one may have to consider the "totality of the circumstances," so to speak; and to assist this considering, certain factors may be highlighted in advance, and all aspects of the comparison remain open for consideration. That is all fine. But once the totality of the circumstances has been considered, one would pretty much have made up one's mind: What could the so-called harm-offense distinction ADD to the deliberation? If you cannot even say, broadly, what some identifiable differences between "harm" and "offense" might be, they are, I believe, nothing more than words for justification post factum. Worse, they obscure the true nature of the deliberative process, namely, distinction of cases, rather than application of principles.

You further wrote: "但這是YT本人的立場,還是只是一個策略,希望引導Lovers of Freedom接受的立場,然後再由此引出另一輪的批評?如果是前者,那請YT先清楚的將你的觀點說出來,我們再作討論。如果是後者,那因為我暫時不覺得Harm Principle完全失效,所以我暫不打算回應." My central claim is:

(1) that, given what the lovers of freedom had said in the past--see Reply to Arnold pt.1--they are bound to honor the two assumptions I mentioned in earlier posts;
(2) that, honoring those assumptions, they can hardly say that "freedom of speech" must trump the subjective resentment of the sexually conservative students on campus;
(3) that it is therefore not open to them to justify their position simply by invoking the said freedom;
(4) that, if they still want to maintain their defense of the Press's publications, they will have to admit that they must rely on some consequentialist considerations--like the utilitarian argument I suggested;
(5) but then, lastly, that the lovers of freedom would be making a value judgment (challenging settled values trumps protecting conservatives' sentiments) which, compared with the value judgment they made in matters of sexual harassment, receives its whole force from a particular view of sex and sexual desires, and not from general notions of the freedom of speech.

2. Your hypothetical reads: "某女子在辦公室見到某男人穿著一件印有大衛像的T恤,然後聲稱受到嚴重的性騷擾,因為她以為這男人正在意圖性侵犯她,令她極度恐懼(因為她由小至大都未看過這樣的東西)。假定這個女子當下的感受是真的,這是否構成道德譴責的充分條件呢?"

Again, I need not say whether I think the man is morally condemnable; for I mean only to argue what the lovers of freedom, accepting the two assumptions, must say. Now, given what I quoted in my Reply to Arnold, pt.1, and the (quite plausible) fact that many lovers of freedom agree with the law's adopting a subjective standard in matters of sexual harassment, I have reason to think, that the lovers of freedom ought to declare that the man IS indeed to be morally condemned. The fact that the woman could have felt otherwise--say, if she had been brought up in a different way--is immaterial. Or else, the lovers of freedom would have no answer to the following argument by the much-hated participant in the debate:

怎: "承接返上面回應「阿靄」果段,我仲有一的實例,係我自己親身經歷。你地班婦女團體係咪覺得,一個男仔,向一個女仔講句「我想非禮你」,就係好侮辱,好有侵犯性?喂,我出去蒲果陣周不時都講類似既說話。「嘩你著咁少衫,我驚我忍唔住抄你喎」。個女仔之後係點反應?個女仔之後既反應並唔係你地一廂情願地覺得自己俾人不禮貌對待、覺得自己俾人性騷擾。而係個女仔順住個勢同我一齊講埋的鹹濕野。都不知幾開心。「抄你」即係伸隻手入去你衣服內搜索。我諗個嚴重性遠遠高過「非禮」吧?你以為係女仔就一定會介意?" (Quoted from: http://www.inmediahk.net/public/article?group%5fid=11&item%5fid=216758)

回應YT 4: 主觀感受背後是什麼

謝謝YT非常耐心詳盡的分析拆解,我這次可以答得很短,也可以答得很快。如我沒理解錯,你對我和Arnold的回應,最主要的,是你想極力證明Lovers of Freedom是接受了你的前提一,即個人主觀感受是道德譴責的充分條件。

你和我都同意,這樣是不合理的。但我想說,其實你點名批評的那些lovers of freedom,也不會接受這樣的前提的。你只是以為他們是,又或他們以為自己是持那樣的觀點,實際上卻不可能。理由很簡單。設想以下對話:

A:你這個行為是道德上錯的。
B:為什麼?
A:因為你的行為令我有強烈的被侮辱的感覺?
B:為什麼你會有這樣的感覺?

然後是兩種可能回應。

A1:無得解,就是因為我有這樣的感覺。(完)
A2:我有這樣的感覺,是因為你的行為侮辱了我作為人,作為女性的尊嚴,你傷害了我的自尊,你違反了某某道德原則某某宗教教條......(下刪三百字)

我想你會同意,真正的有意義的對話,只會是A2,而不是A1。又或者學究點說,只有A2才稱得上是一個moral justification。

既然如此,你所說的前提一只是表面的現象,實際上當我們說某行為是值得道德譴責時,都是在說基於某些道德理由,all things considered,該行為是錯的。換言之,這些理由一方面解釋他們為什麼會感到被侮辱,另一方面也支持她們的主觀感受為什麼是合理的。(又或者再保險些,即使他們面對別人的某些行動的第一反應,是完全非反思性及直覺式的,他們之後去合理化自己的感覺時,依然是訴諸理由,而不是感覺 as such)
只是在平時的對話中,人們並不太意識到這樣的實踐理性思考的結構。你所說的lovers of freedom如果是講道理的話(both reasonable and rational),一定是這樣進行道德論證的。他們不可能會堅持你所說的主觀感受論--儘管可能表面上是。

(這裡當然假定他們不會是道德主觀主義者,因為lovers of freedom都會接受自由是普遍性價值吧)

既然如此,便回到我最初對你的回應:前提一是在攻擊稻草人。

(你或會退一步,稱即使同意我所說,那麼lovers of freedom依然可以堅持說,主觀感受背後的那些理由,是道德譴責的充份條件。這不太可能。因此,在學生報的例子中,即使有人感到被冒犯,也不一定由此推出要道德譴責學生報,因為我們除了可以質疑被冒犯的感受的背後的理由是否合理外,也可以引入freedom of speech作為其中一個考慮因素。至此,你整個論證的結論及其論證策略,恐怕均難以成立。)

至於其他問題,都是枝節,不贅。

雙重標準和理性思考

謝謝YT那麼具體的回應。我很珍惜這種交流,因為網上很多聲稱自己習慣「理性討論」的人,依賴的從來不是理性,而是信仰(可以是宗教的、文化的或學術的),熱愛的也不是多元討論,而是自我中心的夢囈。我不是指這裡的「討論者」,只想講講我自己網上交流的觀感而已。

2006:「只是在平時的對話中,人們並不太意識到這樣的實踐理性思考的結構。你所說的lovers of freedom如果是講道理的話(both reasonable and rational),一定是這樣進行道德論證的。他們不可能會堅持你所說的主觀感受論--儘管可能表面上是。」

我完全同意2006所言:lovers of freedom如果時刻都「意識到這樣的實踐理性思考的結構」,他們絕不會堅持或展露出YT所說的「主觀感受論」。但2006的話其實已不自覺地點中了他們的要害,即為什麼他們會「可能表面上是」(認同主觀感受論)?豈不是說,他們心中有一套標準,而口中又有另一套?沒有人可以證明到另一個人真正想什麼信什麼,所以我們所能分析和討論的只是現象。為什麼他們會表現出這種口不對心的現象(即表面上似乎認同主觀感受論,但實際上內心又不支持)?我的看法是,不是他們說得不清楚,也不是YT過度詮釋,而是他們根本就(也許不自覺地)有雙重標準:一套施於他們支持的人,而另一套則施於他們反對的人;一套置於內心,一套掛在嘴角。因時制宜,可謂無往而不利,若要求他們一以貫之,恐怕是強人所難吧?

為什麼有雙重標準?一可能是故意的,此乃品格問題;二可能是不自覺的,但這恰好顯示了他們沒有理性思考的意識或習慣。換言之,他們對自己一向關心擁戴的「批判思考」,似乎並沒怎樣認真看待過。

多謝

多謝 2006, Arnold 和 YT的討論
小弟獲益良多

容許我回一回帶,具體討論一下中大事件

假設傷害與冒犯在質上可以找到明確的分野,而在這次中大事件裡大多數人是被冒犯,而不是傷害,以此角度來看,封膠袋似乎是恰如其份的處置?

我想問的是,這個論述怎樣處理封膠袋的問題?

Fourth Reply to 2006: 主觀感受背後是什麼

I take it, that your whole argument hinges on this central assertion, that nobody could ever hold that subjective resentment is a sufficient ground for moral condemnation. Let me call this, in your view impossible, belief SR. You argued that subjective resentment in itself could furnish no ground for moral justification; that only a statement from the resenter telling us why he or she resents the act in question (such as your A2) can.

Now, first of all, that SR is impossible because it fails to meet certain philosophical criteria does not imply that SR is impossible for many people to hold. They ought not, on your contention, to hold SR; but it does not mean that they cannot, in point of fact. I suspect that you having assumed that the lovers of freedom must needs be reasonable and rational, believe then that they in point of fact could not have held SR. But what warrant have you in making that assumption?

Though yet, I concede that the nature of SR is a little more complicated than our earlier exchanges might suggest. Suppose a lover of freedom says: "It is sufficient in order morally to condemn a man of sexual harassment, that a woman resents what he has done to her." You elect to press the lover of freedom: "Don't you think you ought to ask the plaintiff why she feels bad?" The lover of freedom complies. The woman's answer: "Because his act has violated my dignity." Has this answer gone beyond subjective resentment? If you concede that we ought to accept the woman's characterization of the act--that it constitutes a violation of her dignity--regardless of what you, or for that matter any other people, think, then you have, I submit, effectively conceded SR. For every woman can freely append the phrase "it has violated my dignity" to whatever act which she resents. Going from A1 to A2 does not mean going beyond SR.

You might argue, that the view the lovers of freedom actually hold is that in matters of sexual harassment we should defer always to the plaintiff's characterization of the act; but that in other matters, such as the Student Press's publication, exclusive deference to each and every reader is not warranted. In brief, the lovers of freedom, you might believe, carve up the social world into various little domains, and declare that in some, but only some, of them SR is to be accepted. In this way, you might contend that the lovers of freedom do not hold SR categorically, so their views on sexual harassment and on the recent incident do not conflict.

This, of course, only begs the question: On what ground do lovers of freedom accept SR in matters of sexual harassment, but not in the recent incident? This is where comparing the two situations is crucial. If there is reason to believe, that the recent incident is comparable to sexual harassment, say, the kind where male colleagues repeatedly tell obscene jokes in an office, even though not aiming at any particular female colleague; if so, then we may begin to dispute the way in which the lovers of freedom now carve up the social world; we shall say to them: either you abandon SR in matters of sexual harassment, or accept SR in the recent incident.

