哥大校长2022年毕业演讲：言论自由理应捍卫，虚假信息亟需谴责！（附视频&演讲稿）

美国东部时间5月18日，哥伦比亚大学为2022届毕业生举办了第268届全校毕业典礼。这是哥大自疫情以来首次恢复线下毕业仪式。典礼上，哥伦比亚大学校长李·布林格发表了毕业讲话。

李·布林格说，“我担心的一个问题——不是审查，而是那些过度地滥用自由表达而产生的大量严重误导的言论，这些言论威胁着我们道德、伦理、公正、明智和理智的世界。我担心滥用言论自由的现象越来越普遍。

首先，我们必须认识到一个明确的、至关重要的问题，如今系统的造谣行径正在滋生和放大我在开篇就指出的危机。否认疫苗的有效性、否认气候科学、否认选举的公正性、否认歧视对过去和现在造成的影响，这些以及如此多的其他恶意传播错误信息的行为正在侵害我们的思想。

我们都非常清楚，互联网作为我们这个时代巨大的进步，正在被用来扩大这些危害行径的影响，而且可能达到了人类社会从未遇到过的程度。

On behalf of our Trustees, our faculty, our distinguished alumni, our families, and our many friends of Columbia University, it is my very, very great pleasure to welcome all of you gathered here today—and, notably, for the first IN PERSON commencement in three years. I am also delighted to welcome the tens of thousands of you who are joining us virtually, a way of being together we have come to know so intimately. We are all here to continue our 268-year tradition of celebrating the significant achievements of our graduates, representing seventeen schools, along with our affiliate institutions of Teachers College and Barnard.

So, I cannot imagine beginning my remarks to you in any other way than by acknowledging the extraordinary context, really the historical context, in which you have been students at Columbia and in which you have arrived at this remarkable milestone in your lives. This is always a magnificent ceremony—striking in this grand academic setting, in the parade of colors and in the joyful faces.Satisfying the requirements for a Columbia degree is never easy; the demands are as rigorous as any in the world. So, you should, indeed, be very proud. We, certainly, are of you. But, as much as we, your faculty, admire you and are proud of what you have achieved, nothing can compare to the pride of your family and friends who have supported you all along the way. Please take this opportunity to thank them.Under ordinary conditions, we justifiably celebrate the sheer labor and talents that have brought you to this point. But your Columbia journey has been nothing like any I have ever witnessed. I can barely begin to touch the surface of the times: A once-in-a-century pandemic; life-jarring climate-induced catastrophes jolting us into a state-of-emergency mindset; a world flirting dangerously with authoritarianism, repressing human rights and yielding naked aggression to a degree not seen since the era leading up to the Second World War; violent acts of racism that add still another horrible chapter in the struggles of Black Americans to overcome invidious discrimination, made worse by a refusal of many citizens even to acknowledge the historical and ongoing truths of this injustice; and of other innocent groups, suffering other injustices. Together these forces seem biblical, in scope and in gravity. As I recite these multiple and intersecting plagues of our time, I know each one of us is privately taking stock of how these events—singly or altogether—have affected our own lives and the lives of those close to us. Collectively, we can be certain that many among us have suffered deeply; and not one of us has been untouched. To all of you, therefore, in recognition of the many challenges you have had to endure and overcome, we say with more conviction and more respect than ever before, Congratulations to the Class of 2022.

We have, it seems, entered what we might call the Age of Disinformation.

