Alice's Adventures in Wonderland《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》一直是我很愛的書,充滿幻想與冒險的童書,背後有著更多發人深省的有趣對話。最近重新翻了PENGUIN CLASSIC出的愛麗絲,整理出一些我喜歡的對話。
I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think: was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is "Who in the world am I?" Ah, that's the great puzzle!" 對一個成長中的孩子(或對所有人!),必定會面臨自我認同的問題,看著鏡子問:「我到底是誰?」在愛書的一開始Lewis Carrol就丟出了這個大問題,或許也是一切問題的根本,如同愛麗絲所說:"Who in the world am I? That's the great puzzle !" 而愛麗絲的疑惑跟一些哲學家提出的問題不謀而合:如果「我」是一個集合(set)、集合內包含的元素(element)是我從出生到現在所有的經歷,那當今天結束、明天開始時,新的元素(經歷)又加入了集合,集合改變了,「我」已經不是「我」。最極端的一種說法是:「下一秒的我跟前一秒的我是不同的兩個人」。
上述對於自我概念的問題,在愛麗絲遇上毛毛蟲時再次被提起。
"Who are you?" said the Caterpillar.
"I hardly know, Sir, just at present---at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then."
"Explain yourself" said the Caterpillar.
"I can't explain myself, because I'm not myself, you see."
"I don't see," said the Caterpillar.
"I'm afraid I can't put it more clearly," Alice replied, very politely, "for I can't understand it myself, to begin with; and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing."
"It isn't," said the Caterpillar.
"Well, perhaps you haven't found it so yet," said Alice; "but when you have to turn into a chrysalis---you will some day, you know---and then after that into a butterfly, I should think you'll feel a little queer, won't you?"
"Not a bit," said the Caterpillar.
"Well, perhaps your feelings may be different," said Alice: "all I know is, it would feel very queer to me."
"You!" said the Caterpillar contemptuously. "Who are you?" 毛毛蟲與愛麗絲的對話,以「妳是誰?」作為開場,再次點出了這問題的根本性。愛麗絲的回答如同前段提到的哲學思考,她知道早上的愛麗絲是誰,然此時此刻她已不確定自己是不是原本的那個我。此外,第二段對話也非常有意思,愛麗絲說「我無法解釋我自己,因為我不是我」;這句話點出了一個簡單的邏輯概念,要「解釋我自己」,得要「我是我自己」這個前提成立才行,也就是說,許多問題的回答有一定的先後順序;在整段對話的最後也再次呼應這點,當愛麗絲不太高興的說出「我只知道對我而言,這感覺很奇怪」但毛毛蟲提醒了她,她還沒回答根本的問題「妳口中的我到底是誰?」。另外我也覺得 Lewis Carrol在這裡透過毛毛蟲來向孩子解釋,無須為自己的改變而擔心。當愛麗絲認為不斷的改變讓她感到困擾時,毛毛蟲肯定的回答:「It isn't」;而愛麗絲相信毛毛蟲變成蝴蝶時也多少會感到古怪,毛毛蟲傲慢的說:「Not a bit」。毛毛蟲以他輕蔑的態度「教導」愛麗絲,改變並不可怕,孩子都終會長大,如同毛毛蟲化蛹成蝶般的必然,但「我還是原本的我」。