American-transcendantalism

AnAmericanRenaissancetranscendentalismNewEnglandTranscendentalismEmersonThoreauexitcontinueI.HistoricalBackgroundII.NewEnglandTranscendentalismIII.RalphWaldoEmersonIV.HenryDavidThoreauAmericain1830-40“thefrontierofAmericansociety”becamematerialsforaliteratureaboutAmericanlifecitiesalongtheeastcoast–theolderidealofthenationwasstillverymuchaliveBoston,acityfilledwithintellectualexcitementandactivitylectureswerebroughtknowledgeaboutcultureandscienceTheNewSpiritualErayoungintellectualsofBostondissatisfiedwiththeoldpatriotismstudiedtheGreek,German,andIndianphilosophers,andwantedtoexploretheinnerlifeandfeelings“theTranscendentalists”formedamovementoffeelingsandbeliefs1.rejectedconservativePuritanismandUnitarianism唯一神论2.foundtruththroughfeelingsandintuition3.OrestesBrownsondefinedthemovementas“therecognitioninmanofthecapacityofknowingtruthintuitively...anorderofknowledgetranscendingthesenses”4.foundGodeverywhere,inmanandthenatureDefinitionofPuritanismandUnitarianismPuritanismThepracticesanddoctrinesofthePuritans.Scrupulousmoralrigor,especiallyhostilitytosocialpleasuresandindulgencesUnitarianismAChristianwhoisnotaTrinitarian上帝一位論(否認三位一體說,認為神僅存在一位,承認個人信仰自由或理性在宗教中的應用)TranscendentalismAliteraryandphilosophicalmovement,associatedwithRalphWaldoEmersonandMargaretFuller,assertingtheexistenceofanidealspiritualrealitythattranscendstheempiricalandscientificandisknowablethroughman’sintuitionNewEnglandTranscendentalism1.ItisthesummitofAmericanRomanticism.2.Leaders:EmersonandThoreau3.Manifesto:NaturewrittenbyRalphWaldoEmersonin1836,whichisregardedastheBibleofNewEnglandTranscendentalism.4.Club:TranscendentalistClub5.Journal:TheDial（日规）6.Sources:Germanidealism,neo-Platonism,OrientalmysticismandAmericanPuritanism.7.Majorfeatures(ideas):SpiritorOversoul:theuniverseiscomposedofNatureandSoul.Spiritiseverywhere.Individualism:themostimportantelementinsociety,thedivinityofindividual.Nature:isaconnectinglinkbetweenGodandman.ItisasymboloftheSpirit.1)Placingemphasisonspirit,ortheOversoul,asthemostimportantthingintheuniverse.--anewwayoflookingattheworld2)Stressingtheimportanceoftheindividual—self-reliance.--anewwayoflookingatman3)OfferingfreshperceptionofnatureassymbolicofthespiritorGod.(Naturewasnotpurelymatter.Itwasalive,filledwithGod’soverwhelmingpresence.ItwasthegarmentoftheOversoul.)“TheUniverseiscomposedofNatureandtheSoul.”“Spiritispresenteverywhere.”TheindividualsoulcommunedwiththeOversoulandwasthereforedivine.超验主义(transcendentalism)的核心观点是主张人能超越感觉和理性而直接认识真理，认为人类世界的一切都是宇宙的一个缩影--世界将其自身缩小成为一滴露水（爱默生语）。超验主义者强调万物本质上的统一，万物皆受超灵制约，而人类灵魂与超灵一致。这种对人之神圣的肯定使超验主义者蔑视外部的权威与传统，依赖自己的直接经验。相信你自己这句爱默生的名言，成为超验主义者的座右铭。这种超验主义观点强调人的主观能动性，有助于打破加尔文教的人性恶、命定论等教条的束缚，为热情奔放，抒发个性的浪漫主义文学奠定了思想基础。超验主义者的贡献就在于在理想主义的旗帜下重新审视了美，解放了美国思想。他们认为，文学必须保持与自然最原始的关系，使美国文学，包括散文创作，从模仿英国及欧洲大陆的风格中脱颖而出，开创了美国文艺复兴时期。作为一场融欧洲与美国思想潮流于一体的思想运动，它催生了美国散文一系列经典之作：《自然》(Nature,1836)、《美国学者》(TheAmericanScholar,1837)、《知识的自然历史》(NaturalHistoryofIntellect,1893)、《瓦尔登湖》(Waldon,orLifeintheWoods,1854)，等等。教义1.至善【absolutegood】2.纯洁无暇【unspottedinnocenceofnature]3.人具有神性【humanitywasgodlikeandthatevilwasnonexistentappearedtobeanoptimisticfolly]超验主义的来源有四：1.欧洲浪漫主义文学【theromanticliteratureofEurope】2.新柏拉图主义【neo-Platonism】3.德国理想主义哲学【Germanidealisticphilosophy】4.东方神秘主义【Orientalmysticism】⊙就是好思想，如果不去实行，就和好梦一样。——爱默生⊙我所遇见的每一个人，或多或少都是我的老师，因为我从他们身上学到了东西。——爱默生⊙人类所抱有的疑念，就是科学的萌芽。——爱默生⊙自信就是成功的第一秘诀。——爱默生⊙友谊是人生的调味品，也是人生的止痛药。——爱默生⊙我们想的是如何养生，如何聚财，如何加固屋顶，如何备齐衣衫；而聪明人考虑的却是怎样选择最宝贵的东西——朋友。——爱默生⊙要想得到别人的友谊，自己就得先向别人表示友好。——爱默生⊙即使断了一条弦，其余的三条弦还是要继续演奏，这就是人生。——爱默生⊙凡是有良好教养的人有一禁诫：勿发脾气。——爱默生RalphWaldoEmerson(1803-1882)founded“TranscendentalClub”anditsmagazine,TheDial(p.43)thegroupdividedintotwo:thoseinterestedinsocialreformandthoseinindividualspublished“Nature”in1836,claimedman’srelationshipwithnaturetranscendstheideaofusefulnessRalphWaldoEmerson(1803-1882)gaveafamousspeech“TheAmericanScholar”atHarvardin1837,calledforanewburstofAmericancreativity“scholar”referredtooriginalthinker,suchamanknowshimselfthroughintuitionandthestudyofnaturenotofbooks.TurnedawayChristianity,becomesakindof“preacher”Emerson’sfamousessays:“Self-Reliance,”“Over-Soul,”“ThePoet”HisworksNature论自然ThePoet论诗人TheAmericanScholar美国学者or美国的哲人---America’sDeclarationofIntellectualIndependenceRepresentativeMen代表性人物EnglishTraits英国人的特性TheConductofLife论为人处事EssaysEmerson’saestheticsa.poetsshouldfunctionaspreacherswhogavedirectionstothemass.b.Truepoetryandtrueartshouldennobleandserveasamoralpurificationandapassagetowardorganicunityandhigherreality.c.Emersonplacesemphasisonideas,symbolsandimaginativewords.d.Astotheme,EmersoncalleduponAmericanauthorstocelebrateAmericaandthelifetoday.e.Emerson’saestheticsbroughtaboutarevolutioninAmericanliteratureingeneralandinAmericanpoetryinparticular.ItmarkedthebirthoftrueAmericanpoetryandtrueAmericapoetssuchasWhitmanandDickinsonexitcontinueLimitationsa.Emersonhadnosenseofevilandtoooptimisticabouthumannatureandthesociety.SomebodyoncecalledthiskindofoptimismTranscendentalfolly.b.Hisreputationfellinthe20thcentury1)