Trustworthiness
Trustworthiness
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DOI：
10.1086/233695
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发表时间：
1996-10-01
期刊：
影响因子：
10.8
通讯作者：
Hardin, R
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hardin, R
瓦格纳的歌剧系列《尼伯隆的指环》中的大灾难事件，是在《莱茵黄金》开场的几分钟里，一个非凡的承诺行为之后发生的。尼伯隆人阿尔伯里奇对莱茵河的少女们充满了狂热的欲望，他发现任何可以永远放弃爱情的人都可以从莱茵河黄金中获得巨大的力量。他立刻抓起金币，咒骂道：“爱，我永远诅咒你！”通过永远奉献自己，艾伯里奇获得了非凡的力量。即使是无法做出这样承诺的伟大的神Wotan，也被卑微的Alberich的决心所打动。当然，瓦格纳的作品中有许多令人难以置信的地方。但是，在整个指环王中，还有什么比这样一种可能性更不可信的吗：任何一个年轻的成年男性都有可能在一分钟内从欲望变成贪婪的疯狂，然后在接下来的一分钟内完全放弃欲望？阿尔伯里奇，文学和歌剧中最不起眼的人物之一，做出了最伟大的承诺之一。有人能相信阿尔伯里奇的转变吗？如果我们是理性的，我们应该信任他，只有当我们相信他的承诺会让他度过难关。但人们能合理地相信他的承诺吗？不幸的是，瓦格纳并没有告诉我们足够的信息。尽管《指环王》很伟大，但它却开启了这一点心理学上的废话。
The cataclysmic events of Wagner's cycle of operas, The Ring of the Nibelung, follow from an extraordinary act of commitment in the opening minutes of The Rhinegold. Alberich, the Nibelung, feverish with lust for the Rhine maidens, learns that anyone who can forswear love forever can gain enormous power from the Rhinegold. Instantly he seizes the gold, swearing," Love, I curse you forever!"'By committing himself forever, Alberich gains extraordinary power. Even the great god Wotan, who is unable to make such a commitment, is impressed by the lowly Alberich's resolve. 2There is, of course, much in Wagner that strains belief. But is anything in the entire Ring less credible than the possibility that any young adult male could turn from lusting to the point of rapacious madness in one minute to credibly forswearing lust forevermore in the next? Alberich, one of the pettiest figures in all of literature and opera, makes one of the grandest of commitments. Could anyone trust Alberich's conversion? If we are reasonable, we should trust him only if we believe his commitment will carry him through. But could one reasonably trust his commitment? Unfortunately, Wagner does not tell us enough to know. For all its greatness, the Ring turns on this bit of psychological nonsense.