Ralph-Waldo-Emerson

RalphWaldoEmerson(1803-1882)“Therewardofathingwelldoneistohavedoneit.”—R.W.Emerson关茵10英翻二3210008103Outline1.Biographicalintroduction2.Transcendentalism&transcendentalistclub3.Majorworks4.Hisinfluence5.CaseStudyBiographicalintroductionSonofaNewEnglandclergymenExperienced“genteelpoverty”asachildWenttoHarvard,reconsiderCalvinistbelief,embracedUnitarianismBecameaUnitarianministertotheSecondchurchofBostonLefthisjobforEuropeandbroughtbackEuropeanRomanticismFormedTranscendentalistClubanditsjournal“theDial”,becamespokesmanofNewEnglandTranscendentalismRalphWaldoEmersonAnAmericanessayist,philosopherandpoetThemosteloquentspokesmanofNewEnglandTranscendentalism.TranscendentalismAsEmersonsaid,“transcendentalismisidealism;idealismasappearsin1842.”In1842,agroupofpeoplewhowerenothappyaboutthematerialistic-orientedlifeatthattime,formedaninformalclub,TranscendentalClubtoexpresstheirviews,publishtheirjournal,theDial,andmaketheirvoiceheard.ThosepeopleincludedEmerson,Thoreau,BronsonAlcott,andMargaretFuller,mostofthemwereteachersorclergymen,radicalsreactingagainstthefaithofBostonbusinessmenandthecold,rigidrationalismofUnitarianism.(Unitarianism:上帝一位论,否认三位一体说，认为神仅存在一位，承认个人信仰自由或理性在宗教中的应用）Transcendentalismisawayofknowingthebeliefthatmanintuitivelytranscendsthelimitofthesensesandoflogicandreceivesdirectlyhighertruthsandgreaterknowledgedeniedtoothermethodsofknowing.OriginsandSourcesforeigninfluences:1)introductionofidealisticphilosophyfromGermanyandFrance.DuringhistourtoEurope,hemetandmadefriendswithColeridge,Carlyle,andWordsworthandbroughtbackwithhimtheinfluenceofEuropeanRomanticism.2)OrientalmysticismsuchasHinduismandthephilosophyoftheChineseConfuciusandMencius.nativeinfluence:AmericanPuritantraditionFeaturesofNewEnglandTranscendentalism1.TheTranscendentalistsplacedemphasisonspirit,ortheOver-soul,asthemostimportantthingintheuniverse.(theOver-soulwasomnipresentandomnipotent)2.TheTranscendentalistsstressedtheimportanceoftheindividual.3.TheTranscendentalistsofferedafreshperceptionofnatureassymboloftheSpiritofGod.MajorworksNature《论自然》“TheAmericanScholar”《美国学者》“TheDivinitySchoolAddress”《神学院演说》“Self-Reliance”《论自助》“Over-soul”《论超灵》Nature(1836)NatureisoneofEmerson’sbest-knownandmostinfluentialessays,itisalyricalexpressionoftheharmonyEmersonfeltbetweenhimselfandnature.Themainideaoftheessayisthatnatureinspiresspiritualunderstandinginhumanbeing.It’sconsideredastheBibleofTranscendentalism.“TheAmericanScholar”(1837)Sixtyyearsafterdeclaringindependence,AmericanculturewasstillheavilyinfluencedbyEurope,andEmerson,forpossiblythefirsttimeinthecountry'shistory,providedavisionaryphilosophicalframeworkforescapingfromunderitsironlidsandbuildinganew,distinctiveAmericanculturalidentity.OliverWendellHolmes,Sr.declaredthisspeechtobeAmerica'sIntellectualDeclarationofIndependence.“TheDivinitySchoolAddress”(1838)TheaddresstouchedoffamajorcontroversyamongAmericanUnitariantheologians,primarilyaboutthenecessityofbeliefinthehistoricaltruthoftheBiblicalmiracles,butinvolvingothersecondaryissuesaswell.TheUnitarianestablishmentofNewEnglandandofHarvardDivinitySchoolrejectedEmerson'steachingsoutrightforthenextthirtyyears.“Self-Reliance”(1841)“Self-Reliance”ishissignificantworkwhichexpresseshisideaoftranscendentalism,onefocusofwhichistheprimacyoftheindividual.SoitexploresindividualismattheheartofEmerson’sTranscendentalfaith:thedignityandtheultimatesanctityofeachhumanbeing.“BelieveinYourself”isthecorepointof“Self-Reliance.”“Over-soul”Over-soulistheninthessayinthe1841editionofEmerson'sEssays,anditremainsoneofthebestsourcesofinformationabouthisfaith.Init,heoutlineshisbeliefinaGodwhoresidesineachofusandwhomwecancommunicatewith,withoutmembershipinachurchortheassistanceofanintermediarychurchofficial.Otheressays:“RepresentativeMen”《代表性人物》“EnglishTraits”《英国人的特性》“TheConductofLife”《论为人处事》……Emerson’sinfluenceEmerson’simportanceintheintellectualhistoryofAmericaliesinthefactthatheembodiedanewnation’sdesireandstruggletoassertitsownidentityinitsformativeperiod.HisaestheticsbroughtaboutarevolutioninAmericanliterature.ItmarkedthebirthoftrueAmericanpoetry.Hecalledforanindependentculture,whichrepresentedthedesireofthewholenationtodevelopacultureofitsown.Emerson’sinfluenceDuringhislifetimehewasconsideredoneofthetwoorthreebestwritersinAmerica,andcertainlythemostinfluentialamonghiscontemporaries.Thoreau,Whitman,Dickinson,Hawthorne,Melville,andWallaceStevensandmanyotherswereindebtedtohiminvaryingdegrees.CasestudyNatureTogointosolitude,amanneedstoretireasmuchfromhischamberasfromsociety.IamnotsolitarywhilstIreadandwrite,thoughnobodyiswithme.Butifamanwouldbealone,lethimlookatthestars.Theraysthatcomefromthoseheavenlyworlds,willseparatebetweenhimandvulgarthings.走入孤独，远离书斋，如同远离社会一样重要。纵然无人在我身旁，当我读书或写作时，并非独处一隅。如果一个人渴望独处，就请他注目于星辰吧。那从天界下行的光芒，使人们得以出离可触摸的现世。Onemightthinktheatmospherewasmadetransparentwiththisdesign,togiveman,intheheavenlybodies,theperpetualpresenceofthesublime.Seeninthestreetsofcities,howgreattheyare!Ifthestarsshouldappearonenightinathousandyears,howwou