LucretiusWord格式文档下载.docx

LucretiusWord格式文档下载.docx

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Pleasantitis,whenoverthegreatseathewindsshakethewaters,

Togazedownfromshoreonthetrialsofothers;

Notbecauseseeingotherpeoplestruggleissweettous,

Butbecausethefactthatweourselvesarefreefromsuchillsstrikesusaspleasant.

Pleasantitisalsotobeholdgreatarmiesbattlingonaplain,

Whenweourselveshavenopartintheirperil.

Butnothingissweeterthantooccupyaloftysanctuaryofthemind,

Wellfortifiedwiththeteachingsofthewise,

Wherewemaylookdownonothersastheystumblealong,

Vainlysearchingforthetruepathoflife....（2.1-10）

Thisideaofphilosophyasaprivatecitadelorquietrefugeinaworldofanxietyandturmoil,orofsomeformofcontemplationasthetruepathtoenlightenment,hasbeenarecurrentthemeinworldliteraturefromtheBuddhatoBoethius,fromSocratestoSchopenhauer.TheideaisacentralcomponentofEpicureandoctrineandafavoritethemeandimageofLucretius,whosecharacteristicvantagepointthroughoutthepoemisthatofacriticalobserverabovethefray.Asnarrator,hestandsaloof,ascornfulyetatthesametimesympatheticwitnesstomankind’sdarkstrivingsandtribulations:

Lo,seethem:

contendingwiththeirwits,fightingforprecedence,

Strugglingnightanddaywithunendingeffort,climbing,clawingtheirwayupthepinnaclesofwealthandpower.

Omiserablemindsofmen!

Oblindhearts!

Inwhatdarkness,amonghowmanyperils,

Youpassyourshortlives!

Doyounotsee

Thatournaturerequiresonlythis:

Abodyfreefrompain,andamind,releasedfromworryandfear,

Freetoenjoyfeelingsofdelight?

（2.11-19.）

Likehismaster,Lucretiusobviouslyfeelsthatthetruepurposeofmoralphilosophyisnotmerelytodiagnosehumanmiseries;

buttohealthem.

a.Epicurus

Fromtheverystartofthepoem,andespeciallyintheopeninglinesofBook3（aringingtributetoEpicurus）,Lucretiusmakesitclearthathismainpurposeisnotsomuchtodisplayhisowntalentsastorenderaccuratelyinasuitablysublimestylethegloriousphilosophyofhismaster:

Oyouwhooutofthevastdarknesswerethefirsttoraise

Ashininglight,illuminatingtheblessingsoflife,

OgloryoftheGrecianrace,itisyouIfollow,

Tracinginyourclearlymarkedfootprintsmyownfirmsteps,

Notasacontendingrival,butoutoflove,forIyearntoimitateyou.

Forwhyshouldtheswallowviewiththeswan?

Whyshouldayoungkidonspindlylimbs

Daretomatchstrideswithamightysteed?

（3.1-8.）

Thepoetry,Lucretiuskeepsremindinghisreaders,issecondary,asugarcoatingtosweetenEpicurus’healingmedicine.TheEpicureansystemiswhatisimportant,andthepoetpledgesallhisskilltopresentingitasclearly,asfaithfully,andaspersuasivelyaspossible.Inhisviewnothinglessthanuniversalenlightenmentandtheliberationofmankindisatstake.

EpicuruswasbornatSamos,anAtheniancolony,in341BC.Reducedtoitssimplestlevel,thegoalofhisteachingwastofreehumanityfromneedlesscaresandanxieties（especiallythefearofdeath）.Byfurnishingacompleteexplanationoftheoriginandstructureoftheuniverse,hesoughttoopenmen’seyestoatrueunderstandingoftheirconditionandliberatethemfromignorantfearsandsuperstitions.Thoughbyallaccountshewasavoluminouswriter,onlyatinyfractionofhisoriginaloutputhassurvived,withtheresultthatLucretius’poemhasservedasoneoftheprimaryvehiclesforconveyinghisthought.

b.Epicureanism

TheEpicureansystemconsistsofthreelinkedcomponents:

Physics,Ethics,andCanonic.Thesethreeelementsaredesignedtobeinterdependent,eachonesupposedlyunitingwithandreinforcingtheothertwo.（Tocitejustoneexample,Epicurus’physicssupposedlyvalidatesboththeexistenceoffreewillandthefactthatthesouldisintegrateswiththebody,ideasthatarecrucialtoEpicureanethics.Thecanonicclaimstovalidatetheauthorityandreliabilityofsensation,whichinturnservesasabasisforEpicureanphysicaltheoriesandethicalviewsrelatingtopleasureandpain.）Inactualfact,however,thethreecomponentsarequiteseparable,anditiscertainlypossible,forexample,toacceptEpicurus’ethicaldoctrineswhileentirelydenyinghiscanonicteachingsandphysics.

d.LucretiusasaPhilosopher

CriticsuniversallyrecognizeLucretiusasamajorpoetandtheauthorofoneofthegreatclassicsofworldliterature.ButinpartbecauseofhisacceptedroleasaspokespersonforEpicureanismratherthananoriginator,ithasbeenmoredifficulttoassesshismeritasaphilosopher.

