第2讲 理性之光—心理学是一门科学在线视频

上次课我们提到
As we mentioned last time

心理学是一门
Psychology is a science

研究行为和心理过程的科学
that studies behavior and the process of mind

说心理学是一门科学
Is it true to say that

这符合事实吗
psychology is a science

科学有什么特征
What are the characteristics of science

心理学是不是
Does psychology conform to

符合科学的特征呢
the characteristics of science

一般来说
Generally speaking

科学有三个重要的特征
science has three important characteristics

第一 采用系统的实证主义方法
First, adoption of systematic empiricism

根据科学的
According to the inherent

内在要求
requirements of science

一切知识必须建立在来自
all knowledge must be based on

观察和实验的经验事实基础之上
empirical facts from observation and experiment

观察是必要的
Observation is fine and necessary

但仅仅靠观察也是不够的
but observation pure and simple is not enough

所以这里强调的
so the emphasis here is

是系统的实证主义
on "systematic" empiricism

比如
For example

如果记录我们每天
if we record all the facts we observe from the time

从起床到睡觉之间观察到的所有事实
we get up to the time we go to bed

就会拥有一大堆事实
we will have a lot of facts

但是仅凭这些
but we will not be able to

我们还无法更好地
understand the world better on the basis

理解这个世界
of these facts alone

而系统性的观察是理论驱动的
Systematic observations are theory driven

并用观察到的事实
and uses observed facts

来检验各种理论观点
to test theoretical ideas

第二 产生公共知识
Second, production of public knowledge

也就是说
That is to say

科学知识
scientific knowledge does

并不单独存在于
not exist alone in the mind of

特定个体的头脑之中
a specific individual

当我们做了研究
When we finish a research

就要把这个研究交给科学团体
we turn it over to the scientific community

任何人都可以检验
where anyone can test

批评和拓展
criticize and extend on it

通过这种程序
This process ensures

可以尽可能保证
as far as possible

某个发现不是由于
that a discovery is not the result of

个别研究者的错误或偏差导致的
a mistake or deviation by an individual researcher

这个过程一般通过
This process is generally achieved through

同行评审和发表来实现
peer review and publication

当然
Actually

通过了评审并不等于
passing the review doesn’t mean

就是科学知识了
that the knowledge is scientific

同行评审不过
and peer review is

是最低的标准
only the minimal criterion

第三 验证可解决的问题
Third, verification of solvable problems

现在有两个表述
Now there are two statements

人性本善
human nature is good

第二
Second

生命的意义在于奉献
The meaning of life lies in dedication

大家看这两个表述可以验证吗
Do you think these two statements can be verified

至少现在
At least for now

我们还不知道如何验证这些表述
we don't know how to verify them

再看这个问题
And this statement

自尊水平高的同学
Students with high levels of self-esteem

逃学行为较少
are less likely to play truant

这个问题很容易
This problem can be easily

就可以看出来是可验证的
seen to be verifiable

再看这个表述
And one more statement

埃斯顿·杰斐逊是托马斯·杰斐逊的儿子
Ashton Jefferson was the son of Thomas Jefferson

这个问题可以验证吗
Can this question be verified

倒退30年
Back 30 years ago

这个问题不会被认为
this question would not have been

可以验证
considered verifiable

但是1998年的时候
but in 1998

由于基因技术的进步
due to advances in genetic technology

科学杂志《自然》
the scientific journal Nature

发表了一篇文章指出
published an paper pointing out

埃斯顿·杰斐逊很可能就是
that Ashton Jefferson was very likely

托马斯·杰斐逊的儿子
Thomas Jefferson's son

不可验证的问题
and the unverifiable question

变成了可以验证的问题
changed into a verifiable question

所以
Therefore

一个问题是否可以验证
whether a question can be verified or not

是随着科学的发展而发生变化的
changes with the development of science

实际上
In fact

科学创造力的一部分
part of scientific creativity is