In sum, I have distinguished two levels of moral justification. First, the lovers of freedom, with reason or without, carve up the social world in a certain way, and, second, again with or without reason, they declare that in some areas the plaintiff's characterization of an act is sufficient to warrant moral condemnation. If, as I argued above, complete deference to the plaintiff is accepted in some area, then in that area we effectively have SR. It is immaterial how much explanation the plaintiff is asked to give; it is the deference that is the rub.

Going from "the nature of moral justification" to "the allocation of deference"--for want of a better appellation--I hope you can see that SR is not only possible, but indeed held by many people in at least certain areas of social life. In fact, the law of sexual harassment leans very much towards SR, and many feminists have been very happy with this.

Now, if we go back to the first level--the carving up of the social world--we have immediately to confront this troubling task: To justify why we do not defer to, say, the sexually conservative when they resent certain publications. The lovers of freedom would, I gather, quickly suggest that we simply do not defer to everybody in every social act; do you, they would ask, defer to him who daily preaches racial extermination? But it seems that there is clearly some moral distance between a Nazi's resenting the physical existence of a Jew and a sexually conservative person's resenting the publishing of materials which, even the publishers themselves would admit, are offensive to many.

If the lovers of freedom argue, on the first level, that the sexually conservative, owing to their very reactive sexual ideology, simply do not deserve deference at all, then they would effectively be saying that, in the final analysis, it is their belief in the superiority of an alternative view of sex, but not their alleged respect for the freedom of speech, that clinches the case for the Student Press.

Whether this is true or not, is admittedly a controversial question; on which you and I may disagree. But again, it is of the thought structure of the lovers of freedom that I am concerned. Hitting a straw-man is betimes quite pleasant; but there is something pleasanter than that, namely, finding that the straw-man is in fact full of blood and flesh, and even walks the earth in plain daylight. Why shall I not prefer this pleasanter undertaking?

回應YT 5: 什麼是爭論的關鍵 (兼答Ramad)

謝謝YT的回應,但你的解釋似乎愈見複雜,我也讀了好幾次,才大約明白你的意思。

如果我沒理解錯,YT似乎從原來的立場,退了一步。例如他在第二段,承認主觀感受論(或他所稱的SR, Subjective Resentment)雖然在理論上不可行,卻不表示現實上不會有這樣的情況。因此他有以下質疑:

“Now, first of all, that SR is impossible because it fails to meet certain philosophical criteria does not imply that SR is impossible for many people to hold. They ought not, on your contention, to hold SR; but it does not mean that they cannot, in point of fact. I suspect that you having assumed that the lovers of freedom must needs be reasonable and rational, believe then that they in point of fact could not have held SR. But what warrant have you in making that assumption?”

但如果YT承認了SR在實踐理性思考上不可能,他的質疑便不難回應:現實上當然有人相信SR。這有兩種可能,一,有些Freedom of Lovers 以為自已相信SR,實際上他們並不是;二,有些人真心相信SR是道德譴責的充份條件。對於第一種人,我們只要將他們真正持有的道德論證鋪陳出來,他們自然會看到其道德判斷的真正理由所在,從而放棄SR。對於第二種人,我們只要指出他們所持的SR觀,根本上是錯的(YT和我在這點上沒有異議),討論亦可完結。如果仍然有人堅持SR,卻不能給出更合理的理由,那我們只能說這些人是unreasonable & irrational。

哲學討論只能止於此。我們既不需要否定現實上有人依然堅持SR,也沒有力量去改變他們。

但YT當初是說:所有(或大部份)Lovers of Freedom都接受被冒犯者的主觀感受,是道德譴責的充份條件這個前提。(e.g.“the presumption being that the girl's subjective resentment is all that is needed; neither the teller's intent, nor any sort of objective assessment of the act, matters.”)
如果我的論證成立,而我們又有理由相信大部份Lovers of Freedom都是Reasonable & Rational的,(同時不是道德主觀主義者),那YT整個論證的最關鍵的前提便是錯的。這是我所說的攻擊稻草人的原因。

如果YT去到此處,仍然堅持說,「市面上仍然有許多有血有肉的稻草人在光天化日下行走」 (“the straw-man is in fact full of blood and flesh, and even walks the earth in plain daylight.”),那這將是YT和這些稻草人的爭論,而不是我和YT之間有意思得多的哲學討論了。

如果以上說法合理,則YT之後的複雜的區分,我便沒有責任再多作回應,只是有一點是可爭議的。那是第三段的一個論證:

“You elect to press the lover of freedom: "Don't you think you ought to ask the plaintiff why she feels bad?" The lover of freedom complies. The woman's answer: "Because his act has violated my dignity." Has this answer gone beyond subjective resentment? If you concede that we ought to accept the woman's characterization of the act--that it constitutes a violation of her dignity--regardless of what you, or for that matter any other people, think, then you have, I submit, effectively conceded SR.”

YT在這裡質疑,即使這個女人不是訴諸於主觀感受,而是訴諸於她的尊嚴受損,實際上並沒有跳出SR的框架。我不認同這個分析。什麼令得一個女性有尊嚴呢?答案可以很多:例如受到別人平等對待;個人的身份、地位、身體、性別受到他人合理的肯認(recognize)和尊重、個人基本權利受到保障、不會受到他人無理的侮辱傷害,活得沒有恐懼,等等。顯然,這些價值都是有其客觀性基礎,並可以受到YT所說的objective assessment of the act的。當被騷擾者提出這些理由時,她是相信這些是有客觀性,同時別人會合理接受的,而不是她個人的主觀感受而已。我看不到,這為什麼依然是SR。

至此,我上一次回應所持的觀點,依然成立。

最後,簡覆Ramad。你問:「假設傷害與冒犯在質上可以找到明確的分野,而在這次中大事件裡大多數人是被冒犯,而不是傷害,以此角度來看,封膠袋似乎是恰如其份的處置?」

這裡,我不打算給你一個確定的答案,盡管我個人有自己的判斷。但如果根據我們之前的討論,你在得出你的封膠袋的判斷之前,要先考慮幾個問題。

1.你說這件事大多數人被冒犯,有充份的證據支持嗎?

2.假設真的有很多人有被冒犯的感受,這些感受背後的理由是什麼?這些理由有足夠的合理的道德論證支持嗎?如果不能,即這些感受雖然不假,卻並不合理,因此學生報不需要被封膠袋,同學不應受到處分,學生報不應被評為二級。

3.如果這些感受的理由,最少有部份是合理的,那我們也必須考慮其他理由,才能作出最後的決定。包括:情色版設立的目的;學生報同學的動機;言論及出版自由的重要性;大學的理念;等等。我們需要將這些理由都考慮進去,all things considered,才能知道「讀者被冒犯」佔多少的道德份量。對於這個問題,沒有clear-cut的答案,而需要我們進行公開且深入的討論,才有可能得出較為明確明智的答案。(即使沒有共識,最少也可以收窄分歧,並知道什麼論證是不相干,甚至錯的。這是我之前所說的Isaiah Berlin的精神。Berlin的觀點,可看他的“Two Concepts of Liberty”或 The Crooked Timber of Humanity)

4.最後,即使你依然堅持「「讀者被冒犯」是一個非常重要的理由,封膠袋便是最合理的處置方式嗎?作為具有獨立思考能力的成年人,我們有必要這樣害怕被學生報式的情色版對我們的毒害嗎?而我們這樣看待自己,會不會是一種自我矮化?

以上這幾個問題的思考方式,也同時部份說明了我為什麼對YT對整個問題的判斷及思路有所保留。

Fifth Reply to 2006: 什麼是爭論的關鍵

A very short reply in two parts:

1. You said: "如果我的論證成立,而我們又有理由相信大部份Lovers of Freedom都是Reasonable & Rational的,(同時不是道德主觀主義者),那YT整個論證的最關鍵的前提便是錯的。這是我所說的攻擊稻草人的原因。"

First of all, by "reasonable and rational" you already mean "rejecting SR": For your definition of "reasonable and rational" does not allow a person to hold SR if he or she is to be characterized as "reasonable and rational." But then, your argument here is reduced to: If we have reason to believe that most lovers of freedom do not hold SR, then they do not hold SR. Patently a tautology.

Setting aside this tautology, you might still save your position by suggesting what "理由" you have, that most lovers of freedom do not hold SR. If you say that this is your belief or charitable assumption, then I beg to dissent. Just as one cannot these days assume that most lovers of freedom really like to engage in rational discussions, rather than blastings; one cannot assume that most of them do not actually hold SR.

2. The second point I want to comment on comes from this passage: "YT在這裡質疑,即使這個女人不是訴諸於主觀感受,而是訴諸於她的尊嚴受損,實際上並沒有跳出SR的框架。我不認同這個分析。什麼令得一個女性有尊嚴呢?答案可以很多:例如受到別人平等對待;個人的身份、地位、身體、性別受到他人合理的肯認(recognize)和尊重、個人基本權利受到保障、不會受到他人無理的侮辱傷害,活得沒有恐懼,等等。顯然,這些價值都是有其客觀性基礎,並可以受到YT所說的objective assessment of the act的。當被騷擾者提出這些理由時,她是相信這些是有客觀性,同時別人會合理接受的,而不是她個人的主觀感受而已。我看不到,這為什麼依然是SR。"

The problem is NOT whether dignity, etc. are objective values or subjective. The problem is, who decides whether a particular act honors or violates those values. Let me be even more specific. You wrote: "當被騷擾者提出這些理由時,她是相信這些是有客觀性,同時別人會合理接受的,而不是她個人的主觀感受而已。" On what ground can you say, that "同時別人會合理接受"? Suppose I did something to a woman, and she alleged that I harassed her sexually. She and I, and you as the observer, all accepted that dignity is an objective value, to be honored and protected.

But she and I disagreed over whether this particular act of mine violated her dignity in a sexual way. If you declared that the woman's SUBJECTIVE belief, that the act was indeed an instance of dignity violation, could not be challenged by my appeal to, say, a reasonable person standard ("A reasonable woman in her situation would not have found the act an instance of dignity violation."), then you essentially accepted SR.

Perhaps what you meant by the sentence "她是相信這些是有客觀性,同時別人會合理接受的,而不是她個人的主觀感受而已" is that people largely agree on whether a particular act constitutes dignity violation, hence, for our purposes, sexual harassment. But such a belief is plainly not supported by the facts. Otherwise men would not often find women too sensitive in matters of sexual harassment, and feminists would not advocate so tirelessly that women's subjective experience must be deferred to (Why not defer to the men's subjective experience? or adopt a reasonable person standard?)

