有個讀哲學的朋友不只一次向我表示，希望有朝一日能在哲學上打出名堂，即使不能跟那些大名鼎鼎的哲學家相比，至少也不要像現在般寂寂無名。我想，他的意思是至少要做到：行家拿起一本國際哲學期刊，看到他大作上的名字，不問而知是何許人也。
然而，名有美惡，假如行家在期刊一看到他的論文便會說：「怎麼這傢伙又一篇垃圾論文刊登了？真不明白那些期刊怎搞的！」他可算是出名了，卻是惡名；他是否寧願臭名遠播，也要出名呢？如果是的，那麼我建議他花些錢，不時到英美各地大學的哲學講座向演講的哲學家撒尿，一邊撒一邊表露身份：「本人XXX，學術專長是道德哲學，今天就用一泡尿來反駁你的論點！」保管他很快會在英美哲學界「聲名大噪」，不必花大量時間和心血寫論文這麼辛苦。
如果他求的是美名，那還有一個分野，就是名有虛實：有些美名是浪得虛名，有些則是名符其實。要是他不計較，只要是美名便成，那麼他不妨看看有沒有些成名捷徑，雖然沒有保證，但也可增加他打出名堂的機會。捷徑之一是追隨學術潮流，不論自己是否真的有興趣，是否視之為重要，也用時興的手法、集中寫些時興的東西（例如所謂 experimental philosophy）；捷徑之二是筆走偏鋒，不論那是不是自己真正相信的東西，只要能引起行家注意，就算是如何標奇立異的理論，也擁護論證一番，最好是成為該理論的代表。（可能還有其他捷徑，不過由他自己想好了。）
如果他求的是名實相符的美名，而且不只是別人眼中的實，也是自己認為的實，那麼他便要腳踏實地下苦功做自己有興趣並相信是重要的研究。這將會是個漫長而艱辛的歷程，而他打出名堂的機會不會很高，因為別人未必會關心他研究的課題，他亦不容易研究出別人欣賞的成果。不過，假如他真的這樣做研究，他的全副心思便可能只放在研究上，而不會那麼介懷自己是否有名了。
人不知而不慍，不亦君子乎！
怡家x-phi隨處都是，仲多過賣臭豆腐的，想出名都難，趁機混水摸魚就有分（我都係其中之一）。
回覆刪除我覺得好似以下呢位仁兄，真係只專注自己感興趣的研究，做出驕人成績，仲出埋名的，加上其出身，真係吾等之偕模
http://philpapers.org/s/Sungho%20Choi
奇怪，我篇留言唔見左。。。
回覆刪除CYC,
回覆刪除可唔可以再貼過？
我係想話，xphi現在隨街都係，仲多過賣臭豆腐的，想出名都難，不如趁機賺些publications(我都係)。新潮流都這樣，想跟著做的，我唸都幾難出名。
回覆刪除好似呢位仁兄，就專做自己想要做的，現在算是有了實至名歸的名氣。加上他的背景，真是吾等模範，
http://philpapers.org/s/Sungho%20Choi
再貼，又唔見，唔道係我用了不雅語言。。。？
回覆刪除CYC,
回覆刪除咁奇怪？
為求名而做學術，多數都唔會成功
回覆刪除我係想話，xphi現在隨街都係，仲多過賣臭豆腐的，想出名都難，不如趁機賺些publications(我都係)。新潮流都這樣，想跟著做的，我唸都幾難出名。
回覆刪除好似呢位仁兄，就專做自己想要做的，現在應該是有了實至名歸的名氣。加上他的背景，真是吾等模範，
http://philpapers.org/s/Sungho Choi
可能是虛榮心作崇。一些人明知自己沒有參與任何的工作，但當聽到可列為書本的作者時，不加思索便欣然同意。
回覆刪除仍在談某「年青學者」？
回覆刪除有時做事，如果目標是求名(名實相符的美名)很難會成功，反倒如果目標是要做好這件事而不是求名，得到名實相符的美名的機會反倒更大呢。
回覆刪除我剛才想話，x-phi現在隨街都係，仲多過賣豬肉的，與其講出名，不如趁機賺些publications(我都係)。潮流都有呢類性質，一興好快就全世界一齊跟進，人做你又做，都幾難成名。至於標奇立異，我以前追查過一些擁護「古怪」觀點的博士/碩士論文，作者有時都沒了去向（當然他們不一定是抱著那種心態）。
回覆刪除好似有位我好生敬佩韓國仁兄同行，他似乎就一心專做自己想要做的，幾年下來，現在應該是有了實至名歸的名氣吧（圈內無人不識）。加上他的學術背景，真是吾人之楷模。
(Wow Wong you're very quick with your blogging!)