My remarks to you this morning are about matters that are dear to my heart (and I hope dear to yours, as well)—as they involve free speech, deep knowledge and expertise, universities and their role in making a good society and the responsibilities we all bear, especially in these momentous times, to think clearly and to think well, no matter what we are doing. It is common for me on these occasions to speak about the glorious principles of freedom of expression and its offspring of academic freedom. But on this day what concerns me is a different problem—not of censorship, but instead of an over-abundance, an excess, an abuse of freely expressed but deeply misguided speech that threatens a moral, ethical, just, wise, and sane world. I’m concerned about the increasingly pervasive misuse of free speech.Let me start with what is clear and critically important to recognize—namely, that the modern phenomenon of systematic campaigns of disinformation is spawning and amplifying the very crises I noted at the outset. Denials of the effectiveness of vaccines, of climate science, of election integrity, of the past and ongoing effects of discrimination—these and so many other malicious efforts at misinformation are polluting our collective mind. We are all very much aware that the great advancement of our age, the Internet, is being used to augment the malign effectiveness of these campaigns, and probably to a degree never encountered before in human societies. Just a few decades ago a crackpot theory or idea had a lot of hard work ahead in order to break into the general population where it could use anger and paranoia to take root. Now it happens in seconds. We have, it seems, entered what we might call the Age of Disinformation.This is no small matter. From a First Amendment standpoint, I can tell you that this poses urgent questions. Over the course of the last century, and especially in the last half century, we have created the most speech-protective society in the world—indeed, in human history. At its core, there is a simple premise: Bad speech, including falsehoods and lies, is better remedied by opportunities for more speech rather than by government intervention. This means we live in a wilderness of human thoughts and ideas, with the hope that we might become more intellectually self-reliant and capable of tolerance.We know by nature we are not perfect. We know there is a natural human impulse to latch onto beliefs, to group with others who believe similarly and will provide mutual reinforcement of our rightness, which then manifests itself in a concerted drive to convert or stop those who disagree, thus producing a cycle of escalating intolerance. We are not born believing in the First Amendment. Indeed, openness of mind is counter-intuitive; it must be learned both in principle and in lived experience, and our worst impulses that we constantly have to live with mean it will always be in jeopardy. Which is why we had to create a hard-to-change constitutional freedom and then take it to an extreme, as a lesson in life in tolerance. But the profound question before us today is: Does this basic premise, does all of this still hold true?

Deliberate disinformation and propaganda also, and more importantly, undermine the very idea of deep knowledge and expertise itself.

Like any fundamental principle, however, the First Amendment is far more complex than this little précis presents, and we have allowed it to adjust to new circumstances in the past. It is worth noting that the last new technology of communication—namely, broadcast media—was regulated in the public interest precisely in order to deal with many of the very same dangers we now see with social media and related platforms on the Internet. This stands as a potential model for us now. And that is where the debate is taking place.But let’s return to understanding the problems we are facing and the gravity of the threats. There is more than simply the circulation of particular falsehoods. Deliberate disinformation and propaganda also, and more importantly, undermine the very idea of deep knowledge and expertise itself. Disinformation is now powering a particularly pungent form of populism in which experts are discredited, even ridiculed, and an arrogance of feeling one can believe whatever one wants to believe is settling in and becoming normal. This attitude is in direct conflict with universities, because we are society’s primary institutions for preserving and advancing what humanity has struggled to learn over the millennia. Over the past several years, our own faculty have been targets of this abuse.But the dangers are even worse: Attacking expertise is a common tool of fascism and authoritarian regimes. When we discredit a particular piece of knowledge, we make it harder to think well. We undermine the essential task of a self-determining society to draw on the vast body of information and thought painfully developed over centuries and held safely within our academic institutions and across our cultural institutions and professions. Falsehoods today are increasingly accompanied by a rejection of a necessary humility about the limits of our knowledge and of a basic trust in others who have devoted their lives and careers to understand deeply an important subject.So, the stakes are, indeed, very high, and we, universities, along with the democracy as a whole, are vulnerable to these campaigns and new conditions. The issue is then what comes next. Let us assume that the First Amendment will be rethought. It is time to ask: How can we think about all of this outside the First Amendment?

“Good thinking” is a critical goal of any individual or society. The rejection of “bad thinking”—however difficult it is to define precisely—is a necessary condition of that.