回 2006

其實我並不支持封膠袋,只是借問題希望多了解一點
現在我開始掌握這個框架的大概了

你那幾條問題是很好的討論方向,大致上是你提出的--對第一、第二種人的策略。

不過我有個疑惑,你說:

//對於第二種人,我們只要指出他們所持的SR觀,根本上是錯的(YT和我在這點上沒有異議),討論亦可完結。//

問題是,即使論證鋪陳如何確當清晰,他們仍然可能不知道或不認同自己持有的是SR觀,未必就是堅持,可能是溝通上的分岐;的確你可以話 SR unreasonable & irrational,但真要探究的話,SR觀也未必不可能找到支持?(我不清楚)
而如果對方持SR觀而又有合理理據支持,那麼整個論證似乎有危險了。

我不是反對這個進路,我認同這是個很好的框架,至少是對症下藥。但我想,與其跌入道德論這個千古難題,可不可能,避過 SR 的爭論,又或者即使持 SR 觀,也可以合理支持不封膠袋甚至不受譴責?

或者嘗試理清「到底香港人想做甚麼」
公眾是否希望大學生的道德觀是 SR 呢?
如果不希望,那麼以 SR 觀作為譴責的理由,似乎會帶來反效果。

回應YT 6:真正的Lovers of Freedom是什麼人

我很欣賞YT的堅持。但他的兩點回應,依然不能回應我對他的SR觀點的批評。

1. Reasonable & Rational 的問題。你回應說:by "reasonable and rational" you already mean "rejecting SR": For your definition of "reasonable and rational" does not allow a person to hold SR if he or she is to be characterized as "reasonable and rational." 然後你說,這是一個套套邏輯(tautology)。實際上並非如此。

我一直沒有正式定義Reasonable & Rational (可譯為「合理的」及「理性的」,雖然這也容易令人產生誤會),現在讓我說得清楚點。所謂Reasonable,是指那些具有道德能力,能夠作價值判斷及提出論證理由,且願意服從道德規範的人。所謂Rational,是指那些能夠作邏輯推斷,並能作手段—目的理性(means-end rationality)思考的人。這是一個相當單薄,相當形式的條件,目的是確保人們能夠作實踐理性思考(practical reasoning)。它並沒有限定道德思考的內容,或涵蘊什麼實質結論。我其實認為絕大部份的人,包括Lovers of Freedom,都擁有這兩種基本能力(雖然程度會不同)。

就以上的定義言,一個Reasonable and Rational 的人,概念上並不必然拒斥SR。SR的問題,是它提出的理由(即個人主觀感受),並不能作為道德證成的充份條件。因為道德證成,是一個不斷給予理由(reason-giving)的過程,而在一個道德論證之中,「主觀感覺」是不能作為道德判斷的最後理由的。我希望之前用的A1/A2,及女性尊嚴的例子,已能很好說明這一點。

明白以上所說,則YT應該看到,我的論證並非Tautology。因為我反對SR的理由,並不涵蘊在Reasonable and Rational之中,而在於對實踐理性的理解。

(我上次的回應中,說:「如果仍然有人堅持SR,卻不能給出更合理的理由,那我們只能說這些人是unreasonable & irrational。」,說的是這樣一種人:「我覺得某人的行為是錯的,因為他的行為令我不安,至於怎解令我不安?無得解,也不需要解,我的感覺便是這樣。我的感覺便構成充份的理由。Full Stop。」這些人不合理,因為他面對別人的合理的提問,拒絕給出進一步的理由。)

2. 至於YT 在第二點中對我的回應,則完全理解錯了問題。問題的要點,並不在於人們在道德爭議中,各方會提出不同的理由,甚至難以達成共識,(誰會否認這一點?)而在於各方提出的理由本身,其性質不可以只是個人的主觀感受。(YT,你似乎至今仍未看到這點。)因此,SR(主觀感受作為道德譴責的充分條件)依然不能成立。

3. YT一直堅持事實上那些Lovers of Freedom,都是相信SR的人,我真的有點不解。如果我以上說法合理,當雙方進入真正的辯論時,只要大家願意講道理(也即reasonable & rational),並提出理由支持自己的立場時,我們將會發覺,SR是完全站不住腳的。退一步,即使真的有很多lovers of freedom相信SR,而既然SR是明顯站不住腳的,YT不是一開始便將對方擊倒了嗎?你苦苦將他們歸類為SR,難道目的只是要推出你的第二個假設,及論證不能用Freedom of Speech來為學生報辯護?

YT真正的對手,應該是那些不相信SR,而同時又是lovers of freedom的人。這些人才是真正的大多數啊。(我算是一個吧)

討論開始有點重覆了,而精力實在有限。我已第六次回應YT,自問雙方的分歧,及我的論點,已說得頗為清楚。我最初留言的目的,是希望提供一些不同論證,去思考學生報事件,同時找到一些較為合理的替學生報辯護的框架。希望我和YT的討論,多少能達到這個目的。

如沒有新的論點,我將暫時收筆。祈諒!

(p.s. Ramad,你如果接受我的論證,相信已經部份解答了你的問題,即SR不可能成立。其他的不贅。)

雙重標準及反省自由

我覺得討論已經離題,早兩天不就該結束了嗎?據我理解,YT的目的是要證明lovers of freedom的 thought structure(“it is of the thought structure of the lovers of freedom that I am concerned.”)有內部矛盾,其方法是首先指出他們過去的言論有濃厚的SR味道(見Student Press and Sexual Harassment: A Reply to Arnold, pt.1)──2006亦接受了他們「可能表面上是」認同主觀感受論(《回應YT 4: 主觀感受背後是什麼》),只是假設他們「在平時的對話中」,「並不太意識到這樣的實踐理性思考的結構」,所以實際上還不算是SR論的真正支持者──,再對照今天lovers of freedom不像過去一樣提出「表面上」以SR為準則的論斷,反而高舉freedom of speech的旗幟以合理化其反對譴責學生報的立場,從而質疑他們是否有雙重標準。

然而這兩天的討論重點,似乎已旁落在他們「本質上」究竟是否SR論者這個不可能確知的問題上,反而忘記了大家早已達成的共識,其實就在lovers of freedom確曾至少「表面上」提出了主觀感受論。只要YT不再執着於「證明」他們是「表裡如一」的SR論者,而2006亦同意他們「在平時的對話中並不太意識到實踐理性思考的結構」,我覺得討論已經圓滿終結──事實上,2006亦從未反駁我在《雙重標準和理性思考》中由他自己的話所推出的判斷,即lovers of freedom展露出口不對心的現象,有雙重標準(可能是不自覺的),「沒有理性思考的意識或習慣」,而且「他們對自己一向關心擁戴的『批判思考』,似乎並沒怎樣認真看待過」。YT,難道你不是要證明這些?2006已經附和了你,為什麼還要爭論?都將了軍,還在爭一隻卒?可謂咄咄怪事。

撇開這兩天瑣碎的爭論不談,我們其實還可以反省:當你在事件中提出Harm Principle甚或utilitarian argument作抗辯理由時,究竟反映出你對人(包括自己)有怎樣的看法?對社會又有何種層次的理解?沒錯,你絕對可以選擇對自己有利的一套框架來理解世事(誰有權可以干涉?),但請弄清楚:從原理中我們只可推出一個適用於特定社會的norm,但那原理本身不是可脫離時空語境而有絕對約束力的教條,更不是一種可以純按個人喜好而任意詮釋的工具。「自由」的涵義可隨時間和地域而有其不同的界定,一般來說,文明社會的大眾(不代表每一人)對「自由」已有共識,所以不必依賴什麼「權威」來判斷。若自己先不弄清「自由」在某時某地的大概規限(了解不等於同意),而只懂得在抵觸了界線後才機巧地把它放入前提,這就是一種「概念詭辯」(sophism of concept)。這涉及的不只是辯論上的技術問題,更重要的是它反映了你對自己處境的認知程度。所以我儘管不同意審裁處把學生報列為「二級不雅」,但也不覺得freedom of speech是合理的抗辯理由,因為學生已聲明是「挑戰禁忌」,難道不是同時挑戰大家對自由的界定嗎?要做英雄,很好,但請勿一面踐踏他人的自由界線,自己又一面劃地為界來閉關自守。這不是英雄,是懦夫。

另外,Harm Principle的原意是限制權力的濫用,保障個體自由。以此制衡由政府和輿論所體現的權力,如果運用得當(即合乎我上一段對自由的界定)並沒問題,但這不是「指導人生的原理」,只是我們社會生活中得到保障的最低原則。如果認為大凡「無害」、「不受干預」的事就可為所欲為,那我儘管不能譴責你(假設真是「無害」),但有理由相信,你對自己的要求非常非常低,而對你來說,人亦似乎僅比野獸好一點點而已。

加把口

我也來湊湊熱鬧,加把口。呢場辯論好精彩,雖然跟得好吃力。YT係呢度出左名難纏,又長篇,好多人都唔太敢同佢辯,2006咁有耐性,有攻有守,寸步不讓,真係幾好睇。我覺得討論唔單止無離題,而係去到最緊張個位。我下面講下我既理解,兩位唔好介意。

YT既觀點係咁樣:

1) that, given what the lovers of freedom had said in the past--see Reply to Arnold pt.1--they are bound to honor the two assumptions I mentioned in earlier posts;
(2) that, honoring those assumptions, they can hardly say that "freedom of speech" must trump the subjective resentment of the sexually conservative students on campus;
(3) that it is therefore not open to them to justify their position simply by invoking the said freedom;
(4) that, if they still want to maintain their defense of the Press's publications, they will have to admit that they must rely on some consequentialist considerations--like the utilitarian argument I suggested;
(5) but then, lastly, that the lovers of freedom would be making a value judgment (challenging settled values trumps protecting conservatives' sentiments) which, compared with the value judgment they made in matters of sexual harassment, receives its whole force from a particular view of sex and sexual desires, and not from general notions of the freedom of speech.