Inthisrespect,itisnoteworthythatatleasttwoimportantphilosophershavevoicedstrongsupportforLucretius’statusasaphilosophicalinnovatorandoriginalthinker.In1884,whilestillayoungfacultymemberattheBlaisePascalLyceeinParis,theFrenchphilosopherHenriBergson（1859-1941）publishedaneditionofDeRerumNaturawithnotes,commentary,andanaccompanyingcriticalessay.Throughoutthiswork,BergsoncommendsLucretiusnotonlyasapoetofgenius,butalsoasaninspiredand“singularlyoriginal”thinker.Inparticular,hepointsoutthatinhisviewthepoet’sinstinctivegraspofthephysicaloperationsofnatureandhiscomprehensive,trulyscientificworld-viewexceedanythingfoundinthetheoriesofDemocritusandEpicurus.

TheSpanishpoetandHarvardphilosopherGeorgeSantayana（1863-1952）heldasimilarlyhighopinionofLucretius’powerasascientificthinker.DemocritusandEpicurus,heargues,aremeresketchartistswhooffernomorethanbarehintsandvagueoutlinesofathoroughlyimaginedandtrulyscientificallyconceiveduniverse.Itthusremainedforthedeeper,morevisionarypoetnotjusttofleshouttheirroughdraftsinfinewords,butinessencetoactuallycreateandgivebodytotheentireEpicureansystem.InSantayana’sview,Epicuruswasbutasupplierofhalf-bakedideas;

itwasLucretiuswhowasthetruecreatorofscientificmaterialismandtherealfounderofEpicureanism.

Hyperboleaside,whatbothBergsonandSantayanaarepointingtoisthefrequentlyunderratedandmisunderstoodroleofimaginationintheproductionofalmostallmajorsystemsofphilosophy.GreatphilosophersfromPlatoandAristotletoKantandNietzsche（andBergsonhimself）haveneverbeensimplylogicmillsorthinkingmachines,butboldthinkerswithanimaginative“feel”forabstractreality.Inthisrespect,evenifwedismisstheassessmentsofBergsonandSantayanaasextravagant,wecanstillacceptLucretiusasabonafidephilosopherandnotjustasapoeticalembellisherandinterpreter.

Everyphilosopherhasstrengthsandweaknesses;

thoseofLucretiusareconspicuous.Inadditiontohispowerfulimagination,hismainstrength（notsurprisingly）ishisverbalskillandforceofexpression.Heisoneofthemostquotableofphilosophers,withaflairforstrikingimagesandtightlypackedstatements.Afewsamples:

Onsuperstition:

“Sopowerfulisreligionatpersuadingtoevil.”1.101.

Onluxuries:

“Hotfeversdonotdepartyourbodymorequickly

Ifyoutossaboutonpicturedtapestriesorrichpurplecoverlets

Thanifyouliesickunderapoorman’sblanket.”2.34-36.

Onlifewithoutphilosophy:

“Alllifeisastruggleinthedark.”2.54.

“Afterawhilethelifeofafoolishellonearth.”3.1023.

Onnewtruths:

“Nofactissoobviousthatitdoesnotatfirstproducewonder,

Norsowonderfulthatitdoesnoteventuallyyieldtobelief.”2.1026-27.

Onreason:

“Suchisthepowerofreasontoovercomeinbornvices

Thatnothingpreventsourlivingalifeworthyofgods.”3.321-22.

Onthelanguageoflove:

“Wesayafoul,dirtywomanis‘sweetlydisordered,’

Ifsheisgreen-eyed,wecallher‘mylittlePallas’;

Ifshe’sflightyandtightlystrung,she’s‘agazelle’;

Asquat,dumpydwarfis‘alittlesprite,’

Whileahulkinggiantessis‘divinelystatuesque.’

Ifshestuttersorlisps,shespeaks‘musically.’

Ifshe’sdumb,she’s‘modest’;

andifshe’shot-tempered

Andachatterbox,she’s‘aballoffire.’