There is, of course, much to say about this, but I have two key points: One is not to let free speech stand in the way of condemning disinformation and doing all we can to stop it; the other is to think of universities as the models for society and how to think.It is increasingly dangerous to assume, as many long have, that the strong protections afforded falsehoods under the First Amendment necessarily implies that it is wrong to do what we can to stop falsehoods and disinformation generally. Is “free speech” an “absolute,” as some would have it, and should we, accordingly, refrain from doing anything to stop bad speech in ways beyond official censorship? My answer to that is: Not for a second should we think that way. That way lies madness and the loss of a well-educated society.“Good thinking” is a critical goal of any individual or society. The rejection of “bad thinking”—however difficult it is to define precisely—is a necessary condition of that.Indeed, this is what we call education—the development of the human capacity to think well—with reason from knowledge, and with respect for facts and a reasonable openness to relevant ideas and opinions. This is not easy, to be sure, which is why we devote so many years to arrive at where you are now.In fact, the very human impulses noted at the outset that lead us to improperly censor others also lead us to think badly by not rejecting what we should. Not to put too fine a point on it, but, if a student receives an F for a lazy paper filled with falsehoods, it will not do the student any good to proclaim that the paper should not be penalized because it was an exercise in freedom of speech. “Free speech” is not an end in itself but a thumb on the scale in a particular direction. It would make no sense to order our lives entirely in that direction. Keep it always in mind, of course, but do not allow it to take precedence over other principles we value—in the case of the failing paper, the importance of sharp thinking and quality writing.

Whenever I let my mind try to take in the full breadth of what happens here—in laboratories, in clinics, in libraries, in studies, in classrooms, and work all over the planet—I am exhilarated.

This brings me, lastly, to the importance of institutions in society—institutions such as universities, the press, and other civic institutions. We need to recognize that these institutions are designed to help organize our discussions, not just about politics but, really, about everything. Those of us here today have been incredibly fortunate to be part of this great university. Whenever I let my mind try to take in the full breadth of what happens here—in laboratories, in clinics, in libraries, in studies, in classrooms, and work all over the planet—I am exhilarated. But I am also filled with humility because I know so little of all that is known here, and at similar institutions. To come to a university such as Columbia is to learn to be humble; to realize how little you know and always will.I love being president (I recommend the job highly!), not least because I get to know just a little bit more of that amazing whole. In this time of our many trials and crises, as we reap the benefits of universities, we need to do all we can to protect them. They are not perfect, for sure. I feel strongly, for example, that we need to make the boundaries between us and the rest of the world more permeable and more connected in the betterment of human society and the world. This mission, which I call the Fourth Purpose of the University—in addition to teaching and research and service—might help people more broadly feel more respectful of what we have to offer.But another reason I love being president of Columbia is the opportunity to be in your midst. As students in our classrooms and laboratories, you are what makes academic life worth living. We may be daunted by this troubled moment in history, but I am most certainly convinced, to the core of my being, that every one of you in your own way will help to solve these problems and to heal the world. You have demonstrated that human capacity to think well, and I know you will deploy it in meaningful and inspiring ways. Most of all, you will have the proper degree of humility that a truly great education instills.On this day, we celebrate you, all that you have accomplished, and the institution that nurtures us, especially in this new historical era we have entered.Congratulations to you, Class of 2022.

我谨代表哥伦比亚大学的校董、教员、校友、家人和朋友们，非常高兴地欢迎你们聚集在这里，迎来三年来首次的线下毕业典礼。我也很高兴地欢迎成千上万的观众们通过线上的方式加入我们。

此刻，我们在这里延续哥伦比亚大学268年的传统，庆祝17个学院和2个附属学院的毕业生取得重要成就。

我无法想象用其他方式开始我的演讲。你们在如此特殊的背景下，来到哥伦比亚大学求学，并且实现了生命中的这个非凡里程碑。

毕业典礼永远是一个盛大的仪式，在这宏伟的学术氛围里，到处是五彩的颜色和欢乐的笑脸。达到哥伦比亚大学的学位要求从不是一件易事。这里有着和世界上其他学府一样严格的要求。你应该为自己感到骄傲，我们也钦佩你们，为你们所取得的成绩感到自豪。

