先验主义

TranscendentalisminSelf-RelianceAbstract:EmersonistherepresentativeoftheestablishmentofAmericanculturalandspirit.HehasabiginfluenceonAmericanliterature.FromKant’sapriorismandEuropeanromantictheorist’sinfluence,hedevelopedTranscendentalism.HisworkSelf-RelianceisatypicalworkcontainsTranscendentalism.Inthispaper,IwouldliketotalkaboutEmerson’sthoughtsinthisworkfromTranscendentalismandindividualism.Keyword:Transcendentalism;individualism;Emerson;Self-Reliance1.TranscendentalismandEmersonSomehistoriansconsiderthattheuniquecultureofAmericanbegananddevelopedduringthenineteencentury.ItwasthetimethatAmericanspiritandculturegetoutofthecontrolofEuropeanafterthepoliticalindependence.Thentranscendentalismhavebeenbornoutofthistime.Ithasbecomethedeclarationofspiritindependence(康海波,2008).Transcendentalismkeepstheideathattotranscendourfeelingandinstincttogettheknowledgeofthetruthdirectly.“Itisapragmaticphilosophy,astateofmind,andaformofspirituality.”(LiZhisheng,2005)thefeaturesofTranscendentalismisthatthemostimportantthingintheuniverseisspirit,ortheOversoul.TheOversoul(God)isanall-precedingpowerexistinginnatureandmanalike.Transcendentaliststhinkallthethingsabouttheworldisamicrocosmoftheuniverse.JustlikewhatEmersonhadsaid:theworldshrankitselfintoadropofdew.Allthingsoneartharethesameinnature,andrestrainedbynature.Whilehumansoulisconsistentwithnature.Thisconfirmingtohumandivinenessendowthemwithpowertodependontheirownexperienceanddespisetheauthority.RalphWaldoEmersonwasconsideredastheleaderoftranscendentalismandhisthoughtisregardedasthekerneloftranscendentalism.Hewasaphilosophy,apoetandaprosewriter.HewasborninBostononMay25thin1803,anddiedonApril27thin1882.HegraduatedfromHarvardinhis17yearsoldandbecameapostureinBoston.LaterhebegantotraveledaroundEuropeandvisitedthepioneersoftheRomanticMovement,suchasRandall,SamuelTaylorColeridgeandWilliamWordsworth.WhenhecamebacktotheUnitedStates,hisbookofnaturewaspublishedin1836.OnAugustin1837,EmersongaveaspeechnamedAmericanScholarsonAmericanfraternity.ThisspeechdeclaredthatAmericanliteraturehadbeenindependentfromEnglishLiterature,andEmersonwarnedtotheAmericanscholarsdonotfollowthepedantandtraditionblindlyorsimplyintimateothers.Oneyearlater,hehadcriticizedthelifelessatmosphereinChristianity.Alsoheholdthehumanhighestrolesupremeinesteemandadvocatedtogetthefullknowledgeoftruthbyourinstinct.Hehadcollecthisspeechintoabook,andSelf-Relianceisoneofitsworkwhichpublishedin1841.Self-RelianceSelf-RelianceisalsoanessayreflectsTranscendentalism.InSelf-Reliance,Emersonadvocatesindividualismfirmlyandhethinksmanshouldtrustourinstinctandrelyonourheartinspiration.EveryonecanbeasupermanaswhatNietzschehadsaid(潘薇，2006).Manshouldbefaithfultoourconvictionandbeself-relianceisthecoreideaofthisessay.InSelf-Reliance,EmersonpresentsomanythoughtsthatcoincidentwithhisadvocationofTranscendentalism.Atthebeginningofthisessay,“imitationissuicide”makemethinkabouthisviewofencourageAmericanyoungpeopledonottrustthetraditionorfollowotherswithoutthinking.Weshouldfindthetruthbyourownintuitionbutnotadmitother’sideaaimlessly.Whetheryourpointofviewis“betterorworse”,itsyourthinkingandyourownproduction.Justasyoushouldacceptyourselfnomatterwhatyourappearanceisgoodorbad.Itisyourportion,andyoucouldnotchangeitbuttoacceptit.TrustyourselfisalsowhatEmersonhadpropose.Despiteother’sdiscontentandcontempt,wewouldnotbeconformity.Because“itiseasyenoughforafirmmanwhoknowstheworldtobrooktherageofthecultivatedclasses.”Everymanshouldtrusthimself,thisself-confidenceliesinthesourceofinstinct.Maybewecansaythatintelligentcomesfromman’sinstinct.Asfortheaimofthoughts,themainpartofself-relianceishowtocontactwiththetruthdirectlyandhowtogettheknowledgeofthetruth.Soself-relianceisnotcertainprinciplesorvalue.Itisthewayofthinkingandtheprocessofbeingself-trust.Weshouldpursuitself-reliancefromtheinnerworldofourheartnottheoutsideworldofsociety.Thisisthesourceofself-reliance.Themeaningoftheword“self-reliance”isbeabletoordecidethingsbyyourself,ratherthandependingonotherpeopleforhelp.EmersonindicatesthisideainSelf-Reliance,“nokernelofnourishingcorncancometohimbutthroughhistoilbestowedonthatplotofgroundwhichisgiventohimtotill.”Hebelievesthatthepossibilitiesformantodevelopandimproveisinfinite.Somanmakehisworldbymakinghimselfandtrustyourselfratherthanfollowothers.Butwestilldonotknowclearlyaboutwhatkindofaspectweshouldrelyonourselves.Thethoughtsorphysicalstrengthorbothofthem(尚新建，2009).Fromthefollowingpartofthisessay,werealizethatEmersonthinksthoughtsuperiorthanphysicalstrength,sincehesaid,“webuthalfexpress…itmaybesafelytrustedasproportionateandofgoodissues.”Thenheputhisideaintoamorespecificrang,thatistrustyourpresentthoughtsandhavingyourheadinthemoment.Hesaidthattheterroroftrustourselvesisourconsistency.Manaretendtobethesameasourpastselfbecausetheyareafraidofothersperceptiontowardsthem.ThenEmersonsuggestustocastoffthepastsuccess;failureandthoughts,anddonotworriedaboutthethingsinthefuture.“Lifemaybreakoutinfinitetension.”(姚亚芝，2009)Andalsolivinginsocietyhasitsharmfulimpactonindivid