Ralph Waldo Emerson.docx

Ralph Waldo Emerson.docx

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RalphWaldoEmerson

RalphWaldoEmerson拉尔夫.瓦尔多.爱默生

（1803--1882）

1.EmersonianTranscendentalism

EmersonianTranscendentalismisactual1yaphilosophicalschoolwhichabsorbedsomeideasofAmericanPuritanismandEuropeanRomanticism,withitsfocusontheintuitiveknowledgeofhumanbeingstograsptheabsoluteintheuniverseandthedivinityofman.Inhisessays,Emersonputforwardhisphilosophyoftheover-sou1,theimportanceoftheIndividual,andNature.

（1）Emerson'sphilosophyoftheover-sou1

　　EmersonrejectedboththeformalreligionofthechurchesandtheDeistic自然神论的philosophy;insteadhebasedhisreligiononanintuitivebeliefinanultimateunity,whichhecalledthe"over-soul."EmersonandotherTranscendentalistsbelievedinthetranscendenceof"over-soul".Itisanimpersonalforcethatiseternal,moral,harmonious,andbeneficentintendency.Theybelievedthatthereshouldbeanemotionalcommunicationbetweenanindividualsoulandtheuniversal"oversoul",sincetheover-sou1isanall-pervadingpowerfromwhichallthingscomefromandofwhicha1lareapart.Oneofthetendenciesofthe"over-soul"istoexpressitselfinform,hencetheworldofnatureasanemanation放射oftheworldofspirit.Emerson'sremarkableimageof"atransparenteyebal1"marksaparadoxicalstateofbeing,inwhichoneismergedintonature,theover-soul,whi1eatthesametimeretainingauniqueperceptionoftheexperience.

（2）　Emerson'sphilosophyoftheimportanceoftheIndividual

　　Emersonisaffirmativeaboutman'sintuitiveknowledge,withwhichamancantrusthimselftodecidewhatisrightandtoactaccordingly.Theidealindividualshouldbeaself-reliantman."Trustthyself,"hewroteinSelfReliance,bywhichhemeanstoconvincepeoplethatthepossibilitiesformantodevelopandimprovehimselfareinfinite.

　　（3）Emerson'sviewonnature

　　Emerson'snatureisemblematicofthespiritualworld,alivewithGod'soverwhelmingpresence.ItmediatesbetweenmanandGod,anditsvoiceleadstohighertruth;hence,itexercisesahealthyandrestorativeinf1uenceonhumanmind."Gobacktonature,sinkyourse1fbackintoitsinf1uenceandyou'1lbecomespirituallywho1eagain."ByemployingnatureasabigsymboloftheSpirit,orGod,ortheover-soul,EmersonhasbroughtthePuritan1egacyofsymbolismtoitsperfection.

　　EmersonianTranscendentalisminspiredawholegenerationoffamousAmericanauthorslikeThoreau,Whitman,andDickinson.

　　2.Thoreau'sTranscendentalism

　　HenryDavidThoreau（1817-1862）ismostoftenmentionedasinspiredbyEmerson,themostrepresentativeofthephi1osophicalandliteraryschoolwhichisAmericanTranscendenta1ism.Thoreauembracedhismaster'sideasasadisciple.In1845hebuiltacabinonsomelandbelongingtoEmersonbyWaldenPondandmovedintolivethereinaverysimplemannerforalitt1eovertwoyears,whichgavebirthtoagreattranscendentalistworkWalden（1854）.ThebooknotonlyfullydemonstratesEmersonianideasofself-reliancebutalsodevelopsandtestsThoreau'sowntranscendentalphilosophy.

（1）ForThoreau,natureisnotmerelysymbolic,butdivineinitselfandhumanbeingscanreceiveprecisecommunicationfromthenaturalworldbywayofpuresenses.Sohewasoftenaloneinthewoodsorbythepond,lostinspiritualcommunionwithnature.

（2）Thoreaustronglybelievedinse1f-cultureandwaseagertoidentifyhimselfwiththeTranscendentalimageoftheself-reliantman.Toachievepersonalspiritualperfection,hethinks,themostimportantthingformentodowiththeirlivesistobeself-sufficient,sohesoughttoreducehisphysicalneedsandmaterialcomfortstoaminimumtogetspiritualrichness.

　　（3）Hispositivenessabouttheimportanceofindividualconsciencewassogreatthatheevenconsideredthesocietyasfettersofthefreedomofindividuals.

Hisworks

vNature<论自然>

vThePoet<论诗人>

vTheAmericanScholar<美国学者>or<美国的哲人>---America’sDeclarationofIntellectualIndependence

vRepresentativeMen<代表性人物>

vEnglishTraits<英国人的特性>

vTheConductofLife<论为人处事>

vEssays<散文选>

Nature<论自然>

TheessayNaturediscussestheloveofnature,theusesofnature,theidealistphilosophyinrelationtonature,evidencesofspiritinthematerialuniverse,andthepotentialexpansionofhumansoulsandworksthatwillresultfromageneralreturntodirect,immediatecontactwiththenaturalenvironment.IntheessayEmersonclearlyexpressesthemainprinciplesofhisTranscendentalistpursuitandhislovefornature.Inexpressinghisbeliefinthemystical"unityofnature,"Emersondevelopshisconceptofthe"Over-Soul"or"UniversalMind."IntheselectionEmerson'sfamousmetaphorof"atransparenteyeball"isemployedtoillustratehisphilosophicaldiscussion.“Nature”hasbeencalled“theManifestoofAmericanTranscendentalism”andisgenerallyregardedastheBibleofNewEnglandTranscendentalism;

MainideasofNatureandMan

1）Manisdivine;thespiritualandimmanent内在的Godisoperativeinthesoulofman;

2）Theindividual,notthecrowd,isthemostimportantofall.“theinfinitudeofman”人类发展无限论

3）Thephysicalworldisvitalistic充满生命力的andevolutionary.NaturewasemblematicofGod.Inaword,“Natureisthesymbolofspirit”.