不过没有什么能与此刻你们家人、朋友心中的骄傲相比。他们支持着你们一路走到今天。

我们“习以为常”庆祝着你们的辛勤付出和才华，但你们在哥伦比亚大学的求学之旅与我所见过的全然不同。

我们可以确定，我们当中的许多人都深受影响。我们每个人都被触动了。因此，在明白你们必须忍受和克服的诸多挑战后，我们更坚定、更尊敬地对你们说，祝贺你们，2022届的毕业生们。

接下来我的演讲关乎我最关心的几个议题，我希望这些议题对你来说也同样重要：言论自由，深刻的学识和专业知识，大学及其在建设一个良好社会中的作用，以及我们在这段重要时期肩负的责任——如何清晰、全面地思考。

我常常在这样的场合谈论言论自由和因其衍生的学术自由的光辉。但今天，我担心的是另一个问题——不是审查制度，而是那些过度地滥用自由表达而产生的大量严重误导的言论，这些言论威胁着我们道德、伦理、公正、明智和理智的世界。我担心滥用言论自由的现象越来越普遍。首先，我们必须认识到一个明确的、至关重要的问题，如今系统的造谣行径正在滋生和放大我在开篇就指出的危机。否认疫苗的有效性、否认气候科学、否认选举的公正性、否认歧视对过去和现在造成的影响，这些以及如此多的其他恶意传播错误信息的行为正在侵害我们的思想。

我们都非常清楚，互联网作为我们这个时代巨大的进步，正在被用来扩大这些危害行径的影响，而且可能达到了人类社会从未遇到过的程度。就在几十年前，一个疯狂的理论或想法还需花费许多的精力才能走近普通群众并利用愤怒和偏执扎根。而如今，这件事只需要几秒钟就能完成。我们似乎进入了一个可以称之为虚假信息的时代。这不是小事。从第一修正案的角度来看，我可以告诉你，这提出了一系列紧迫的问题。

在过去的一个世纪里，特别是在过去的半个世纪里，我们创造了世界上甚至是人类历史上最能保护言论的社会。其核心是一个简单的前提——包括谎言和谬误在内的糟糕言论，通过更多的言论机会加以补救，而不是依靠政府的干预。这意味着我们生活在人类思想的荒野中，期望我们能在智力上更加自立、能力上更加宽容。我们天生就知道我们并不完美。我们知道，人类有一种自然的冲动就是抓住信仰，与有相似信仰的人聚集在一起，从而相互加强我们的正直，继而形成一致的动力去改变或阻止那些持不同意见的人，由此产生一个不断升级的不宽容循环。我们并非生来就相信第一修正案。事实上，思想的开放是违反直觉的。我们只有在规则和生活的经验中才能学会思想开放，而我们不得不与之共存的最坏的冲动也将变得岌岌可危，这就是为什么我们必须创建一个很难改变的宪法自由，把它发挥到极致。但今天摆在我们面前的深刻问题是，这个基本前提是否仍然成立。然而，就像任何其他的根本原则一样，第一修正案远比这些复杂得多，我们在过去已经允许它适应新的情况。值得注意的是，广播媒体作为上一代新兴通信技术，正是为了应对我们现在在社交媒体和互联网平台上看到的许多问题，才建立在公众利益的基础上进行监管的。这对我们来说是一个潜在的模式，也是争议开始的地方。

