哲学与爱默生间的较量.docx
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哲学与爱默生间的较量
原文:
Philosophyvs.Emerson(Excerpt)
“HEis,”saidMatthewArnoldofEmerson,“thefriendandaiderofthosewhowouldliveinthespirit.”Thesewell-knownwordsareperhapsthebestexpressionofthesomewhatvagueyetpowerfulandinspiringeffectofEmerson,scourageousbutdisjointedphilosophy.
DescendedfromalonglineofNewEnglandministers,Emerson,findinghimselffetteredbyeventhemostliberalministryofhisday,gentlyyetaudaciouslysteppeddownfromthepulpitand,withlittleornomodificationinhisinterestsorutterances,becamethegreatestlaypreacherofhistime.Fromthedaysofhisundergraduateessayupon“ThePresentStateofEthicalPhilosophy”hecontinuedtobepreoccupiedwithmattersofconduct:
whatevertheobjectofhisattention—anancientpoet,afactinscience,oraneventinthemorningnewspaper—hecontrivestoextractfromitalessonwhichinhisringing,glisteningstylehedriveshomeasanexhortationtoahigherandmoreindependentlife.
Historically,EmersonmarksoneofthelargestreactionsagainsttheCalvinismofhisancestors.Thatsterncreedhadtaughtthedepravityofman,theimpossibilityofanatural,unaidedgrowthtowardperfection,andthenecessityofconstantandanxiousefforttowintheunmeritedrewardofbeingnumberedamongtheelect.Emersonstartswiththe
assumptionthattheindividual,ifhecanonlycomeintopossessionofhisnaturalexcellence,isthemostgodlikeofcreatures.InsteadofbelievingwiththeCalvinistthatasamangrowsbetterhebecomesmoreunlikehisnaturalself(andthereforecanbecomebetteronlybyanactofdivinemercy),Emersonbelievesthatasamangrowsinexcellencehebecomesmorelikehisnaturalself.Itiscommontoheartheexpression,whenoneisdeeplystirred,asbysublimemusicoramovingdiscourse:
“Thatfairlyliftedmeoutofmyself.”Emersonwouldhavesaidthatsuchinfluencesliftusintoourselves.
ForoneofEmerson’smostfundamentalandfrequentlyrecurringideasisthatofa“greatnatureinwhichwerestastheearthliesinthesoftarmsoftheatmosphere,”an“Over-Soul,withinwhicheveryman’sparticularbeingiscontainedandmadeonewithallother,(ThephraseoriginateswithRalphWaldoEmersoninhis1841essaybythatname)”which“evermoretendstopassintoourthoughtandhandandbecomewisdomandvirtueandpowerandbeauty.”Thisistheincentive—thesublimeincentiveofapproachingtheperfectionwhichisoursbynatureandbydivineintention—thatEmersonholdsoutwhenheasksustosubmitustoourselvesandtoallinstructiveinfluences.
Nature,whichhesays“islovedbywhatisbestinus,”isallaboutus,invitingourperceptionofitsremotestandmostcosmicprinciplesby
surroundinguswithitssimplermanifestations.“Amandoesnottiehisshoewithoutrecognizinglawswhichbindthefarthestregionsofnature.”Thusman“carriestheworldinhishead.”Whetherhebeagreatscientist,provingbyhisdiscoveryofasweepingphysicallawthathehassomesuchconstructivesenseasthatwhichguidestheuniverse,orwhetherhebeapoetbeholdingtreesas“imperfectmen,”who“seemtobemoantheirimprisonment,rootedintheground,”heisbeingbroughtintohisownbyperceiving“thevirtueandpungencyoftheinfluenceonthemindofmaterialobjects,whetherinorganicororganized.”
Rangingovertimeandspacewithastonishingrapidityandbindingnamesandthingstogetherthatnoordinaryvisioncouldconnect,EmersoncallsthePastalsotowitnesstheneedofself-relianceandasteadfastobediencetoneedofsuchindependence,hethought,wasparticularlygreatforthestudent,whosoeasilybecomesoverawedbythegreatnamesofthePastandreads“tobelieveandtakeforgranted.”Thisshouldnotbe,norcanitbeifwerememberwhatweare.Whenwesincerelyfind,therefore,thatwecannotagreewiththePast,then,saysEmerson,wemustbreakwithit,nomatterhowgreattheprestigeofitsmessengers.ButoftenthePastdoesnotdisappointus;oftenitassistsusinourquesttobecomeourhighestselves.ForinthePasttherehavebeenmanymenofgenius;and,inasmuchasthemanof
geniushascomenearertobeingcontinuallyconsciousofhisrelationtotheOver-Soul,itfollowsthatthegeniusisactuallymoreourselvesthanweare.Soweoftenhavetofallbackuponmoregiftedsoulstointerpretforuswhatwemeanbutcannotsay.Anysupremetriumphofexpression,therefore,shouldarouseinusnothumility,stilllessdiscouragement,butrenewedconsciousnessthat“onenaturewroteandthesamereads.”SoitisintravelorinanyotherformofcontactwiththePast:
wecannotderiveanyprofitorseeanynewthingexceptwerememberthat“theworldisnothing,themanisall.”
