美国超验主义transendentalism解析

TranscendentalismContents01Transcendentalism02RalphWaldoEmerson03HenryDavidThoreauWhatisAmericanTranscendentalism?AmericanTranscendentalismA.WhatisTranscendentalism?--knowledgecanbeobtainedthroughmentalprocessapartfromexperiences--denoting“whateverbelongstotheclassofintuitivethought”--Emersonsaid,“Transcendentalismmeansidealism”.TranscendentalismTranscendentalismisliterature,philosophicalandliterarymovementthatflourishedinNewEnglandfromabout1836to1860.ItoriginatedamongasmallgroupofintellectualswhowerereactingagainsttheorthodoxyofCalvinismandtherationalismoftheUnitarianchurch,developinginsteadtheirownfaithcenteringonthedivinityofhumanityandthenaturalworld.1.GermanandBritishidealism,originatingfromSchelling,Fichte,KantandThomasCarlyle2.Frencheclecticism,especiallythatofCousin3.Orientalmysticism,representedbyHinduworks,thoseofConfuciusandMencius4.AmericanPuritanism,representedbyJonathanEdwardsandBenjaminFranklinB.WhatarethesourcesofTranscendentalism?1.Themostimportantthingintheuniverseisspirit,ortheOversoul.2.TheTranscendentalistsstresstheimportanceoftheindividual.Theidealtypeofmanistheself-reliantindividualthroughtheperfectionofwhomtheregenerationofsocietycanbeachieved.3.TheTranscendentalistshaveafreshperceptionofnatureassymbolicofGod.NatureisthegarmentoftheOversoul.C.WhatarethedoctrinesofTranscendentalism?RalphWaldoEmerson(1803—1882)A.GeneralIntroductionRalphWaldoEmerson(1803—1882)a.GeneralIntroductionEmersonwasborninBoston,adescendantfromalineofpreacherancestors;Atschool,Emersonreadbroadly;AftertravelinginEuropeandEngland,hecamebackandsettledinConcord,Massachusettswherehetookupthelifeofanessayist,poetandpublicspeaker;Emerson’sgreatinfluencebeganwhenhedeliveredacourseoflecturesinBoston.Nature,theBibleofTranscendentalism;“TheAmericanScholar”,regardedas“DeclarationofIntellectualIndependence”;“ThePoet”;“Self-Reliance”;“EachandAll”;“Rhodora”B.MainWoksNature(1836)a.TheIdeasofRomanticismonNatureNatureisthekeytoself-awareness;Openselftonature,andonemayreceiveitsgifts:adeeper,moremysticalexperienceoflife;Natureoffersakindof“grace”—“salvation”frommundaneevilofeverydaylife.Image:NiagaraFalls,ThomasCole,1829Externalworldofnatureactuallyreflectsinvisible,spiritualreality.Self-reliance:toseekthetruthinimmediateperceptionsoftheworld.Thenonecanreconcilebodyandsoul(whichispartof“UniversalSoul”or“Oversoul,”sourceofalllife).Image:GrasmereVillage,HillCountry,GreatBritainBriefIntroductionIntroductionChapter1NatureChapter2CommodityChapter3BeautyChapter4LanguageChapter5DisciplineChapter6IdealismChapter7SpiritChapter8ProspectsExcerptsAsubtlechainofcountlessringsThenextuntothefarthestbrings;Theeyereadsomenswhereitgoes,Andspeaksalllanguagestherose;And,strivingtobeman,thewormMountsthroughallthespiresofform.---EpigraphOurageisretrospective.Itbuildsthesepulchresofthefathers.Itwritesbiographies,histories,andcriticism.TheforegoinggenerationsbeheldGodandnaturefacetoface;we,throughtheireyes.Whyshouldnotwealsoenjoyanoriginalrelationtotheuniverse?Whyshouldnotwehaveapoetryandphilosophyofinsightandnotoftradition,andareligionbyrevelationtous,andnotthehistoryoftheirs?Embosomedforaseasoninnature,whosefloodsoflifestreamaroundandthroughus,andinviteusbythepowerstheysupply,toactionproportionedtonature,whyshouldwegropeamongthedrybonesofthepast,orputthelivinggenerationintomasqueradeoutofitsfadedwardrobe?Thesunshinesto-dayalso.Thereismorewoolandflaxinthefields.Therearenewlands,newmen,newthoughts.Letusdemandourownworksandlawsandworship.---fromtheBeginningof“Introduction”Togointosolitude,amanneedstoretireasmuchfromhischamberasfromsociety.IamnotsolitarywhilstIreadandwrite,throughnobodyiswithme.Butifamanwouldbealone,lethimlookatthestars.Theraysthatcomefromthoseheavenlyworldswillseparatebetweenhimandwhathetouches.Onemightthinktheatmospherewasmadetransparentwiththisdesign,togiveman,intheheavenlybodies,theperpetualpresenceofthesublime.---fromtheBeginningofChapter1“Nature”Image:ChristopherPearseCranch,parodyoflinesfromNature,1838Standingonthebareground,—myheadbathedbytheblitheair,andupliftedintoinfinitespace,—allmeanegotismvanishes.Ibecomeatransparenteye-ball;Iamnothing;Iseeall;thecurrentsoftheUniversalBeingcirculatethroughme;IampartorparticleofGod.---fromthefirstparagraphofChapter1“Nature”“我站在空地上,头沐浴在和煦的空气里,仰望着无垠的太空,小我的一切都消失了,我变成了一只透明的眼球;本身不复存在;我洞察一切;上帝的精气在我周身循环;我成为上帝的一部分。Thekingdomofmanovernature,whichcomethnotwithobservation,—adominionsuchasnowisbeyondhisdreamofGod,—heshallenterwithoutmorewonderthantheblindmanfeelswhoisgraduallyrestoredtoperfectsight.---fromthefirstparagraphofChapter1“Nature”人对自然的统治，——这现在人们做梦也不敢想的事，最终是一定会实现的。而且，就像一个逐渐恢复光明的盲人，人们到那时一点也不会对此感到惊奇。1.thetranscendenceoftheOversoul.HisNaturerecordshis“momentofecstasy”,themomentoflosingone’sindividuality.2.theinfinitudeofmanandhumanperfectibility.Emersonbelievesthatthepossibilitiesformantodevelopandimprovehimselfareinfinite.3.natureassymbolicofGod.IntheeyesofEmerson,“natureisthevehicleofthought,”and“particularnaturalfactsaresymbolsofparticularspiritualfacts”.C.WhatdoesEmersonbelievein?