科學的發展基於科學相信自然界有「真理」的存在,
而其發展的推動力則源於「對自然界真理的熱愛」。
從哲學的角度來看,這個信仰是穩固的,
因為如果有人說「這個世界沒有真理」,
那麼「這個世界沒有真理」這個敘述也不是真理,
the statement refutes itself;
而且,如果「這個世界沒有真理」,
那麼我們就沒有任何肯定和可靠的東西,
於是人類就不可能有語言,不可能有知識,不可能有思考,
人與人之間亦不可能有溝通。
所以我們知道這個世界必定有真理,
問題只是如何去找她出來。
用中國傳統的概念來描述,
科學是從「格物」──研究形而下的器──開始,
經歷過嚴苛無情的實驗和批判來去蕪存菁,
甚至經歷過一個漫長、逐漸揭露的階段,
而達到「致知」──找出形而上的道──的過程。
而「致知」往往並非一蹴即就,
可能會出現長時間被迫擱置的階段。
一旦將科學的經驗、方法、精神和態度,
應用在其他複雜、不容易控制變數的學問之上,
我們就會發現由「格物」到「致知」,
往往是一個水滴石穿、緩慢、逐步迫近真理的過程,
可能累積幾十代人愚公移山之精神和洪荒之力,
尚未能「水落石出」,和真理面對面。
俗語的所謂「經得起千錘百鍊」,在科學理論中實現了。
又正如俗語所說「真金不怕紅爐火」,
科學家相信 Truth can stand by itself.
The criterion of truth is that it works even
if nobody is prepared to acknowledge it.
( Ludwig von Mises )
Truth has no special time of its own.
Its hour is now ─ always.
( Albert Schweitzer )
If you shut up truth and bury it under
the ground, it will but grow, and
gather to itself such explosive power
that the day it bursts through
it will blow up everything in its way.
( Emile Zola )
Nothing ever goes away until
it teaches us what we need to know.
( Pema Chodron )
在追求真理的路途上,無數舊的信念將會被摧毀,
只有頭腦不清的人,才會認為在追求真理的路途上,
各種互相矛盾的假說可以「互相包容、求同存異」!
只有頭腦不清的人,才會認為不需要接受殘酷實驗的淘汰,
只需要「據理力爭、堅守立場」!
也許有很多東西都可以「互相包容、求同存異」,
但真和假是永遠不能互相包容的!
正如在動機的角度來看,
「誤會」和「說謊」之間根本沒有中間地帶!
You can bend it and twist it…
You can misuse it and abuse it…
But even God cannot change the truth.
( Michael Levy )
There is no god higher than truth.
( Mahatma Gandhi )
用文學家的語言來描述,
美好的「理論」背後,往往有一段「歷劫滄桑」的故事!
正如莎士比亞所說:
「時間的銳齒能嚙盡一切,惟獨對真理無可奈何。」
Truth is independent of language.
It never goes out of fashion.
It is eternal. It is always honestly present.
Sometimes it is so subtle that it will reveal
itself only when we ask the right questions.
It doesn’t cease to exist because it is ignored.
It doesn’t care whether you believe in it or not.
It doesn’t care whether it heals or wounds.
In fact, it doesn’t care for anybody’s feeling.
Sometimes it can be uncomfortable or even cruel
because it is like a penetrating arrow and
so hypocrites often accuse truth to be unkind.
Hypocrites tell us to repect people
and give up truth when people get hurt.
Lots of people like to say “truth will prevail”;
yes, they like truth by word of mouth,
but hypocrisy is always their master, and they
are always willing to compromise against truth.
The two questions everybody should ask himself
are “Do I dare to question everything?
and “Am I afraid of the Truth?”
( Jason Ling )
所以任何可以稱為「信仰」的東西,
必然誕生在擁抱批判的過程之中,所以不會懼怕挑戰。
科學,絕對有資格稱為一種「信仰」!
If a man really have strong faith he can
indulge in the beautiful luxury of skepticism.
One is sure enough, strong enough,
grounded enough for that.
( Friedrich Nietzsche, The Twilight of the Idols, 1889 )
一般人都不重視理論,
不喜歡弄清楚「理論」theory 和「假說」hypothesis 的分別,
更加不喜歡弄清楚「假說」hypothesis 和「意見」opinion 的分別,
一般人都重視「行動、行為」action/example,
所以常常會不自覺地侮辱了數學家和理論物理學家:
The world is changed by your example,
not by your opinion.
( Paulo Coelho )
歷史上,理論、信仰、假說、信念、迷信,
甚至社會意識形態,
這一些規範人類思想的抽象東西,
它們的影響絕對不低於人類的「行動、行為」。
我們甚至可以說,
人類的「行動、行為」其實完全是受他的思想所支配。