回覆刪除What you said above reminds me of a story related by Bill Bryson in his popular science history book "A Short History of Nearly Everything", in which he mentioned this guy (cannot remember who now) who chose to publish his mathematical proofs in third-tier, really obscure journals and so hardly anyone knew of what he'd done. But somehow, eventually his work was being recognised as instrumental to solving some of the knottier problems in mathematics and he was given due credit for having been the first person for coming up with it.
To me, the miraculous thing about the above story is that his colleagues actually ferreted out and properly attributed ideas to his work, even though it must have been easy for them to just bury his work (or claim ignorance, after all, it is rather easy and even legitimate in this case) and pretend that they came up with those proofs by themselves. Increasingly, I am seeing this academic world of ours being marketised to the extent that "credit" is not often given where it is due, because it would not be to the interest of the scholars / institutions in question. And that to me is really sad (not to mention soul-destroying).
Finally, do you mind if I ask what is meant by "人不知而不慍，不亦君子乎！", perhaps in more colloquial Chinese? Thanks in advance.
在一流期刊出版的文章，其實好多是從來沒有被人引用過，它們長眠於圖書館的 closed stack。
回覆刪除曾經遇見一個偉大的學者(是那種 50 年後,100 年後仍然會有人起念的學者)，他非常 down to earth ，不屑爭取獎項。學術政治殺到埋身， 對方其實有負於他，他竟然沒有打落水狗，可以不當一回事!
William,
回覆刪除//為求名而做學術，多數都唔會成功//
- 可能會求名成功，學術失敗。
Barry,
回覆刪除//可能是虛榮心作崇。一些人明知自己沒有參與任何的工作，但當聽到可列為書本的作者時，不加思索便欣然同意。//
- 虛榮心的力量的確很大。
Meshi,
回覆刪除//仍在談某「年青學者」？//
- 不，我談的真的是我的朋友。
Andrew,
回覆刪除//有時做事，如果目標是求名(名實相符的美名)很難會成功，反倒如果目標是要做好這件事而不是求名，得到名實相符的美名的機會反倒更大呢。//
- 我倒不覺得世界是這麼合理。
CYC,
回覆刪除//潮流都有呢類性質，一興好快就全世界一齊跟進，人做你又做，都幾難成名。至於標奇立異，我以前追查過一些擁護「古怪」觀點的博士/碩士論文，作者有時都沒了去向（當然他們不一定是抱著那種心態）。//
- 亦是道理。
Snowdrops,
回覆刪除Thanks for sharing the story. 「人不知而不慍，不亦君子乎」is from the Analects; it means a virtuous person will not be resentful even if others do not notice how good he is. (「不亦君子乎」is actually a question.)
Matt,
回覆刪除//Matt,
//在一流期刊出版的文章，其實好多是從來沒有被人引用過，它們長眠於圖書館的 closed stack。//
- 正是，就像我的文章，所以我亦有點意興欄柵了。
//曾經遇見一個偉大的學者(是那種 50 年後,100 年後仍然會有人起念的學者)，他非常 down to earth ，不屑爭取獎項。學術政治殺到埋身， 對方其實有負於他，他竟然沒有打落水狗，可以不當一回事!//
- 可敬！
希望阿王唔係講緊我.
回覆刪除不過我覺得: 求名咪求名咯, 光明正大求名有乜問題?
使唔使咁作狀呀. 人人都要食飯架啦, 係咪? 想別人認同是很正常的心態. 何必扭扭擰擰, 又想要又話唔好. 耶穌都講人活著不是單靠食物啦.
就算人地一時唔覺意崇拜過龍, Well, so be it! 你都控制唔到, 係咪? 名不符實又好, 名很符實又好, What’s the big deal?