SimilararetheusesofSociety.MoreclearlythaninNatureorinthePast,weseeincertainotherpeoplesuchlikenesstoourselves,andreceivefromtheperceptionofthatlikenesssuchinspiration,thatarealfriend“maywellbereckonedthemasterpieceofnature.”YetelsewhereEmersonhasmorethanonceurgedusnottobe“toomuchacquainted”:
allourparticipationinthelifeofourfellows,thoughrichwithcourtesyandsympathy,mustbefreefrombendingandcopying.WemustusethefellowshipofSocietytofreshen,andnevertoobscure,“therecollectionofthegrandeurofourdestiny.”
Such,insomeattemptatanorganization,areafewofEmerson,sfavoriteideas,whichoccuroverandoveragain,nomatterwhatmaybethesubjectoftheessay.ThoughEmersonwastosomedegree
identified,inhisowntime,withvariousmovementswhichhavehadlittleornopermanenteffect,yetaswereadhimnowwefindextraordinarilylittlethatsuggeststhelimitationsofhistimeandlocality.OftentherearewholeparagraphswhichifwehadreadtheminGreekwouldhaveseemedGreek.ThegoodsensewhichkepthimclearofBrookFarm布鲁克农场becausehethoughtFourier(CharlesFourier,1772年-1837,是法国闻名哲学家,经济学家,空想社会主义者。
和谐社会概念最先由法国思想家傅立叶(CharlesFourier,1827)提出,他刻画了如此一种制度图景:
上天给予人们的各类欲望是和谐的,必需取得知足。
欲望的需要把整个世界组织、和谐起来,形成一种和谐制度,使妇女完全解放,使个人幸福与一切人的幸福相一致,人们沉醉在自己的情欲与爱好当中。
)“hadskippednofactbutone,namelylife,”kepthimclearfrommanysimilardeparturesintomatterswhichthetwenty-firstcenturywillprobablynotremember.Thisisasitshouldbeintheessay,whichbycustomdrawsthesubjectforits“dispersedmeditations”fromthepermanentthingsofthisworld,suchasFriendship,Truth,Superstition,andHonor.OneofEmerson,ssourcesofstrength,therefore,ishisuniversality.
AnothersourceofEmerson,sstrengthishisextraordinarycompactnessofstyleandhisrangeandunexpectednessofillustration.Hisgiftforepigramis,indeed,suchastomakeuslongforanoccasionalstretchofleisurelycommonplace.ButEmersonalwayskeepsusup—notlessbyhismemorabletersenessthanbyhisstartlinghabitofillustration.He
lovestodartfromthepresenttotheremotestpast,tojoinnamesnotusuallyassociated,tolinkpaganwithChristian,orhumanwithdivine,insinglerapidsentences,suchasthatabout“Scipio,andtheCid,andSirPhilipSidney,andWashington,andeverypureandvaliantheart,whoworshipedBeautybywordorbydeed.”
If,inspiteofalltheseadmirablequalities,Emerson,sideasseemtoovagueandunsystematictosatisfythosewhofeelthattheycouldperhapsbecomeEmersoniansiftherewereonlysomedefinitearticlestosign,itmustberememberedthatEmersonwishestodevelopindependenceratherthanapostleship,andthatwhenmenrevoltfromasystembecausetheybelieveittobetoodefiniteandoppressive,theyarelikelytogototheotherextreme.ThatEmersondidgosofartowardthisextremeidentifieshimwithaperiodnotableforitsenthusiasticexpansionofthought.Thathedidnotsystematizeorrestrictmeansthathewasobedienttotheideathatwhatreallymattersisnotthatbyexactterminology,clevertacticsandallthenicetiesofreasoningasystemofphilosophyshallbemadetightandimpregnableforotherstoadopt,butratherthateachofusmaybepersuadedtohitchhisownparticularwagontowhateverstarforhimshinesbrightest.