让我们回到我们正在面临的问题以及这些威胁的严重性。这不仅只是特定谎言的传播，蓄意的虚假信息和宣传煽动正在严重削弱深厚学问和专业知识本身的理念。虚假信息鼓吹起了强烈的民粹主义，这使得专家常常名誉扫地甚至被公然取笑，也让那种自以为然、刚愎自用的傲慢态度愈演愈烈并成为常态。这种态度与大学格格不入，因为我们是社会中保存和推进人类几千年来奋斗和学习成果的主要机构。在过去的几年里，我们的学院一直是虚假宣传滥用的目标。更危险的是，攻击专业人员、知识分子是法西斯主义和专制政权的常用手段。当我们诋毁某项特定知识时，仔细思考就变得更加困难。我们破坏了一个自决社会利用大量已知信息和思想进行决策的基本任务，这些信息和思想是数百年来历经艰难发展出来的，并安全地保存在我们的学术机构、文化机构和职业机构中。今天的谎言使人们对人类知识的局限性缺乏必要的谦逊，对那些终其一生钻研并深刻理解重要主题的专业人员缺乏基本信任。兹事体大，我们大学以及整个民主国家都容易受到这些行为和新情况的影响。问题是接下来会发生什么？让我们假设，第一修正案将被重新考虑。是时候去询问没有了第一修正案，我们该如何思考所有这些？这当然会引发很多想法，但我想提出两个关键点。

一是不要让言论自由阻止对虚假信息的谴责并尽我们所能阻止它。二是将大学视为社会以及思想的典范。越来越多的人认为，第一修正案为虚假信息提供了强有力的保护，即尽我们所能去阻止谎言和虚假信息是错误的，这种假设是非常危险的。一个人拥有绝对的言论自由吗？是否除了官方审查，我们不能采取任何措施来阻止不良言论？我的回答是绝对不应该这样想。如此发展，我们就会陷入疯狂并失去一个受到良好教育的社会。良好的思维至关重要，应该是任何个人或社会的目标。拒绝错误的想法，无论多么难以准确定义，都是拥有良好思维的必要条件。这就是我们所说的教育，即培养人类良好的思考能力，从知识中推理，尊重事实，对相关思想和观点保持合理的开放态度。这确实并不容易。这就是为什么我们花了这么多年培养你们到今天的水平。

事实上，我们在一开始就注意到，正是人性中的冲动让我们不能恰当的感知他人，也让我们因为无法拒绝我们应该做的事情而感到自责。举个例子，如果一个学生因为一篇充满谎言的懒惰论文被评为不合格，那么宣称该论文是一篇言论自由的练习因而不应该受到惩罚，对学生没有任何好处。言论自由本身并不是目的，而是特定方向上的一个评估原则，完全朝那个方向安排我们的生活是没有意义的，我们要牢记言论自由的原则，但不要让它超越我们重视的其他原则。在刚才那个失败论文的例子中，敏锐的思维和高质量的写作是更加重要的。

最后，我想谈一下机构在社会中的重要性。我们需要认识到，大学、新闻界和民间组织等机构的设立是为了帮助我们进行讨论，不仅关于政治，而是关于一切。今天在座的我们非常幸运能够成为这所伟大学府的一员。每当我尝试全面了解这里发生的一切——在实验室、临床、图书馆、教室——和全球各地的工作时，我都会感到振奋。但我也感到谦逊，因为我对这里及类似机构所知道的一切知之甚少。来到像哥伦比亚大学这样的机构，就是要学会谦虚，意识到你知道的其实很少。

我热爱校长这个职位，我也强烈推荐这份工作，尤其是因为我对这个优秀的集体能有更多的了解。在这个充满考验和危机的时刻，当我们从大学中获益时，我们需要尽我们所能来保护这些收获。它们肯定不是完美的。例如，我强烈认为，大学需要与世界更交汇，联系更紧密，从而进一步改善人类社会。我把它称之为大学除教学、研究和服务外的第四个使命，它会使人们更广泛地尊重我们所提供的知识。我喜欢担任哥大校长的另一个原因是我有机会走到你们中间，是你们让学术生活变得有价值。尽管我们可能因历史上这个令人不安的时刻感到信心不足，但我内心坚信，你们每个人都将以自己的方式帮助解决这些问题并治愈世界。你们已经展现了思考的能力，我知道你们会以有意义和鼓舞人心的方式去运用它。最重要的是，你将拥有真正伟大的教育所培养的适度谦逊。

今天，我们庆祝你们所取得的成就。在这个新的历史时代，我们也庆祝这所大学对我们的培养。

祝贺你们，2022届毕业生！