Transcendentalism超验主义

TranscendentalismTranscendentalismisaphilosophicalandliterarymovementcenteredinConcordandBoston,whichwasprominentintheintellectualandculturallifeofNewEnglandfrom1836untiljustbeforetheCivilWar.Itstressesmodeofknowledgegroundedinfeelingandintuition;self-trust,self-relianceandself-sufficiency;aturnawayfrommodernsociety;afaithinadivine“Principle”,or“Spirit”,or“Soul”.ResourcesPuritanheritageForeigninfluence—Kant,ancientIndianandChineseworksofConfuciusFeatures1.EmphasisonSpirit(Oversoul)2.Emphasisonindividuals3.TakingnatureasthesymboloftheSpirit4.Brotherhoodofman(equalandliberty)SignificanceInfluenceuponwritersSummitofAmericanRomanticismIndependenceofAmericanliterature.RepresentativesRalphWaldoEmerson..HenryDavidThoreau..Emerson—LifeHewasborninaclergyman’sfamilyinNewEnglandHegraduatedfromHarvardHewasAUnitarianministerHefoundedaTranscendentalists’ClubandpublishedajournalHetraveledandgavelectures,quiteinfluential..UnitarianismAdheringtostrictmonotheism,theymaintainthatJesuswasagreatmanandaprophetofGod,perhapsevenasupernaturalcreature,butnotGodhimself.Unitariansbelieveinthemoralauthority,butnotnecessarilythedivinity,ofJesus.AestheticsPoetsaspreachersPoetswithexpressionofsymbolsAstotheme,peculiarAmericanmattersStyleofEmerson1.Hisessayshaveacasualstyle,characterizedbyaseriesofshort,declarativesentences,notquitelogicallyconnected.2.Hisphilosophicaldiscussionisdifficulttounderstandbutusescomparisonsandmetaphorstomakeitclearly-expressed.3.Heemploysliterarysources.HenryDavidThoreau(1817-1862)HewasborninacommonfamilyinNewEnglandHegraduatedfromHarvard,butonlystayedathomeandhelpedfamilybusinessHewasafriendanddiscipleofEmersonHewasactiveinsociallifeandastrongsenseofjusticeHewasnotsuccessfulasawriterandlivedinobscurityallhislife.WaldenSubjects:nature,meaningoflife,moralityPurposes1.evaluationthewayhelivedandthought2.revelationofhiddenspiritualpossibilitiesineveryone’slife3.condemntheweaknessesanderrorsofsociety.StylesDirectandforcefulsentencesConversationalintoneHumorBrieftales,fablesandallegoriesMetaphorsComparisonbetweenEmersonandThoreauSimilaritiesHumanbeingsareunifiedwithnatureNaturepurifiesmindsofhumanbeingsEncouragementofbeingahermitDissimilaritiesRecognitionuponnatureAttitudetowardnature