即係話,YT成個論證,都係基於佢既第一個假設,即係SR (Subjective Resentment),又或者2006講既主觀感受論。而按我既理解,2006一直想插呢個前提根本唔成立。如果呢個前提唔成立,YT成套野便唔成立,根本唔使理佢之後既推論。我估2006係想話,係我地既實踐理性思考入面,如果我地係講道理既,根本絕大部份人唔會接受SR,雖然有D人以為自己係。因為主觀感受係唔可以用來支持道德判斷既。所以,2006咁話:

「但YT當初是說:所有(或大部份)Lovers of Freedom都接受被冒犯者的主觀感受,是道德譴責的充份條件這個前提。(e.g.“the presumption being that the girl's subjective resentment is all that is needed; neither the teller's intent, nor any sort of objective assessment of the act, matters.”)
如果我的論證成立,而我們又有理由相信大部份Lovers of Freedom都是Reasonable & Rational的,(同時不是道德主觀主義者),那YT整個論證的最關鍵的前提便是錯的。這是我所說的攻擊稻草人的原因。」

我覺得討論到呢一步,仍然未離題,反而面對2006既挑戰,YT已由攻勢變守勢,不斷要用唔同既方法,去證明即使SR唔合理,但事實上有好多lovers of freedom點講都係相信SR。(個D比YT點左名既人,又唔出來回應一下,真係惡搞)

事實係點樣,真係各有各講。但係如果2006既講法成立,即係SR根本係錯既,咁YT最多只能夠講只有個部份相信SR既Lovers of Freedom既人,適用於佢套講法。有趣既係,2006根本唔否認呢點。而且我估佢既意思,係根本上無什麼人係可以真正相信SR,除非佢地唔講道理。去到呢個位,2006根本唔係代表lovers of freedom同YT辯論,所以佢至話:

「如果YT去到此處,仍然堅持說,「市面上仍然有許多有血有肉的稻草人在光天化日下行走」 (“the straw-man is in fact full of blood and flesh, and even walks the earth in plain daylight.”),那這將是YT和這些稻草人的爭論,而不是我和YT之間有意思得多的哲學討論了。」

Arnold既觀察,係呢點上同我差唔多。但Arnold似乎見唔到2006既後著,因為佢最後話:「YT真正的對手,應該是那些不相信SR,而同時又是lovers of freedom的人。這些人才是真正的大多數啊。」2006話佢屬於其中之一。係唔係大多數好難講,但我都覺得呢個先至系最有趣既問題,因為如果Lovers of Freedom根本就唔接受SR,咁YT成個討論就算唔係攻擊稻草人,都係對錯了焦點。

如果接受呢一點,2006便可以反將一軍,用佢答ramad個套思路,引入唔同既考慮,包括freedom of speech入來。去到呢一步,YT最初想推出既結論,便再無說服力了,因為那些non-SR的lovers,根本唔需要理會YT既批評。2006唔係講得好清楚呢點,但我估佢係有呢種意思。(佢係回應Ramad時,輕輕提了一下)但我估YT一定好清楚呢個後果,所以佢點都唔肯退。

Arnold以為YT只係想指出那些lovers of freedom前後唔一致同埋唔夠自省。如果只係呢個目的,我同意討論早就應該完了,因為2006根本由頭到尾都係度提供子彈比YT去打佢心目中既lovers。我估計YT要苦苦堅持,係因為如果佢接受2006既分析,佢成個argument便會變得有點trivial了。好似2006咁講,既然果D相信SR既人係理論上一開始便唔成立,你再一路捉住佢地來砌,好似有D無謂,因為真正既對手都唔係過度。

成個討論,我認為YT最失策既係一開始就將話講得太盡,話所有lovers of freedom都一定係SR,比2006批評後,又唔肯認,結果要一路一路退,先係承認理論上SR唔成立,後來只能不斷用不同理由,重複有好多人事實上係SR。去到最後的回應,令我覺得有點兒為辯而辯的味道了。

唔知我呢個解讀,有無屈左兩位。都要多謝兩位提供了咁高水準既辯論,係呢度都好少見。

自由

我諗我明白了 2006 ,佩服你的思維縝密而且清晰

Arnold 對自由的反思提醒了我,不過我仍然認為可以用 freedom of speech 作抗辯。既然是踩界,在懲罰之前應該研究一下到底是界外還是界內,即如 2006 所言,實踐這種自由的重要性在哪裡?只是要求公正的對待,不等於是劃地為界閉關自守。

都想對YT說一句:都將了軍,還在爭一隻卒?
而且你搵錯討論對象了...

話說回來,「在平時的對話中並不太意識到實踐理性思考的結構」,也可算我一份

何謂多元?

任我行的觀察很好,他引用了2006的話:「YT真正的對手,應該是那些不相信SR,而同時又是lovers of freedom的人。這些人才是真正的大多數啊。」事實上,這正是我在《回應YT》中提出的第一點質疑,當時我說:「誰是你口中的the lovers of freedom?是所有或大部分反對譴責學生報的人嗎?你這樣說難免流於印象,假如你能舉一兩個例子(包括具體人物及以往言論)來說明--不是證明--相信效果會好一點。」

的確,如果YT所針對的lovers of freedom,原來只有小貓三四隻,那麼他連篇累牘的批評便顯得有點獅子搏兔了。而大家亦早該想到,你不易證明有一大群人曾發表過SR論,這就是我在質疑中只要求YT「舉例」而不是「舉證」的原因;我希望他說得具體點,但也不想太強人所難。結果YT點了四個人名。四個,即是說,YT所能確實指控的也只有四人。即使YT已將了軍,他滿足嗎?我相信在YT心中,持SR論的lovers of freedom絕不止四人。他可能對,可能不對,能證明嗎?很難,你要舉十個例?還是廿個?

反而想問,如果獨立媒體維護的是多元價值觀,為什麼很多人只偏向「自由」一元?何不擁戴一下「道德」?況且道德今天已經崩潰,非常「弱勢」,按例應由獨媒仗義執言,不是嗎?而且你支持別人衝擊大眾的道德底線,卻捍衛自己界定的自由尺度,所持的理據是什麼?請不要告訴我大眾相信的是「偽道德」,因為我同樣也可反駁你擁護的是「假自由」。如果你不能提供具體準則,界定自己為什麼捨彼取此,甚至不能告訴我你口中的自由有何底線,那麼我只能無奈下這個結論:「自由」對獨媒來說,不過是一種方便行動的工具,或黨同伐異的武器而已。

簡覆ramad:言論自由之所以不成抗辯理由,是因為學生是有意識地挑戰一般人(也許即他們眼中的「保守」或「衛道」人士) 對言論自由所立的尺度,結果他們成功「突破」了,正是求仁得仁,那又怎可能在大難臨頭的時候才嚷:「是你的尺度太緊,我根本不該受罰!」尺度本來不緊,只是他們自己要挺身犯險,難道大家忘記了嗎?你不尊重自由,又憑什麼得到自由的庇護?最後要說的是,學生有沒有出界,跟懲罰合不合理,根本是兩個問題,他們因為出界才受罰,但刑罰不合理,卻不代表他們沒有出界。

A Joint Reply to 2006, ramad, 任我行, and Arnold

I regret to say that the discussion has led to so many points of contention that the one central thought, which I tried to bring out by way of hypotheticals, is now completely lost. 2006 has repeatedly tried to convince me that SR is impossible, or at least not held by more than a few souls. His position is best instanced in one brief sentence: "問題的要點,並不在於人們在道德爭議中,各方會提出不同的理由,甚至難以達成共識,(誰會否認這一點?)而在於各方提出的理由本身,其性質不可以只是個人的主觀感受。("回應YT 6," see supra) For him, this "理由" will, e.g., be given in the following way: "我有這樣的感覺,是因為你的行為侮辱了我作為人,作為女性的尊嚴,你傷害了我的自尊,你違反了某某道德原則某某宗教教條......(下刪三百字)" ("回應YT 4," see supra)

I have never disputed that an alleged victim of sexual harassment might give this or that reason for her feeling bad. But what is such a reason, but a certain thought that is meant to justify her feeling bad, i.e. to demand that other people accept her judgment that the act in question is indeed an act of sexual harassment? At this point, her interlocutor has two choices; he might say either,

(1) "Very well, ma'am, I accept your reason, in view of the REASONABLENESS of the thought; and I shall therefore acknowledge that you have suffered from sexual harassment." Or,

(2) "Well, ma'am, I might or might not find your so-called reason a reasonable thought; but in cases of this sort, I (perhaps being a feminist) shall DEFER to your judgment; and since I do find the act of such a kind, that I shall defer to your judgment, your feeling bad is SUFFICIENT for me to acknowledge your victimhood, the nature of your reason being for me immaterial."

It is, I hope, very plain that (1) and (2) are two very different ways of assessing the situation. Of course, one might say--and 2006 would likely say--that both (1) and (2) involve the giving of reasons; but this general description precisely fails to represent what I take to be the crucial difference here, namely, that (2) involves an act of deference to WHATEVER the victim is going to put forward AS reason. (NB: To see why the difference is crucial, it is enough to recall 2006's emphasis on whether the alleged victim's feelings are based on true beliefs. If we adopt (1), this is of course a factor decisive; but if we adopt (2), it is altogether immaterial. Now transpose this thought structure to the case of the Student Press, where, we may fancy, some sexually conservative students protest that the publications offended their feelings deeply.)

It is a little puzzling, why it has been so difficult for 2006, and other people as well for that matter, to recognize this point. Fancy yourself a judge in a court of law, presiding over tort cases. Sometimes you will instruct the jury that whether the defendant is liable depends, inter alia, on whether a reasonable person in the position of the plaintiff would have found the defendant's act offensive; but sometimes you will tell the jury that the defendant will be liable, even if a reasonable person would not have found his act offensive, so long as the actual plaintiff did so find. These two sorts of instruction correspond exactly to (1) and (2) above.

Once the true distinction between (1) and (2) is brought to sight, SR should not be so impossible as 2006 tries enthusiastically to make it seem. The true question, rather, is: Why do, or should, we adopt (2) instead of (1) in matters of sexual harassment, but otherwise in other areas of social life?

I concede that I am not saying anything new here; but 2006 ought to confront the substance of the hypothetical, by way of which I tried to explicate why the notion of DEFERENCE is key to understanding SR, and the giving of reasons is NOT. But as soon as we shift the discourse from the "giving of reasons" to "how do we judge," 2006's whole argument against SR, and a fortiori against my argument against the lovers of freedom, can only be, in his own words, an attack at a straw-man. It is pointless to repeat that every moral judgment involves some kind of reason giving; just as it is wonderfully irrelevant to suggest that all legal standards are, at some point, backed by reason. (NB: Arnold said: "YT,難道你不是要證明這些?2006已經附和了你,為什麼還要爭論?都將了軍,還在爭一隻卒?可謂咄咄怪事。" But I submit that 2006 has agreed with my contention only in a very superficial sense, that is, that some people might sometimes, for want of articulation or lack of reflection, appear to accept SR. What I would him see is, that SR can be much more prevalent and in a non-accidental way. When feminists demand that we defer to women's own judgment in matters of sexual harassment, they are, more or less, proposing that we adopt SR in this kind of social interaction. 2006 is yet to take my hypotheticals seriously; but once he decided to do so, he must also decide how much he must concede to my characterization of SR, its prevalence, and its relevance to our present exchanges.)

