约翰·洛克的教育思想(中英对照)-24: 智慧

WISDOM | Wisdom I take in the popular acceptation, for a man's managing his business ably and with foresight in this world. This is the product of a good natural temper, application of mind, and experience together, and so above the reach of children. The greatest thing that in them can be done towards it, is to hinder them, as much as may be, from being cunning; which, being the ape of wisdom, is the most distant from it that can be: and as an ape for the likeness it has to a man, wanting what really should make him so, is by so much the uglier; cunning is only the want of understanding, which because it cannot compass its ends by direct ways, would do it by a trick and circumvention; and the mischief of it is, a cunning trick helps but once, but hinders ever after. No cover was ever made so big or so fine as to hide it self; no body was ever so cunning as to conceal their being so: and when they are once discovered, every body is shy, every body distrustful of crafty men; and all the world forwardly join to oppose and defeat them; whilst the open, fair, wise man has every body to make way for him, and goes directly to his business. To accustom a child to have true notions of things, and not to be satisfied till he has them; to raise his mind to great and worthy thoughts, and to keep him at a distance from falsehood and cunning, which has always a broad mixture of falsehood in it; is the fittest preparation of a child for wisdom. The rest, which is to be learned from time, experience, and observation, and an acquaintance with men, their tempers and designs, is not to be expected in the ignorance and inadvertency of childhood, or the inconsiderate heat and unweariness of youth: all that can be done towards it, during this unripe age, is, as I have said, to accustom them to truth and sincerity; to a submission to reason; and as much as may be, to reflection on their own actions.

智慧 |  对于智慧我采用大众化的解释，就是一个人有能力与远见来经营自己的事务。这是善良的天性，心智的努力与经验结合的产物，不是小孩所能企及的。对此能做的最大事情是，尽可能地防止他们变狡猾；狡猾模仿智慧，却离智慧最远：就像一个猿猴外表近似于人，但缺乏人的实际，因此显得更加丑陋；狡猾只是缺乏悟性，不能直接达到目的，所以就用欺骗与规避去达成；它的危害在于，一个狡猾的伎俩能够奏效一时，但以后却永远有所妨害。没有任何掩饰能够做得够大或够精细来隐藏自己；也没有人能够如此狡猾来隐瞒他们的狡猾：一旦他们被人察觉，人人都会避开他们，人人都不信任狡诈的人；全世界都联合起来反对与击败他们；而一个坦率、公正、明智的人则有人人为他开路，他可以直接做成自己的事情。要让小孩掌握事物的真实观念，不达目的不罢休；让他把心思放在伟大和有价值的事情上，使他远离虚伪和掺杂大量谎言的狡猾；这是预备小孩获取智慧的最合适的方法。而其余的则要通过时间、经验、观察、以及对人的了解、对他们的脾性与企图的了解来学到，不能期望无知粗心的小孩或轻率急躁的年轻人能够获得的。在这不成熟的年纪所能做的是，如我所说的，使他们习惯于真实与诚挚，服从理智，并且尽量反省他们自己的行为。

 

摘自Some Thoughts Concerning Education (English-Chinese Edition)(ISBN-10: 1537479857)