空谈

by 林垚

本书是青年学者林垚近年来哲学、科普、学术与公共讨论文章汇集，也是作者的第一部独立文集。全书由三个版块组成，上卷《究穷象塔屠龙术》集中于道德哲学及政治哲学方面的探讨，中卷《搅梦频劳西海月》聚焦美国政治，下卷《蛇毛兔角多鸡犬》漫谈与科学哲学或宗教哲学相关的话题。作者行文逻辑严密，文风犀利，从哲学思辩的高度对诸多公共话题进行了深入浅出的讲解，直戳要点，并且呈现出多重的思考维度。

640 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2024

Reviews

[Zhou · Rating 4 out of 5]

前面三篇讲同性婚姻、堕胎权和“me too”的对我来说最为精彩和有启发

[Minervas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of Lin Yao's articles on political philosophy, American politics, and philosophy of religion and science. The standout piece in the collection is "灯塔主义", which offers an original explanation for the support of Trump or his policies among many Chinese pro-liberty intellectuals. Although I am personally opposed to Trump, I found this article thought-provoking as it prompted me to reflect on my own discomfort with American progressives' challenges to traditional Whig historiography. Another article I appreciated is "'政治正确', 身份政治与交叉性", which critiques the term "political correctness" for its party bias and naturalization bias.

Lin demonstrates a solid understanding of American politics, though his interpretations of current and historical events often feel heavily framed through the lens of race (or perhaps not, as I am not an expert). At times, his strong pro-progressive stance made me uncomfortable. Additionally, while Lin excels in philosophical reasoning, I found his analysis of historical trends less compelling. An example will be the long article "美国政党体系流变".

Despite these reservations, this book is an accessible introduction for Chinese readers seeking to understand American politics and its ideological debates. Given the author's progressive leanings, readers are encouraged to explore alternative viewpoints on the topics discussed. That said, in light of the prevalent anti-progressive attitudes in China, this book could serve as a valuable counterbalance.

[L D · Rating 5 out of 5]

这是林垚的公共讨论文章结集，因为议题的限制，讨论往往着墨于美国，但是处处都有对本地的投射。其中对MeToo运动、死刑、政治正确、同性婚姻、美国两党源流、种族主义、宗教的讨论深入浅出，对于缺乏政治哲学训练的我来说，都能读懂，可谓用心良苦。集子最后写伪科学，谈到中医的有效性、《本草纲目》与小学生中医课，锋芒毕露，读得过瘾。作者戴着镣铐跳舞，能点到为止，实属不易。