就在于寻找那些本来不可验证
to find problems that can not be verified

但随着科学的发展而可以验证的问题
but can be verified with the development of science

验证可解决的问题
The verification of solvable problems

与证伪问题有关
is about falsifiability

著名科学哲学家卡尔·波普尔
Karl Popper the famous philosopher of science

有一本著作叫做《猜想与反驳》
wrote a book called Conjectures and Refutations

他在这本书中提出
In this book he put forward that

科学和非科学划分的标准
the criterion for dividing science and non-science

是证伪原则
is the principle of falsification

强调科学理论的描述
emphasizing that the description of scientific theory

要具有可证伪性
should be falsifiable

也就是说
That is to say

科学理论的表述
the expression of scientific theory

必须保证
must ensure that

它所作出的预测是明确的
the prediction it makes is clear

它一方面
on the one hand

告诉我们什么事情会发生
it tells us what will happen

还要同时指出
but also points out

哪些事情不会发生
what will not happen at the same time

比如
For example

自尊水平高的同学
the statement "high self-esteem students

逃学行为较少
play truant less

这个表述意味着如果我们发现
means that if we find that

自尊水平高的同学
high self-esteem students

逃学行为较多
play truant more

这个表述就被证伪了
this statement is falsified

所以这种表述
So this statement

符合证伪的原则
is in line with the principle of falsification

但人性本善
However the statement "human nature is good"

生命的意义在于奉献
and "the meaning of life lies in dedication"

这样的表述不符合证伪的原则
does not conform to the principle of falsification

心理学家为了达到科学的标准
Psychologists take great pains

可谓煞费苦心
to meet the criterion of science

刚才我们讲到的科学的三个特征
The three characteristics of science that we talked about just now

也就是采用系统的实证主义方法
that is adoption of systematic empiricism

产生公共知识
production of public knowledge

验证可解决的问题
and verification of solvable problem

心理学也在很大程度上做到了
are also achieved to a large extent in psychology

所以心理学被认为是一门科学
So psychology is considered a science

同时
At the same time

心理学已经被科学界接受
psychology has been accepted by the scientific community

现在已经成为国际科学理事会（ICSU）
and is now one of the 29 scientific unions

29个科学联盟会员之一
of the International Council for Science (ICSU)

并有多名科学家
and several scientists have won Nobel Prizes

因为研究心理学
for their research on psychology

或者与心理学有关的问题而获得了诺贝尔奖
or related problems

比如约翰·埃克尔斯爵士
Such as Sir John Eccles

康拉德·洛伦兹
Konrad Lorenz

罗杰·斯佩里他们三个人获得了
Roger Sperry won prizes

生理学和医学奖
in physiology and medicine

赫伯特·西蒙 又叫司马贺
Herbert Simon, also known as He Sima

丹尼尔·卡尼曼
Daniel Kahneman

理查德·塞勒
Richard Thaler

他们都获得了诺贝尔经济学奖等等
won the Nobel Prizes in Economics

因此
Therefore

无论从科学的内在要求
psychology can be listed in science whether from the inherent

还是外部的认可来说心理学都可以称作一门科学
requirements of science or from the external recognition

好 今天的内容讲完了
That's all for today

现在回顾一下主要内容
Now let's review the main contents

今天我们主要讲了
Today we mainly talk about

科学的三个特征
the three characteristics of science

分别是采用系统的实证主义方法
namely adoption of systematic empiricism

产生公共知识
production of public knowledge

验证可解决的问题
and verification of solvable problem

而心理学研究
and psychological research

符合科学的这三个特征
conforms to these three characteristics of science

所以被科学界承认
so it is recognized by the scientific community

是一门科学
as a science

下次课我们会讲到
Next time we'll talk about

心理学家到底是使用什么方法
what methods psychologists use

来寻找
to look for

心理与行为的规律的
laws of mind and behavior

好 下次再见
OK, see you next time