Now, many of you might worry that the notion of well-being is truly undefined,
或许在你们之中,有许多人会担心这所谓的幸福该如何界定
and seemingly perpetually open to be re-construed.
这似乎没有一定的标准
And so, how therefore can there be an objective notion of well-being?
而且,怎么可能有一种完全客观的人身幸福的标准存在呢?
Well, consider by analogy, the concept of physical health.
如果是这样,难道因为对身体健康的概念
The concept of physical health is undefined.
没有一个真正的定论
As we just heard from Michael Specter, it has changed over the years.
如同Michael Specter适才说道,这些概念也会改变
When this statue was carved the average life expectancy was probably 30.
在这个雕像产生的年代,人类的平均寿命是30
It's now around 80 in the developed world.
现在已发展国家的平均寿命是80
There may come a time when we meddle with our genomes in such a way that not being able to run a marathon
也许有一天,因为我们对基因的研究,
at age 200 will be considered a profound disability.
200岁不能跑马拉松是一种残疾
People will send you donations when you're in that condition.
如果你有这种状况,人们会捐钱给你
Notice that the fact that the concept of health is open, genuinely open for revision, does not make it vacuous.
我们知道健康的观念会改变,随时都可以重新思考,这不代表这些讨论是毫无意义的
The distinction between a healthy person and a dead one
一个健康的人和一个死人之间的差别
is about as clear and consequential as any we make in science.
在科学或理论里是一样的
Another thing to notice is there may be many peaks on the moral landscape:
另外一个该注意的事情是道德地图上虽然有很多山巅
There may be equivalent ways to thrive;
是有可能可以一起努力
there may be equivalent ways to organize a human society so as to maximize human flourishing.
一起找出一个管理人类社会的方法,一起找出最大的幸福
Now, why wouldn't this undermine an objective morality?
为什么我们不能将这个当作客观道德的基础?
Well think of how we talk about food:
想象我们讨论食物的方式
I would never be tempted to argue to you that there must be one right food to eat.
我永远不会和你争辩人类应该有吃的自由