浸大國際學院實踐哲學團隊每年為學生安排海外嘉賓講座。繼2024年Prof. Metz為CIE學生帶來非洲倫理學講座之後，今年3月來自日本早稻田大學的森岡教授 (Prof. Masahiro Morioka)講授他對「無痛文明」的哲學思考。活動後有同學選擇撰文回應森岡教授的講課作為主修課Technology and the Future of Humanity作業。他們樂意在此刊出其文章選節，為他們多元、具有挑戰性的CIE學習生涯留下紀念。有興趣進一步了解森岡教授哲學思想的朋友，除了點擊連結(https://www.philosophyoflife.org/tpp/painless01.pdf)閱讀他的書籍外，還可以看看學生的作品。
“Morioka introduces a new term “Painless Civilization” to bring out his ideas on meaning in life. […] He claims that modern civilization tends to satisfy the five aspects of our “desire of the body” (“seeking pleasure and avoiding pain/ maintaining the current state of affairs and planning for stability/ expanding and increasing itself if there is an opening/sacrificing other people/controlling life and nature), especially through technological development. His examples include the cancer screening technology and the test of amniotic fluid technology (for selective abortion). However, he thinks that the tendency undermines meaning in life. […]. He indicates that people could alter their psychological framework to a new view of life from significant pain. It would lead people to “feel the joy of life” from a reborn at the bottom of life. […] [I think that] it is not clear if his view of “meaning in life” is a subjectivist or an objectivist one. If it is a subjectivist, then it is hard to judge whether pain can produce meaning or just pure suffering.” (by J. Fung)
“According to Morioka, our technology tries to enhance pleasure and eliminate pain systematically […] [The technology] has the feature of, using Albert Borgmann’s term, disburdening. […] Painless Civilization is not an ideal. […] As a result [of Painless Civilization], we systematically lose the chance to learn the precious meaning in life that can only be acquired through the experience of severe pain and suffering. […] [But] it is so hard to prove great suffering [e.g. from a tragedy] is a morally permissible element for obtaining “the joy or life”. […] I propose “the Alternative Element of Joy of Life”. Honestly, I am not sure if such element exists. But the first [and only] answer that comes to my mind is Philosophy. […] What can bring about a breakdown and reconstruction of a psychological framework [needed for the joy of life]? Philosophy is the most fundamental way. We ask for the ultimate value when carrying out an action. […] Indeed, philosophy may lead us to uncertainty. […] I think this intellectual struggle is a permissible suffering for “the joy of life”. (by K. Luo)