Deference is not so alien a concept, I wish to add. In moral, legal, and many other sorts of practical thought we encounter this kind of deference from time to time. But some people--whom I call the lovers of freedom--tend to endorse it strongly in one sort of social interaction, but reject it right out of hand in another sort. Why so? is my CENTRAL CHALLENGE. I pray that 2006, if he deem fit and time be not too constraining, elect to address the hypothetical in my Fifth Reply to him, pt. 2, whence he may go on to engage the notion of deference in a more concrete way. This, I think, is the best route to deepen our exchanges on the present topic.

As for my argumentative strategy, 2006 said--and both 任我行 and Arnold agreed--that "YT真正的對手,應該是那些不相信SR,而同時又是lovers of freedom的人。這些人才是真正的大多數啊。" If by "不相信SR [...] 的人" 2006 meant those who would never follow (2), nor endorse others to follow it, in assessing any act in any sort of social interaction, then I suspect that such people are not necessarily in the minority. I have perhaps used the phrase "lovers of freedom" a little too liberally; in offering the three answers to Arnold's question about the identity of these lovers of freedom (see, Reply to Arnold, pt.1, supra), I fully allowed that the reader apply the structure of my argument to a more specific group: he could, e.g., try out the argument on the radical and not-so-radical feminists here in Inmedia, or on the most out-spoken few especially. But If the clarified notion of SR may convince the reader that in matters of sexual harassment, SR is indeed the (tacit) norm here, then my argumentative strategy is not necessarily the worst.

Not the least, I remain most grateful to 2006, ramad, 任我行, and Arnold for all your contributions. Said ramad: "都將了軍,還在爭一隻卒?" I say: "使君上象,僕不敢怠慢也。" Arnold, I should like to add, has raised a whole set of very deep questions in the last two posts he put up: I hope we might touch upon them in the future, perhaps in a new thread. But for the time being, let me adjourn.

理性者是否一定不會接納主觀感受論?

原來大家的焦點不同,難怪,不如讓我們把戰場收窄吧。

YT要2006重點回應的是Fifth Reply to him, pt. 2:

You wrote: "當被騷擾者提出這些理由時,她是相信這些是有客觀性,同時別人會合理接受的,而不是她個人的主觀感受而已。" On what ground can you say, that "同時別人會合理接受"? Suppose I did something to a woman, and she alleged that I harassed her sexually. She and I, and you as the observer, all accepted that dignity is an objective value, to be honored and protected.

But she and I disagreed over whether this particular act of mine violated her dignity in a sexual way. If you declared that the woman's SUBJECTIVE belief, that the act was indeed an instance of dignity violation, could not be challenged by my appeal to, say, a reasonable person standard ("A reasonable woman in her situation would not have found the act an instance of dignity violation."), then you essentially accepted SR.

但我認為2006不是沒有嘗試回應這部分的,只是他的回應未能說服YT。讓我綜合一下2006的答案吧:

1.lovers of freedom(應包括了YT關注的feminists)是理性的人(至少大部分);

2.理性的人(reasonable and rational)本質上(即YT所謂 "essentially","in a non-accidental way")不會接受SR論;

3.所以lovers of freedom本質上不會接受SR論。

為什麼2006滿足不到YT?因為YT竭力要訴諸的,是"a reasonable person standard" ("A reasonable woman in her situation would not have found the act an instance of dignity violation.")而非"SUBJECTIVE belief",質疑的正是lovers of freedom沒有訴諸"a reasonable person standard",但2006在minor premise中卻假設了lovers of freedom應是reasonable的(因為他們會提出「理由」來解釋其主觀感受),問題是,如果2006的第一前提正正是YT質疑之處,那麼2006的確並沒具體答覆過YT。

但我想指出更重要的一點,如果2006真的像我上述般論證的話,YT已經勝利了。因為2006的major premise,即"理性的人(reasonable and rational)本質上不會接受SR論"根本不成立,或(退一步說)在現實上沒有意義。為什麼呢?因為:

(1)從"reasonable and rational"(描述人的本質)這兩字的定義,我們根本無由分析出"不會接受SR論"(描述人的偶性)這情況,所以在邏輯上講,2006誤會了這前提是analytic judgement(因為他試圖從概念出發分析「本質」),但實際上它只是synthetic judgement(因為其謂語乃來自empirical induction),根本沒有必然性,且完全是可以通過實際檢驗而被合理推翻的;

(2)所謂"本質上"不會接受,如果經院派一點來拆解,我會說:「那可以是潛能中的本質,根本沒有實現。所以lovers of freedom在現實世界可以同時有理性,又同時接受SR論,兩者並無矛盾。」換言之,即使我們撇開(1)的邏輯謬誤不談,結論中那「本質上」也不等同「現實上」,所以其結論的意義不大。

我的結論是,2006的論證本身存有漏洞,他有必要重新回應YT的Fifth Reply to him, pt. 2。

至於lovers of freedom本身是否理性的人(即minor premise的內涵),我反而不會像YT般質疑--他的質疑相信僅是指向理性的程度,而非全盤否定--因為如果lovers of freedom全沒理性,按理也不可能在獨媒跟人討論問題,除非(我只是說除非)這裡的人也是同樣沒有理性吧。

回 Arnold

唔,我 get 到你意思了

你認為學生要挑戰言論自由的界線,我不同意這個講法。學生挑戰的禁忌,所指的應該是性禁忌。如果有人「突破」言論自由界線(我猜意思是連自己都認同,所行使的言論自由嚴重 override 其他價值,不值得專重,例如鼓吹兒童色情),而又用言論自由抗辯,是太明顯的 self-defeating 了,只有少數人會這麼做,就如 2006 所解釋的是 irrational & unreasonable 的人。如果學生不是這種人,那麼比較上可能的情況是:當事人認為所行使的言論自由,即使有 override 其他價值,也是合理的,值得專重;那麼以言論自由抗辯並不是不合理。

至於實際上有沒有出界,也是需要合理理由支持的,現在情況是,社會跳過了討論程序,直接就給學生懲罰了;在這個層面,也可以從 freedom of speech 著手爭取抗辯的機會。

YT

//2.理性的人(reasonable and rational)本質上(即YT所謂 "essentially","in a non-accidental way")不會接受SR論;//

2006 沒有說過不會,他承認有這樣的人在,只是認為數目很少,也沒有辦法改變他們。

YT 想講,好多人以 SR 嚟碌卡,但一有利益不符,就過橋抽板;2006 根本沒有否認這個現象,他所說的是:

//只要將他們真正持有的道德論證鋪陳出來,他們自然會看到其道德判斷的真正理由所在,從而放棄SR。//

YT 若然能夠揭示他們如何一時一樣,那很好,你已經將了軍,將死了,不過你的對手不是 2006,他是在解局而已。

A Side Reply to Arnold and ramad

I think Arnold saw the rub of my argument this time and represented it fairly, though a little too technically. But one point remains which I should very much like to clarify. If we look back to my earlist reply to 2006, I did not characterize what I later called SR as rational or irrational, reasonable or unreasonable: those terms were introduced into this debate by 2006.

I concede that 2006 wanted to make a meaningful argument through those terms; but one manifest drawback, and here I speak with the benefit of hindsight, is that the thought structure of "objective vs. subjective standard of moral judgment" is surreptitiously replaced by the thought structure of "rational/reasonable vs. irrational/unreasonable commentators." 2006 thus gives the impression that I meant merely to prove that many commentators--the "lovers of freedom"--are, in his sense, irrational and unreasonable. An internal critique is at one stroke replaced by an external one.

But that is far from my purpose (and so despite Arnold's characterization: "他的質疑相信僅是指向理性的程度,而非全盤否定." See, supra "理性者是否一定不會接納主觀感受論?") I did not set out to prove that the lovers of freedom are irrational or unreasonable; but that if they elect to promote a very subjective standard in matters of sexual harassment, they ought to tell us why do they now demand a much more objective one respecting complaints against the Student Press.

I suggest that we move away from the "rational vs. irrational" debate. In fact, 2006 himself might very well endorse a subjective standard in the law of sexual harassment, thus IN THAT SENSE coming under my general rubric of "lovers of freedom." He might do this rationally, by giving us an account why he believes that a subjective standard is to be preferred. Sticking to the vocabulary 2006 introduced in his "回應YT 2" will only obscure what, to my way of thinking, is really at stake.

I apologize that I failed to notice this earlier. Otherwise I could have saved a lot of ink, and avoided many unnecessary confusion-causing excurses. I hope by putting my whole argument this way, I have also answered ramad's contentions in his latest reply, entitled "YT."

回應YT 7: 爭論的到底是什麼?

謝謝YT及其餘幾位精警而有見地的回應。看來真有點欲罷不能。時間及精力所限,恕我不逐一回應了。我重看了一次整個討論,發覺我和YT都有誤讀對方的地方。我希望以下總結,能夠將我所理解的爭論重點呈現出來。

我一直要反對的,是這樣的一種觀點:「在任何道德爭論中,一個人的主觀感受,足以構成道德譴責的充份條件。」

我認為這種觀點根本不成立。這和我對實踐理性的理解有關。在道德爭論中,爭論雙方一定會提出不同的理由,去支持自己的立場,並希望對方被說服。這些理由,可以有不同性質,其中也包括各人對事件的感受。但如果雙方都願意講道理,他們所提出的理由,必然不能只限於個人的主觀感受,而必須假定這些理由是能從一impartial/inter-subjective的觀點,對話者是能夠理解,分享,甚至接受的。(事實上會否接受,那是另一回事。) In short, personal subjective feeling AS SUCH cannot be the sufficient condition of moral condemnation.

