2022 John Locke Essay Competition 最新題目全解析（下）

Q1. How likely is the multiverse? Would it change anything if (somehow) we came to know the theory was true?

這道題希望同學考慮多重宇宙(平行宇宙)論的可能性程度，如果這一假說是可以被證實的，那麽(me) 因此會(hui) 產(chan) 生哪些變化。針對這道題，我們(men) 需要首先了解多重宇宙論的內(nei) 涵和其提出的意義(yi) 。從(cong) 哲學角度來說，討論宇宙是否隻有我們(men) 所身處其中的這一個(ge) ，亦或有其他的平行時空，這是一種本體(ti) 論的拷問，既是對我們(men) 所感知的當下世界的拷問，也是對我們(men) 是誰的拷問。如果平行宇宙假設可以成立，那麽(me) 這將對於(yu) 我們(men) 的時間觀、世界觀、自我認知等等都產(chan) 生影響。關(guan) 於(yu) 這個(ge) 問題，有許多科幻小說、電影和電視劇都進行了討論，例如2017年的Netflix推出的Dark。同學可以通過閱讀哲學和物理學有關(guan) 理論，結合平時對於(yu) 生活的觀察，發散思考。

Q2. If our actions are a consequence of our capacities and preferences, and if those things are, in turn, a result of our genetic inheritance and the external world in which we happen to find ourselves, are we ultimately responsible for our choices?

這道題有兩(liang) 個(ge) 假設條件：

第一，人的行為(wei) 是我們(men) 的能力和偏好的結果；

第二，人的能力和偏好是來自我們(men) 的遺傳(chuan) 和外部世界之影響。在這兩(liang) 個(ge) 假設的前提下，我們(men) 是否最終要為(wei) 我們(men) 的選擇負責？這裏核心概念是我們(men) 的責任。

責任分為(wei) 兩(liang) 種，一種是道德責任，一種是因果責任，本題主要側(ce) 重於(yu) 人的道德責任。另一個(ge) 核心詞是ultimately，因為(wei) 人做出一種選擇而行動，是由於(yu) 對某個(ge) 選項更偏好，如果要為(wei) 行動負責，則要求此人也要對自己判斷哪個(ge) 選項更優(you) 的標準而負責。但是，一個(ge) 人如何能對這些關(guan) 於(yu) 自己做出選擇前的事實負責呢？需要同學去思辨，人是否要為(wei) 自己的選擇負終極責任。

Q3. Is it moral to take money from people through the force of law in order to pay philosophers to philosophize?

這道題希望同學去思考，通過法律的力量規定從(cong) 人民手中取得金錢去支付給哲學家讓他們(men) 從(cong) 事哲思。該題希望同學思辨法律與(yu) 道德的關(guan) 係。

Q4. When, if ever, can acts involving only consenting adults be morally wrong?

這道題希望同學思考，何種情況下成年人同意的行為(wei) 在道德上可能是錯的？這裏需要理解consenting，是指知情同意。同學需要思考哪些情形下，即使成年人之間達成了知情同意，但行為(wei) 仍然是不道德的。

經濟學的話題普遍都需要對經濟學的基本概念理解特別深刻，同時要對應用經濟學有所了解和研究，特別推薦選擇經濟學的同學讀一下《Case Studies and Applications for Microeconomics》這本書(shu) ：

Q1. Is Bitcoin a blessing or a curse?

Core Concept:

Trade and Wellbeing; Efficiency versus Fairness

交易以及福利增加；高效 vs. 公平；

參考Case:

Case 1.6: How creating extra opportunities for trade can improve wellbeing: kidney exchange and ICT

Case 2.8: Are ticket scalpers worse than used car salesmen?

Q2. What’s wrong with the housing market? How can we fix it?

Core Concept:

Marketing failure-Direct Regulation; Public goods vs. Private goods; Elasticity;

市場失靈-價(jia) 格管控；公共品 vs. 私有品；彈性；市場調節

參考Case:

Case 2.6：Reducing child labor: which policy works best?

Case study 2.9 Careful how you punish: why restricting CEOs’ pay may hurt us more than them

Q3. Should Amazon pay people more? What would happen ifthey immediately increased every worker’s salary by twenty percent?

Core Concept:

Supply and Demand-Labor Market; Profit Maximization for a Firm in a Monopolistic Market; Determinants of Earnings; Measuring the increasing of workers’ income

勞動力市場的需求與(yu) 供給曲線；對於(yu) 一個(ge) 壟斷競爭(zheng) 市場上企業(ye) 的利潤最大化選擇；收入的決(jue) 定因素；如何衡量員工的收入增加

參考Case：

Case study 7.1 Beauty or computer skills: which will most increase your pay?

Case study 7.2 Superstars and the growing incomes of the very rich

Q4：不好寫(xie) ，不建議寫(xie) 這個(ge) 。

Q4. Does it even make sense to hate someone for his or her opinions?

Summary:

Naturally, when hearding some opions that we disagree with, we will show emotions of uncomfortableness, dislike, and even hatred towards that opinion, and eventually toward that person. But it is good to keep an eye on this reaction and adjust ourselves when this happens.

1. Naturally, when hearding some opions that we disagree with, we will show emotions of uncomfortableness, dislike, and even hatred towards that opinion

Evidence:

• Some psychological studies show that we human always have a tendency to distinguish between concept of us and them, inside and outside. And we tends to favor 'us' over them, 'inside' over 'outside'.
• Find some other social psycholigical researches regarding people's reaction towards different opinions

2. ==> and eventually toward that person.

Evidence:

• Common sense: sometimes it is hard to keep that reaction to the opinion only, and it is easily to extend the emtion to the person who express the diffierent opniions
• Research: Embodiment psychology: human's cognition can be influenced by emtion and environment. In this case, the reaction to the opinion can be generalized to the environment and people when the reaction happens
• Find some other research/literature on this

3. But it is good to keep an eye on this reaction and adjust ourselves when this happens.

• Briefly discuss the logic for this reaction toward people is not right, and we should avoid this
• "I disagree with each single word that you say, but I fight for the right of speaking anything you want"