13 新時代新哲學(xué)(doc)
13、A New Age, A New Philosophy If we do not understand the fundamentals1 and underlying2 themes of the age we live in, then we will have great difficulty living and working in a successful and fulfilled3 manner. This is the beginning of the digital age. As we have invented the age itself, by inventing the computer and telecommunications (along with all their by- products), so now we need to invent a way to understand and live in it. We need a philosophy for the digital age. The creation of a digital age philosophy requires us firstly to understand what the underlying fundamentals are that make this age what it is. What makes this age different? Some readers might wince a little at the word philosophy, thinking that it belongs in academia4, not the real world. I make no apologies for using it because I believe that it is exactly what we need. Going forward without a digital age philosophy is going forward blind. Those of us over 30 were born and reared in the industrial age. We ate, slept and drank its philosophical tenets5. They were in front of us every day, in our homes, in our workplaces, in the newspapers, in our conversations, in our classrooms and playgrounds. In our social and economic structures. We understood terms, such as the working class, the five-day week, 9-to-5 and lifetime employment. Our children will imbue6 a digital age philosophy in a natural day to day manner, but we of the older generations must work much harder. We need to shed much of the skin of our industrial age philosophy and thinking, and then learn to wear the philosophy and thinking of the digital age. We need to understand new terms, such as cyberspace7, e-commerce8, globalisation, teleworking9 and virtual organisations. This is not an easy task by any means. It can be both frightening and unnerving10. But whether we like it or not we have no choice. If we do not move forward willingly then we will be moved sideways. If we do not become students again, regaining a child-like curiosity and capacity to learn, then we will increasingly find that we are living in a world that we do not understand. If we cannot embrace the digital age, then the digital age will push us aside and pass us by. As Morris Tabaksblat (Chairman of Unilever) has stated: Change: Regard it as an ally and not as an enemy. Understand the process that drives change and you can use it, instead of being used by it. Change: use it, or be used. Of course, this is not to say that everything changes. The industrial age and all its factories and physical, mechanical things will of course not disappear. People still need cars and televisions and houses to live in. However, the role and importance of such physical products will diminish11 in absolute value terms as the digital age matures. As has happened to agriculture in the industrial age, so too will happen to industry in the digital age. 新哲學(xué)新時代 如果我們不理解我們生活的這個時代的基本理念和根本主題，那么，我們就很難成功 地、充實地在這個時代中生活和工作。 　　數(shù)字化時代已經(jīng)開始。我們發(fā)明了計算機和電信技術(shù)（包括它們的種種副產(chǎn)品）， 開創(chuàng)了這個全新的時代，因此，我們現(xiàn)在需要創(chuàng)造一種理解這個時代并在其中生存的方 式。 　　我們需要數(shù)字化時代的哲學(xué)。 　　數(shù)字化時代哲學(xué)的產(chǎn)生，首先要求我們了解它何以成為這樣一個時代，它所蘊涵的 根本理念是什么，它與其他時代的區(qū)別何在？ 　　有些讀者可能對“哲學(xué)”這個詞有點皺眉蹙額，認為它是個學(xué)術(shù)用語而非現(xiàn)實生活用 語。我卻以為不必因此感到不安，因為我認為這個詞正是我們所需要的。前進時缺乏數(shù) 字化時代的哲學(xué)無異于盲目前行。 　　我們這些三四十歲的人生在工業(yè)時代，長在工業(yè)時代。我們根據(jù)這個時代的種種哲 學(xué)信條飲食起居。它們每時每刻都在我們的眼前晃動，在家里，在工作場所，在報紙上 ，在交談中，在教室里，在操場上，在社會與經(jīng)濟結(jié)構(gòu)中，無處不在。我們熟知這些術(shù) 語，如工人階級、五天工作制、朝九晚五、終身工作制等等。 我們的孩子將會很自然地、日復(fù)一日地感受著數(shù)字化時代的哲學(xué)，而像我們這代年紀大 一點的人就得十分用功了。我們要擺脫工業(yè)時代的哲學(xué)和思維方式，學(xué)習(xí)數(shù)字化時代的 哲學(xué)和思維方式。我們得去理解新術(shù)語，如網(wǎng)絡(luò)空間、電子商務(wù)、全球化、遠程工作、 虛擬組織等等。 　　不管怎么說，這不是一件輕松的事，它可能會令你驚恐不已，也可能會令你失去自 信。但是，無論我們喜歡與否，我們已別無選擇！如果我們不自動積極進取，我們就將 被拋在一邊。如果我們不再次甘當學(xué)生，恢復(fù)那幼時的好奇心和好學(xué)精神，我們將越發(fā) 地發(fā)現(xiàn)自己生活在一個完全陌生的世界里。如果我們不能去擁抱這個數(shù)字化時代，它將 會把我們推到一旁，逕直向前。 　　聯(lián)合利華公司總裁莫里斯·塔巴克斯布拉特說：“變革：把它看作盟友，不是敵人。 了解驅(qū)動變革的過程，你就能加以利用，而不是被其利用。變革：利用或被利用。” 當然，這并不是說，所有的一切都會改變。顯然，工業(yè)時代及其所有的工廠、物質(zhì)方 面的和機械方面的一切不會消失。人們依然需要汽車、電視和住房。然而，從純價值的 角度來說，隨著數(shù)字化時代日趨成熟，這些物質(zhì)產(chǎn)品的作用和重要性將會縮小。工業(yè)時 代的農(nóng)業(yè)是如此，數(shù)字化時代的工業(yè)也將如此。 1.fundamental[φΘνδΕ5μεντ(Ε)λ]n.基本原理 2.underlying[ΘνδΕ5λαΙΙΝ]adj.根本的 3.fulfill[φθλ5φΙλ]vt.使完整，滿足 4.academia[7“κΕ5δι:μφΕ]n.學(xué)術(shù)界 5.tenet[5τενιτ]n.原則，信條 6.imbue[ιμ5βφυ:]vt.灌輸 7.cyberspace[5σαιβΕνειτ]n.網(wǎng)絡(luò)空間 8.e-commerce[((((((((]n.電子商務(wù) 9.teleworking遠程工作 10.unnerve[Θν5ν∴:π]vt.使失去自信 11.diminish[δι5μινιΦ]vi.變少
13 新時代新哲學(xué)(doc)