非常态下的道德抉择

Moral Choices in Abnormal States

历史上所有的道德学说及伦理规范,往往都是以常态的时空条件为背景得到建构、辩护、论证和践行的。但是,人类社会也难免遭遇非常态环境的冲击。非常态有三种表现形式:制度环境恶劣的状态、道德规范相互冲突的状态和人命之间抉择的极端情形。虽然在非常态下道德规范的选取与应用会出现极端困难和复杂的情况,但这并不能成为在困境中排斥一切道德考量的理由。恰恰是非常态让我们不得不正视道德规范的特殊应用问题,它要求我们必须对道德规范适用的环境背景因素(包括行为目的、预期后果等各种具体内容)、道德的规范性要求可能出现的变通性调整情形以及在极端特殊的两难困境里某些道德律令的一种变形性的应用方式等复杂问题,做出全面的审慎与精心的权衡,进行细致的辨析和深入的讨论,从而力求最终的行为体现出最大的道德合理性。

In this article three types of abnormal states in which we face in moral decisions are analyzed: unfair institutional frameworks,conflicts between moral norms,and choices between people's lives in extreme situations.Though the application of moral norms is very difficult and complicated in such abnormal states,this problem can impel us to carefully study the institutional backgrounds of the applied moral norms,the flexible and adaptive application of moral standards,and the moral reasons for choosing between life and death in extreme circumstances.Such research may help us to make our most difficult decisions as consistent as possible with moral rationality.