基於此,我說反對學生報情色版的朋友,不能只以「感到不安」作為充分理由來譴責學生報。他們必須進一步,提出感到不安的理由,然後我們再具體檢驗這些理由是否成立。同樣道理,在性騷擾的例子中,我們也不能僅僅以「被騷擾者是否主觀心理上感到被侮辱」來作為道德及法律判決的唯一因素,我們必須追問導致這種被侮辱的感受的來源是否合理,是否基於false belief等。

一旦我們追問理由是否成立,便意味著這些理由的成立與否,必須相應於一個獨立於當事人的主觀感受的標準,這個標準遂成為判斷對錯的客觀根據。所以,我並不同意YT在上面所說的第二種情形,即“your feeling bad is SUFFICIENT for me to acknowledge your victimhood, the nature of your reason being for me immaterial." 我之前已用了不少例子,說明這個說法,並不合理。此處不贅。

我認為,這是我們平時每個人進行道德思考的普遍性的思維結構。這個結構適用於所有人,而不限於lovers of freedom,又或那一種特定的情況。我在討論中,加上 “reasonable and rational”,純粹是避免一種情況,即那些一開始便不願意講道理的人,即那些永遠只停留於個人感受,卻無法也不願意替自己的感受作進一步辯護的人。這是一個非常單薄的弱的理性要求,我一直假定大家都會接受。而我在上一次,亦已指出這不是tautology。換言之,爭論的重點,不在於reasonable & rational,而在於各位是否同意我所描述的思維結構。

如果我所說的思維結構成立,那我們便可以推出以下結論:在任何道德爭論中,爭論雙方都可以,也應該提出不同種類不同性質但與事件相關的理由,去為自己的立場辯護。在學生報的例子中,正方可以提出言論自由,對性議題的獨特看法,對大學教育的理解,對傷害原則的詮釋等,反方同樣可以用社會道德規範,大學生的形象,正常的性關係性觀念該如何,宗教教條等等提出反駁。

我們沒有既定的答案。我們只能在不斷的公開的理性討論中,檢視及衡量不同理由的合理性相關性,慢慢將一些錯誤的不相干的或不重要的理由排除,然後努力嘗試作出合理的判斷。(當然不一定有共識)我們不能說,在爭論過程中,有那一個人,或有那一類的理由,先驗地具有優先性。我想,這是常識,也是目前學生報爭論的實際情況。

(一旦接受以上所說,即將YT當初設定的Assumption ONE打破,我們便可以鬆開YT的整個論證,從而容許在學生報的爭論中,不同的理由,都可以被考慮進來,包括freedom of speech。當然,Freedom of Speech只是其中一個理由,既不是唯一,也不一定是凌駕性的理由。Freedom of Speech本身也是一個道德理由。這一點,我在回應Ramad時已點了出來,任我行也看出了我的用心。)

以上是我的立場!

清楚我的立場,便清楚我為什麼反對主觀感受論。對我來說,問題不在於,事實上有多少人相信SR,而在於我根本不接受SR是一種站得住腳的觀點(不同意者當然可以提出理由反駁)。我並不否認現實中有不少人真的以為SR是合理的,而其中有不少是錯誤地理解自己的實踐理性思考的結構的。所以,在這一點上,我和YT並沒太大差異。如果他要指出有不少相信SR的人,持雙重標準,那我並沒意見──雖然我並不相信有什麼願意說道理的freedom of lovers會真的接受我上面所形容的主觀感受論。

有趣的是,我以上的觀點,原來根本不是YT要關心,甚至有什麼異議的。他的關注點似乎不在這裡。真正的問題在於什麼地方呢?先看看YT自己的說法:

「It is, I hope, very plain that (1) and (2) are two very different ways of assessing the situation. Of course, one might say--and 2006 would likely say--that both (1) and (2) involve the giving of reasons; but this general description precisely fails to represent what I take to be the crucial difference here, namely, that (2) involves an act of deference to WHATEVER the victim is going to put forward AS reason. (NB: To see why the difference is crucial, it is enough to recall 2006's emphasis on whether the alleged victim's feelings are based on true beliefs. If we adopt (1), this is of course a factor decisive; but if we adopt (2), it is altogether immaterial. Now transpose this thought structure to the case of the Student Press, where, we may fancy, some sexually conservative students protest that the publications offended their feelings deeply.)」

我首先須承認,YT已經重覆表述了這個觀點好幾次,而我的確忽略了他的用心所在。我先此致歉。但YT這個論點,有兩大問題。一,他將兩個不同的問題,混了在一起,又或以為兩者沒有分別。二,這兩個問題的立場,我認為都不成立。
讓我沿用性騷擾作為例子,呈現這兩個問題。

A. 在性騷擾的案子中,被騷擾者所提出的理由,是判斷整個事件的充份理由,又或唯一需要考慮的因素。(用YT之前的說法,the victim's subjective resentment is all that is needed for condemnation.)這裡的重點,嚴格來說,不是當事人提出的理由的性質(不理主觀或客觀),而是在整個判斷中,當事人提出的理由,被視為唯一的壓倒性的理由,並必須被聽從。重點在於哪一個人有發言權,而不在該種理由的性質及其是否成立。YT真正持的,是這個觀點,所以他說:“2006 ought to confront the substance of the hypothetical, by way of which I tried to explicate why the notion of DEFERENCE is key to understanding SR, and the giving of reasons is NOT.”

B. 在性騷擾的案子中,被騷擾者所提出的主觀感受,是道德譴責的唯一及充份理由。

很不幸,在整個討論中,這兩個問題,YT將它們混在一起了。而這兩個,明顯是不同的問題。因為即使我們接受(A),也並不一定要接受(B)。兩者沒有任何必然關係。我上面已指出,被騷擾者提出的理由,(如果要被他人接受),便必須不能只是個人的主觀感受,而需要提出合理的證據(經驗事實,即真的被人騷擾),以及由這些證據所合理推導出來的受到的傷害,以及這些傷害的不合理不道德的地方。這些理由,原則上必須有其客觀性,能夠被人理解,接受,又或批評。換言之,是可以被Objectively Examined 的。所以,YT筆下的Lovers of Freedom or Feminists,即使接受A,也不一定/不需要,而且也不應該接受B。

有趣的是,YT卻一直認為,接受(A)便必須接受(B),所以他才會說:

「2) "Well, ma'am, I might or might not find your so-called reason a reasonable thought; but in cases of this sort, I (perhaps being a feminist) shall DEFER to your judgment; and since I do find the act of such a kind, that I shall defer to your judgment, your feeling bad is SUFFICIENT for me to acknowledge your victimhood, the nature of your reason being for me immaterial."」

我並不認為A和B有這樣的涵蘊關係。而到目前為止,YT亦似乎沒有提出什麼有力理由來證成這點。(退一步,即使他成功證成了這點,但由於B本身是錯的,Freedom of Lovers也不應接受B。)

由此可見,YT真正要爭拗的,其實不是SR本身的合理性與否,而是質疑為什麼在事件中,被性騷擾者本人持有的理由,不論合理與否,都可以有那樣壟斷性的位置,凌駕其他考慮。而對於這點,我沒有異議。而我一直要爭論的,其實是(B)是否合理(雖然我也回應了A)。這真是一個不太美麗的誤會。

至於(A),我自己也有保留。我並不認為,即使像在性騷擾的例子中,被騷擾者的證供(主觀感受或客觀理由)是唯一的凌駕性的理由,因為這些證供,是有機會源於False Belief or Simply Misunderstanding等等。我之前的辦公室男女大衛像T恤的例子已說明這點。(對於YT對性騷擾案例的描述,及將其和學生報的爭論作直接類比,我也有保留,但此非我關心的重點,這裡不論。)

換言之,我既不同意A,也不同意B。希望這次回應,能為這次爭論,作一個較為清楚的總結。

YT和2006的分歧

很欣賞2006的澄清,但請2006再說明以下一點(抱歉不斷插嘴):

YT說:"both (1) and (2) involve the giving of reasons; but this general description precisely fails to represent what I take to be the crucial difference here, namely, that (2) involves an act of deference to WHATEVER the victim is going to put forward AS reason."

2006說:「YT真正要爭拗的......是為什麼被性騷擾者的理由,可以有那樣的壟斷性的位置。」

我發現2006所謂「被性騷擾者的理由」,在YT口中則是"WHATEVER the victim is going to put forward AS reason",二者明顯不同。所以我會寧願把2006對YT的理解修正為:

「YT真正要爭拗的......是為什麼被性騷擾者的個人判斷,不論是否合理,都可以有那樣的壟斷性位置。」不知YT和2006可會同意?

本來我還有其他看法,可惜身有要務,實在要先行告退。今天看不到結果,要到下週六才能有空上網觀戰,相信到時大家應已鳴金收兵了吧?期待YT或2006屆時可另闢戰線,謝謝兩位這場有趣的辯論!

答Arnold

Arnold,對,你這樣的表述,更加清楚一點,亦能更清楚點出,為什麼我既不接受B,也不接受A。
謝謝!

Seventh Reply to 2006: 爭論的到底是什麼? [Debate adjourned]

Thank you again for your very patient and careful replies. I shall be most brief this time. There are, I believe, three major stumbling blocks to your way of approaching my argument, instanced in this passage of yours:

"基於此,我說反對學生報情色版的朋友,不能只以「感到不安」作為充分理由來譴責學生報。他們必須進一步,提出感到不安的理由,然後我們再具體檢驗這些理由是否成立。同樣道理,在性騷擾的例子中,我們也不能僅僅以「被騷擾者是否主觀心理上感到被侮辱」來作為道德及法律判決的唯一因素,我們必須追問導致這種被侮辱的感受的來源是否合理,是否基於false belief等。"

Essentially you said, that it could not be rational or reasonable to adopt SR. To which I say three things: (1) The law does sometimes adopt a subjective standard of liability; (2) Many feminists do tend to advocate a rather subjective standard in matters of sexual harassment; (3) That SR seems irrational or unreasonable to you does not mean that people cannot hold it. (1) and (2) are empirical claims, and (3) is a logical claim.

Let me now come to your (A) and (B). On (A) you said: "這裡的重點,嚴格來說,不是當事人提出的理由的性質(不理主觀或客觀),而是在整個判斷中,當事人提出的理由,被視為唯一的壓倒性的理由,並必須被聽從。" This is a fair formulation of the subjective standard, or SR. Then on (B) you said: "我上面已指出,被騷擾者提出的理由,(如果要被他人接受),便必須不能只是個人的主觀感受,而需要提出合理的證據(經驗事實,即真的被人騷擾),以及由這些證據所合理推導出來的受到的傷害,以及這些傷害的不合理不道德的地方。" The key sentence is this: "(如果要被他人接受),便必須不能只是個人的主觀感受,而需要提出合理的證據 [...]" I already allowed that even if a subjective standard be adopted, the victim of course still has to prove that there was such an act, etc. (See my Reply to Arnold, pt.2, supra) But once we focus on whether the victim be the sole judge (to whom others must defer) of the act's being an act of harassment or not, a subjective standard would say that she is, and an objective one not. By writing the sentence just quoted, you deliberately moved from a subjective to an objective standard ("必須不能只是個人的主觀感受"), which of course is not what (B) ought to say, it being, in your words: "在性騷擾的案子中,被騷擾者所提出的主觀感受,是道德譴責的唯一及充份理由。" Your explication of (B) diverges from (B)'s true meaning; it is this, I believe, which made you think that there is a logical gap between (A) and (B), when in fact such a gap exists only between (A) and (B) on the one hand, and your explication of (B) on the other hand.