我的译文:
哲学与爱默生间的较量
马修.阿诺德有句名言,说爱默生“有利于人类精神生活。
”此话不假,爱默生隐晦的哲学断想中充满了勇气,力量和启发。
爱默生曾是一名新英格牧师。
这一那时最自由的职务仍令他倍感束缚。
于是,他勇敢地走下神坛,优雅从容,爱好不改,言谈不变,成了那时最伟大的在俗传道员。
他写过关于“道德哲学现状”的毕业论文,并从此钻研起人的品行:
古代诗人、科学事实、或晨报新闻都能启发他写出琅琅上口的隽语以鼓励世人追求更高贵独立的生活。
历史上,爱默生是反加尔文主义运动的标志性人物。
此严苛教义倍受其先人推崇,以为人生而堕落,无外力相助弗能自然趋于完善,凡觊觎蒙主恩赐,灵魂获救者,须不懈尽力,潜心忏悔。
爱默生假说人假设尽具其才,那么堪比万物之神。
加尔文主义以为完人舍其本(于是乎莫有天佑,弗能趋善也),爱默生不以为然,以为完人近其本。
世人深感于仙乐雄辞之时,常道因之“灵魂出窍”,爱默生那么以此为“灵魂入窍”。
爱默生以为“人栖身自然,如地球栖身大气……超灵包容每一个人,并使之合一”,它“试图进入咱们的思想,从而化为智与德,力与美。
”爱默生望我辈听从自我及一切具有指导性的阻碍力,为此反复提及上述大体观点。
此观点令人赞扬,它顺应自然,遵循神旨,鼓励人们追求完美。
他以为,自然乃“人心至善所向”。
自然之理,关乎世人,或小或大,皆寓于无所不在的自然现象当中。
“自然之理寓于细枝末节。
”世人当“心怀世界”
:
一个重大物理学发觉能够证明某个大科学家统领宇宙的建设感;树木在诗人笔下成了“不完美的人,地面上哀叹的囚徒”。
人惟有意识到“外物于思维之有效而微妙的阻碍”,才能各尽其才。
爱默生飞越时空,联系起本不相干的人和事,让“历史”见证自立与守那么的重要。
他以为,学生尤要独立,因其易为先贤威名所震慑,念书“尽信”。
身为学子,不该如此,倘有良心份,亦不至如此。
因此,爱默生说,当咱们实难认同“过去”时,当舍其权威,与之决裂。
然“过去”往往不负众望,助人登峰造极:
“过去”天才云集,而天才更能持续意识到与超灵的联系,故天才其实胜似咱们,于是咱们借天才言吾辈所不能言。
故圣贤之说难逾越,咱们不必为此自惭沮丧,应明察“自然的读者即自然本身”。
此说四海皆准:
于“过去”,咱们无利可图,无从求新,仅了然“红尘虚无,人乃所有。
”
社会亦有此效,盖识人与己之相似处更易,从而受到启发:
挚友“有如自然之杰作”。
然爱默生多次警告“切勿过分熟络”:
人际交往中,谦恭赞赏过度,即成屈从仿照,当慎避之。
世事人情当令人铭刻“天降伟任”,非淡忘之。
以上观点常见于爱默生的各类论说文中,罗列于此,望成层次。
尽管爱默生也有感于那时成效甚微的各类运动,但是其作几乎不着时局痕迹。
其中不乏此类段落:
假设是希腊文,就恍如出自希腊哲人之手。
他以为傅立叶“貌似全面,却忽略了生命这一要素。
”因此,他没有加入“布鲁克农场”那个乌托邦公社。
借此判定力,他也没去关注那些将被21世纪遗忘的事。
咱们写论说文理应如此,从友谊、真理、迷信和荣誉等永恒话题中择题进行“发散思维”。
因此,爱默生的力量源泉之一即其普遍性。
爱默生之文体简练,涉猎广博,举例惊人乃其另一力量源泉。
其警语令人屏息而望以闲谈舒缓之。
其惊人举例同其简练文体一样令人亢奋。
他喜爱联系起古今本不相干的人物,如异教徒和基督徒、人和神,并以短句论述之,如“罗马统帅大西庇阿、西班牙军人熙德、菲利浦.锡德比爵士、华盛顿和所有同样纯洁勇敢的人,都用语言或行动表达了对美的崇拜之情”等段落。
舍如上优良品质,爱默生的思想关于一些人而言,仍过于隐晦零散。
他们说假设有可供签署的条款,或许就投其门下了。
列位,爱默生希望进展独立性,而非徒弟,且当人们受不了某体系的压制而挣脱出来后,极可能走向另一个极端。
爱默生本人即为例证,突显了那时烈火的思想扩张。
其零散恣意说明他相信:
术语,技术及一切精妙论证,固能牢固一个哲学体系,使之难以抗拒。
然哲学之关键不在此,而在劝导人们各立其志,尽显其华。