ThePoet<论诗人>

HisaestheticsbroughtaboutarevolutioninAmericanliteratureingeneralandinAmericanpoetryinparticular;itmarkedthebirthoftrueAmericanpoetryandtrueAmericanpoetssuchasWaltWhitmanandEmilyDickinson

Essays

Essays:

FirstSeries<散文选：

第一集>

Essays:

SecondSeries<散文选：

第二集>

ManyofhisfamousessaysareincludedinEssays,whichconveythebestofhisphilosophicaldiscussions,suchas“TheAmericanScholar”,“Self-Reliance”,“Theover-soul”.

3.ThestyleofEmerson'sessays

　　Emerson'sessaysoftenhaveacasualstyle,formostofthemwerederivedfromhisjournalsorlectures.Theyareusuallycharacterizedbyaseriesofshort,declarativesentences,whicharenotquitelogicallyconnectedbutwillfloweroutintoillustrativestatementsoftruthandthoughts.Emerson'sphilosophicaldiscussionissometimesdifficulttounderstandbutheusescomparisonsandmetaphorstomakethegeneralideaofhisworkclearlyexpressed.Well-readintheclassicsofWesternEuropeanliterature,Emersonoftenemployedtheseliterarysourcestomakeandenrichhisownpointsbutneverletthemtakethefullreinsofhisdiscussion.Ingeneral,EmersonwasshowingtotheworldadistinctiveAmericanstyle.

InfluenceonAmericanliterature

1）Hiscallforanindependentcultureinboth“Nature”and“TheAmericanScholar”playedaveryimportantpartintheintellectualhistoryofthenation.

2）HecalledonAmericanwriterstowriteaboutAmericainawaypeculiarlyAmerican.

3）HisimportanceintheintellectualhistoryofAmericaliesinthefactthatheembodiedanewnation’sdesireandstruggletoassertitsownidentityinitsformativeperiod.

4）NewEnglandTranscendentalismisthesummitoftheRomanticperiodinthehistoryofAmericanliterature.

MainIdeasofTranscendentalism

1）Itstressedthepowerofintuition,believingthatpeoplecouldlearnthingsbothfromtheoutsideworldbymeansofthefivesensesandfromtheinnerworldbyintuition.Butthethingstheylearnedfromwithinweretruerthanthethingstheylearnedfromwithout,andtranscendedthem.Itheldthateveryonehadaccesstoasourceofknowledgethattranscendedtheeverydayexperiencesofsensationandreflection.Intuitionwasinnerlightwithin.

（2）Asromanticidealism,itplacedspiritfirstandmattersecond.Itbelievedthatbothspiritandmatterwererealbutthattherealityofspiritwasgreaterthanthatofmatter.Spirittranscendedmatter,andthepermanentrealitywasthespiritualone.Itstressedessencebehindappearance.

　　（3）IttooknatureassymbolicofspiritofGod.Allthingsinnatureweresymbolsofthespiritual,ofGod’spresence.Naturewasalive,filledwithGod’soverwhelmingpresence.Everythingintheuniversewasviewedasanexpressionofthedivinespirit.Behindphysicalobjectswasauniversalsoul.NaturewasGod’senlightenmenttowardshumanbeings.Therefore,itcouldexerciseahealthyandrestorativeinfluenceonhumanmind.Naturewasennoblingandpeopleweresomehowbetterforbeingoutinthewoodsormeadows.Sopeopleshouldcomeclosetonatureforinstructions.Naturenotonlyshowedhumanityitsownmaterialitybuttaughthumanmorality.Nature’sbeautywasthebeautyofhumanmind.Thetwowerejoinedtogether.Withthisorganicviewinmind,itstressedunityofhumanityandnature.

　　（4）Itemphasizedthesignificanceoftheindividualandbelievedthattheindividualwasthemostimportantelementinsocietyandthattheidealkindofindividualwasself-reliantandunselfish.Itheldthattherewasagreatnessinallhumanbeingsthatneededonlytobesetfree.Peopleshoulddependonthemselvesforspiritualperfection.AstheindividualsoulcouldcommunewithGod,itwas,therefore,divine.Withtheassumptionoftheinnate先天的goodnessofhumanity,itheldthattheindividualsoulcouldreachGodwithoutthehelpofchurchesorclergy.Whilestressingindividuality,itrejectedtherestraintsoftraditionandcustom.Thetranscendentalisthadanuncompromisingconcernforindividual’smoraldevelopmentratherthanforsocialprogress.ThedignityoftheindividualremainsavitalpartofAmericancreedeventoday.

（5）Emersonenvisionedreligionasanemotionalcommunicationbetweenanindividualsoulandtheuniversal“Oversoul”.The“Oversoul”ascalledbyEmersonwasanall-pervadingunitaryspiritualpowerofgoodness,omnipresentandomnipotent,fromwhichallthingscameandofwhichever