Lastly, I observe that you are inclined to discourse on whether you yourself accept (A) and (B). Hence: "而我一直要爭論的,其實是(B)是否合理"; "至於(A),我自己也有保留"; "換言之,我既不同意A,也不同意B。" I take it that you meant to say, that (A) and (B) are normatively problematic. But that is beside the point. Go back to the stumbling blocks: none of the three statements, which are crucial to my whole argument, stands or falls with your PERSONAL OPINION on (A) and (B). You might, of course, dispute the three statements, as empirical and logical claims respectively; but your personal opinion on (A) and (B) must remain immaterial.

I sense that you are often tempted to make two moves in representing my argument: (I) to articulate the subjective standard in such a way that what you eventually give is really an objective one; (II) to conflate what other people might be found to accept, or appear to accept, with what you yourself might find to be acceptable. Let me end my comments here, and, if you agree, adjourn the debate until Arnold returns. In the interim, you may of course answer this Seventh Reply; but I shall save my further replies, if any, till that date. Thank you very much. My best regards.

再加句口

睇完YT既總結,真係忍唔住加多句。

坦白講句,作為觀戰者,我真係覺得YT有點兒為辯而辯既味道了。你自己hold既三種觀點,我覺得2006一早就接受了,前面亦都重覆左好多次。用我之前既講法,呢場討論如果只係退回到拗你講既三點,豈不是有點trivial?

2006唔想停係呢個位,而係要指出你撈亂了A 同B,而佢同時覺得A同B都唔合理,我覺得成場討論,呢個部份才最好玩最有哲學價值,而且對依家既學生報辯論最有啟發性。2006話佢講果種思維結構才合理,又提出一大堆理由,YT唔指出佢既唸法有無錯,又唔肯入去對話,只係話呢個係佢既個人觀點,咁樣對2006真係唔係幾公平。我唔係好明點解你唔肯行前一步,去認真檢討A同B係唔係合理呢個問題。我都同意2006同Arnold既觀察,你真係將A同B撈埋一碟了,而且撈得好有問題,但你既總結好似仲唔肯承認呢個大問題。

我估你會話呢個同你最初既立場無關,所以你唔想拗。但你似乎到現在都睇唔到2006既用心,雖然佢係佢既總結都講得好清楚。費事屈佢,用佢自己既話:

'一旦接受以上所說,即將YT當初設定的Assumption ONE打破,我們便可以鬆開YT的整個論證,從而容許在學生報的爭論中,不同的理由,都可以被考慮進來'

我估2006係話,如果A同B唔成立,就算你強調個三點係事實同邏輯上可能,都唔再重要,因為你講個D lovers of freedom根本唔需要跟你個套來為學生報辯護。咁即係就算你唔係打緊稻草人,個問題重點都唔再係個度,因為仲有大把其他角度去唸成件事。

唉,呢個先至係2006既用心吧。2006呢個目的,連我呢個旁觀者都睇到清清楚楚,YT你無理由睇唔到卦? 如果成場咁好玩既討論,最後只係退到一個無人會否認既你果三個trivial points,豈不是無趣之極?

公平D講,2006好想將場討論,扯到一個更哲學更深入既層面來傾,YT卻為了點都唔肯從自己最初既立場退,別人回應了X,再提出Y,回應了Y,再提出Z,一路回應一路不得不退回原點,真係有D為辯而辯Feel。

唉! 我都覺得唔值得再拗下去。直了點,有怪莫怪。

溝通的分岐

任我行的分析很好
我又口痕,嘗試從 YT 的角度看問題

//Let me now come to your (A) and (B). On (A) you said: "這裡的重點,嚴格來說,不是當事人提出的理由的性質(不理主觀或客觀),而是在整個判斷中,當事人提出的理由,被視為唯一的壓倒性的理由,並必須被聽從。" This is a fair formulation of the subjective standard, or SR.//

這是否分岐所在呢?
YT 似乎認為,「當事人提出的理由,被視為唯一的壓倒性的理由,並必須被聽從。」即是 SR,所以才會將 A&B 放在一起。

//I tried to explicate why the notion of DEFERENCE is key to understanding SR, and the giving of reasons is NOT.//

YT 認為應該以 deference 去理解何謂 SR,但問題是 SR 是指理由的性質,與 deference 搭不上邊。YT 想討論的應該是判決的準則,所以才會一再的使用 subjective standard 這個字眼。如果以YT形容的 "subjective standard"的判決標準這個角度來看 A&B (或是叫 victim-centralized standard(tm) =P ),就不難理解為何 YT 會將兩者放在一起了。換言之,YT 混淆了 SR 是一套判決的準則,而SR其實是理由的性質,如果從理由的性質這個角度看 A&B,就未必可以炒埋一碟了。

再者 YT 也沒有證明,有很多 lovers of freedom 認同 A or B;就如任我行所說, YT 的三個 claims 顯得不實在。

希望我無誤解,也期待兩位會將討論深化。

Ramad 說得好

Ramad,你呢次講得真係好準好應,將YT既一個重要盲點指了出來。SR的確係指理由既性質,呢一點2006其實講左好多次,我估Arnold同我亦都有同樣觀察,但YT一直將SR當做Deference,其實Deference只係邊一個有最後話事權,同個D理由既性質主唔主觀,根本係兩回事。2006最後果篇回應,分開A同B,然後指出兩樣指既係唔同既野,我覺得問題已經好清楚。

所以,我唸極都唔明點解YT會見唔到呢個分別,定係佢見到但唔肯退。所以你話「YT 混淆了 SR 是一套判決的準則,而SR其實是理由的性質,如果從理由的性質這個角度看 A&B,就未必可以炒埋一碟了。」真係好到point。

其實呢個point一清楚,成個Debate既脈絡便清楚晒。YT果三個Empirical Points,根本唔係要拗既重點。

補充

謝謝YT, Arnold, 任我行及Ramad的回應。

我寫完總結,自以為已將問題表達得好清楚,所以讀到YT的總結,的確不明白為什麼還會有誤解的地方。剛才讀到Ramad的回應,才恍然大悟。原來YT和我有個好大誤會。

YT說:「Let me now come to your (A) and (B). On (A) you said: "這裡的重點,嚴格來說,不是當事人提出的理由的性質(不理主觀或客觀),而是在整個判斷中,當事人提出的理由,被視為唯一的壓倒性的理由,並必須被聽從。" This is a fair formulation of the subjective standard, or SR. 」

YT一直以為A的觀點代表SR,而對我來說,B才是SR,即我說的主觀感受論,亦即:「是這樣的一種觀點:在任何道德爭論中,一個人的主觀感受,足以構成道德譴責的充份條件。」

我上次的回應,正正要指出,立場(A)根本和SR(即B)沒有任何必然關係。而B關心的,則是理由的性質,和Deference沒有關係。

Ramad說:「YT 認為應該以 deference 去理解何謂 SR,但問題是 SR 是指理由的性質,與 deference 搭不上邊。」

這的確是我的意思。我之前以為SR是指涉理由的性質這一點,大家早已有共識。直至看到Ramad的留言,我才留意到,YT原來並不這樣看。這真是另一個不美麗的誤會。

補充這一點,供各位參考。

A Reply to 任我行 (with a long note on 2006's picture of moral disc

It seems that I am trying the patience of 任我行, which is not what I intended. But there is something particularly disturbing in what he said in the last reply, to which I think I must write an answer.

"你自己hold既三種觀點,我覺得2006一早就接受了,前面亦都重覆左好多次。用我之前既講法,呢場討論如果只係退回到拗你講既三點,豈不是有點trivial?2006唔想停係呢個位,而係要指出你撈亂了A 同B,而佢同時覺得A同B都唔合理,我覺得成場討論,呢個部份才最好玩最有哲學價值,而且對依家既學生報辯論最有啟發性。2006話佢講果種思維結構才合理,又提出一大堆理由,YT唔指出佢既唸法有無錯,又唔肯入去對話,只係話呢個係佢既個人觀點,咁樣對2006真係唔係幾公平。" And towards the end of the reply: "公平D講,2006好想將場討論,扯到一個更哲學更深入既層面來傾,YT卻為了點都唔肯從自己最初既立場退,別人回應了X,再提出Y,回應了Y,再提出Z,一路回應一路不得不退回原點,真係有D為辯而辯Feel。"

If "2006一早就接受了" the three points I proposed--and in especial the second one--then I have reason to believe that 2006 completely accepts the validity of my INTERNAL CRITIQUE of the lovers of freedom (LsF). That critique takes the following form: I argued (a) that the LsF accepted C (standing for some proposition); but (b) that accepting C, they ought also to accept D; yet (c) that they seem not to accept D; therefore (d) that they owe us an explanation why they think they can do so consistently.

Whether this is a trivial argument, 任我行 can form his own judgment. But if 2006 tries to counter this argument by saying that C is wrong, impossible, unreasonable, irrational, or what not, then even if all these things are "最好玩最有哲學價值," lying on "一個更哲學更深入既層面," 任我行 ought not to demand that I follow 2006 to discourse on all these things, BEFORE 2006 declares clearly (i) that he has no dispute with the validity of my internal critique, as laid out above, and (ii) that by discoursing on those things we are engaging in a DIFFERENT debate.

"2006唔想停係呢個位,而係要指出你撈亂了A 同B,而佢同時覺得A同B都唔合理." Tell me, 任我行, what has any of these assertions by 2006 to do with the validity of my internal critique? At this point 任我行 quoted this bit from 2006: "一旦接受以上所說,即將YT當初設定的Assumption ONE打破,我們便可以鬆開YT的整個論證,從而容許在學生報的爭論中,不同的理由,都可以被考慮進來" But what does it mean to say "將YT當初設定的Assumption ONE打破"? 2006 meant to say, I take it, that he could demonstrate the irrationality or unreasonableness of C in the schema above. But what has this to do with the VALIDITY of the critique itself? None at all.