坦白講, 你唔想求名, 就咪攪學術勒. 在今時今日的學術世界, 出少篇文都係罪黎架. 最近科大MBA 全球排名第六, 趾高氣揚, 唔求名?! 不如去醫院做雜役啦.
willsin,
回覆刪除//希望阿王唔係講緊我.//
- 你唔係我朋友中唯一恨出名嘅。
//求名咪求名咯, 光明正大求名有乜問題?//
- 我由頭到尾都無講過求名唔啱，我只係想講求名者要搞清楚自己想要嘅係乜。
//名不符實又好, 名很符實又好, What’s the big deal?//
- 如果你認為無乜分別，咁對你當然no big deal。
//你唔想求名, 就咪攪學術勒//
- 我真係無想過要成名喎！如果我有料而自然成名，我當然高興，但如果我出名但其實無乜料，我會好驚。所以，我寧願有料而無名，好過有名而無料。不過，人各有志，你有你的，我有我的方向。
willsin 此君似乎無可救藥，看其對號入座、自眨人格，簡直枉為人．．．師！
回覆刪除willsin坦白而已（值得佩服的坦白），不必罵他。其實像他這種心態的人比比皆是，他屬於正常。
回覆刪除//坦白而已
回覆刪除同意，所以有時我總會頂下阿王。
"但如果我出名但其實無乜料，我會好驚。所以，我寧願有料而無名，好過有名而無料。" Well said. The worst nightmare for any scholar is to be known as a fraud, rather than not being known at all.
回覆刪除Perhaps I didn't start off straight into academia but came into academia from a practitioner background, and so it was quite a conscious and indeed agonising decision I made. And the one thing I promised myself when I returned to academia is that, there is NO way I am doing this if I were simply after the vainglory of credit and credentials. Jesus Christ if that's what I was after then I might as well just stay in the "real world" then, why bother taking a severe cut in salary and having to live off of scholarship before being able to make a half-decent living as an academic, if I'm only ever interested in "face" and "credit"?
But then again, Willsin is correct in that quite a number of people I came across are simply pursuing glory to the detriment of scholarship, and that is what is extremely disheartening to someone like me who is foolish enough to return to academia because I actually believe in the ideals of scholarship per se. I previously blogged about how Herman Hesse's Glass Bead Game was such a life-saving book for me when I first started out, and in large part it is because I needed to retain my idealism in the face of such cynicism.
Sorry Wong, have said too much again here.
Yan,
回覆刪除你頂我同willsin坦白有何關係？
Snowdrops,
回覆刪除Like you, I have somehow managed to remain idealistic. I think it is a good thing.
Do you teach at a university? (I hope I am not being too inquisitive.)
//你唔想求名, 就咪攪學術勒//
回覆刪除My goal is pretty modest. I just want to be known among students as a good teacher. I hope they will remember me ten, twenty years down the road as someone who made a positive impact on their lives through their education. I recently met with a few alums from our program who graduated ten, twenty years ago. When they talked about a colleague of mine who passed away a few years ago, they had this sparkle in their eyes and this smile on their faces. I thought to myself, I want to be the kind of teachers that my students will be talking about me like that some day...
On the scholarship side, I want to continue to make my small contributions and hope that my works will be read more than a few people.
lin,
回覆刪除Same here!
@Wong:
回覆刪除"Do you teach at a university? (I hope I am not being too inquisitive.)"
Oh, I'm not sure how I should answer that now given your latest post :) The answer is actually quite obvious to those who read my blog.
@Lin:
"I hope they will remember me ten, twenty years down the road as someone who made a positive impact on their lives through their education."
Amen to that. A lot of times I only wish to be able to live up to their expectations of me as a teacher, and in order to be a great teacher one needs to intrinsically believe in what one is doing outside of extrinsic incentives like fame and money. The great thing about teaching is that students are a most lively source of inspiration. Whenever I feel jilted about academia and research, I am very often revived after a teaching session. (Now I did blog about having had bad sessions as well previously, but I learnt from my mistakes).
Snowdrops,
回覆刪除//The answer is actually quite obvious to those who read my blog. //
- I haven't read enough of your blog posts to see the obvious answer (I certainly will visit your blog more often), but I guess you mean "Yes".