Suppose I say the following: "The LsF believed that 2 + 3 gives 6, and that addition is a commutative operation. They must therefore also believe that 3 + 2 gives 6." Now 2006 comes along and say: "But 2 + 3 does not give 6! Reasonable people ought not to believe in this!" Isn't this completely beside the point? Perhaps 2006 would "話佢講果種思維結構才合理,又提出一大堆理由"; why should I not insist that all that he said is only his personal opinion, completely irrelevant to the critique? (NB: 2006 might say: "I mean to offer a way out for the LsF: they need not, in fact ought not to, accept C!" But Arnold has long ago observed that 2006 could not achieve that simply by invoking such notions as "rational" or "reasonable." See, supra, Arnold, "理性者是否一定不會接納主觀感受論?" 2006 is, I gather, very much trapped by his rather theoretical approach to my internal critique. His notion of "進行道德思考的普遍性的思維結構"--see his "回應YT 7," supra--gives the picture of a setting where almost anything could be put on the table. What is missing from that picture is the sorts of CRITERION OF JUDGMENT participants would urge others to adopt. So, e.g., M might say to N: "Let us defer to each person's own judgment, when it comes to what is best for him or her." In this case, M proposes a subjective standard, very much in the spirit of SR: For once H, say, says that an apple is best for him, all other participants ought, under M's standard, to accept that an apple is best for H. 2006's picture fails to describe this crucial aspect of moral discourse; for him there are only reasons (subjective or objective), but no criteria.)

There is one, and only one, interpretation of 2006's whole argumentative strategy which might render it not entirely irrelevant. Which is this: that he meant to argue, that what the LsF advocate is, as a matter of fact, not a subjective standard (of moral judgment in my sense of SR), but necessarily something different; for instance, that we ought to be allowed to challenge a sexual harassment victim's subjective feelings by a reasonable person standard. I think I have good reason to declare that this argumentative strategy equally does not work; but let me relegate my answer to a subsequent post.

Second Reply to 任我行 (as well as ramad and 2006)

Let me collect at the outset a few representative statements from all three participants on a point I need the utmost to clarify.

ramad: "換言之,YT 混淆了 SR 是一套判決的準則,而SR其實是理由的性質,如果從理由的性質這個角度看 A&B,就未必可以炒埋一碟了。" ("溝通的分岐," supra)

任我行: "但YT一直將SR當做Deference,其實Deference只係邊一個有最後話事權,同個D理由既性質主唔主觀,根本係兩回事。" ("Ramad 說得好," supra)

2006: "YT一直以為A的觀點代表SR,而對我來說,B才是SR,即我說的主觀感受論,亦即:「是這樣的一種觀點:在任何道德爭論中,一個人的主觀感受,足以構成道德譴責的充份條件。」我上次的回應,正正要指出,立場(A)根本和SR(即B)沒有任何必然關係。而B關心的,則是理由的性質,和Deference沒有關係。" ("補充," supra)

And what are (A) and (B)? Here we restate them in 2006's own words ("回應YT 7," supra):
(A) "在性騷擾的案子中,被騷擾者所提出的理由,是判斷整個事件的充份理由,又或唯一需要考慮的因素。[...] 這裡的重點,嚴格來說,不是當事人提出的理由的性質(不理主觀或客觀),而是在整個判斷中,當事人提出的理由,被視為唯一的壓倒性的理由,並必須被聽從。"
(B) "在性騷擾的案子中,被騷擾者所提出的主觀感受,是道德譴責的唯一及充份理由。"

To all these I answer:

It is, first of all, very hard for me to make sense of this assertion by ramad, that "SR其實是理由的性質." What can this assertion mean exactly? If I take 2006's comment on (A) above, then "理由的性質" refers to whether a reason is subjective or objective. So, ordinarily we say, "I do X because I feel like it" is a subjective reason, and "I do Y because Y is a just thing to do" is an objective reason. So far so good. But what is SR? By it I meant, and still mean, the belief that "subjective resentment is a sufficient ground for moral condemnation." (See my Fourth Reply to 2006, supra, where I first used the abbreviation SR). I think it is clear from the very beginning that I mean a "判決的準則": How ought we to judge. (Cf. my Second Reply to 2006, supra, where it is plain that I always intend SR to be a criterion of judgment.)

I have great difficulty in understanding what ramad could mean by saying that SR "actually" is about "理由的性質." If ramad meant that when 2006, as an observer, judged whether what I did to a woman constituted sexual harassment, the sort of reason 2006 had to consider turned out to be subjective, namely, the woman's feeling; then ramad would still have to tell 2006--and any interpretation of SR must therefore be able to suggest--how he OUGHT TO ACT on that "subjective reason" proposed by the woman.

All three participants seem to be using the phrase "理由的性質" to indicate WHAT KIND of reason the observer ought to consider, but not HOW he ought to consider it. When, however, feminists, or lovers of freedom for that matter, advocated that we ought to move away from the reasonable person standard and make the woman's subjective perception decisive, they clearly did not mean simply that we ought to focus only on the woman's subjective perception. For if we are made only to focus on that, we may still, openly, retain the reasonable person standard; we may, that is, say to the victim: "Now, ma'am, I am going to consider ONLY your feelings (2006's (A): "唯一需要考慮的因素"); but I remain entirely free to apply a reasonable person standard in assessing those feelings." How would this be different from the treatment of sexual harassment cases in the good old "infamous" days then? The feminists' fight would be entirely pointless, if at the end they meant only to make feelings the only reason to CONSIDER. Pointless, let me repeat, not because it is irrational or unreasonable, but because under the said interpretation of SR the LsF would be advocating NOTHING at all.

What is at stake is not WHAT to consider, but HOW. In 2006's own words, what matters is whether the victim's feelings, or justification of those feelings, "必須被聽從." It is plain that I am entitled to regard (A)--"必須被聽從"--as a fair formulation of what I take SR to be.

How about (B) then? 2006's formulation: ""在性騷擾的案子中,被騷擾者所提出的主觀感受,是道德譴責的唯一及充份理由。" Let me focus on this last phrase: "唯一及充份理由." What can this phrase mean? If "被騷擾者所提出的主觀感受" is a "充份理由," can the observer REJECT the reason the victim proposed? 2006, 任我行, and ramad seem to believe that he can. For them, "充份理由" means:

(P1) If the observer finds subjective resentment, then he is entitled to condemn the act.

But here is the rub: What does "finds" here mean? Suppose the victim says in plain language: "I resent the act." The observer, on my reading of SR, is bound to "find" subjective resentment, and, if SR be adopted, to condemn the act. But (P1)--what 2006, 任我行, and ramad seem to take SR to mean--allows the observer not to find subjective resentment, DESPITE the victim's clear statement "I resent."

Does SR mean (P1)? On the face of it, it might. But if the observer is left entirely free to decide whether the victim resents the act, despite clear protestation from her, then we should probably say, not that the victim's subjective resentment is sufficient for moral condemnation--which is SR--but that the observer's (under what standard we know not) finding subjective resentment is sufficient etc.

Now, let us ask the question: How should we describe the situation where the observer refuses to find subjective resentment, despite clear protestation from the victim? We are bound to say, that the observer's ruling means to answer only the question: "Shall I find subjective resentment in this case?" but not the question: "Is there really subjective resentment here?"

Yet in plain language SR makes the EXISTENTIAL SITUATION "There is subjective resentment here", rather than the observer's independent assessment "I am willing to find subjective resentment," the sufficient condition for moral condemnation. Otherwise expressed: SR compels the observer to find in a certain manner, and it is NOT the case that it only compels the observer to come to a particular conclusion after he has done his finding in some unspecified way. I claim, therefore, that DEFERENCE is the key element: It is the victim's subjective resentment, not the observer's willingness to find subjective resentment, that determines the case: under this plain language interpretation of SR, the observer MUST DEFER: and it is indeed this that the LsF have long been advocating. Replacing the existential assertion by an independent assessment is the way in which 2006 repeatedly tries to "objectivize" SR, to make it sound like a standard where the observer has ample room to assess the victim's report as he likes. I object to that reading.

To my way of thinking, therefore, (A) "必須被聽從" and (B) "充份理由" give rise to the SAME standard of moral judgment. But since (A) and (B), on this argument, come down to the same thing, I fail completely to see why "即使我們接受(A),也並不一定要接受(B)。" (2006, "回應YT 7," supra) 2006 and other participants can perhaps offer us a concrete hypothetical where (A) is said to be accepted, but (B) not, and show us how that hypothetical is different from one where both (A) and (B) are said to be accepted. Only then can readers have a chance to assess whether 2006's ehthusiastic attempt to distinguish (A) and (B) makes sense at all.

誤會

YT的回應 "Second Reply to 任我行 (as well as ramad and 2006)",大致上是爭論到底應該以哪個角度理解 a&b兩個 cases,YT 理解遇到困難,我認為那是因為他仍未發覺彼此的討論焦點不同。

問題是 SR 這個詞有理解的分岐,導致雙方以為大家討論的焦點一致。應該以何種角度理解,視乎討論的焦點是什麼,如果雙方都認為要討論 YT 關注的一套判決準則,那以 YT 的角度理解會比較合理;可是現在的情況是,雙方的焦點有分岐。其實 2006 已經清楚的澄清,但 YT 仍然以為 2006 要爭論該以哪個角度理解 A&B,那是因為 YT 還沒有發覺彼此討論的焦點不同,所用的角度自然也不同。也就是說,如果雙方對想討論的焦點沒有共識的話,「爭論到底應該以哪個角度理解」其實可以還原為「我們應該討論什麼東西」。

YT 的論証值不值得討論,我不敢妄下斷言,不過我認為,與 2006 討論不會達到 YT 理想中的目的,除非 2006 願意在辯論中 roleplay 成 YT 所形容的 lovers of freedom,讓 YT 發揮他的 internal critique。

希望 YT 能夠化解溝通上的誤會,重整論証並且深化討論。

PS. YT 提問怎樣分辨 SR,直接引述 2006 的說明:

//(理由)必須不能只是個人的主觀感受,而需要提出合理的證據(經驗事實,即真的被人騷擾),以及由這些證據所合理推導出來的受到的傷害,以及這些傷害的不合理不道德的地方。這些理由,原則上必須有其客觀性,能夠被人理解,接受,又或批評。換言之,[b]是可以被Objectively Examined[/b] 的。//

即是說,可以被 objectively examined 的理由就不稱為 SR。這亦間接回答了「SR 是指理由的性質--這個說法是什麼意思」的提問。

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