Lesson-4-New-England-Transcendentalism-Emerson-and

NewEnglandTranscendentalism*Emerson*ThoreauI.NewEnglandTranscendentalism1.Time:In1836,alittlebookcameoutwhichmadeatremendousimpactontheintellectuallifeofAmerica.ItwasentitledNaturebyRalphWaldoEmerson.TheNewWorldwasthrilledtohearthenewvoiceituttered.…Awholenewwayofthinkingbegantoexertitsinfluenceontheconsciousnessofman.Nature’svoicepushedAmericanRomanticismintoanewphase,thephaseofNewEnglandTranscendentalism,thesummitofAmericanRomanticism.1836年，RalphWaldoEmerson出版的书《论自然》震惊了美国文坛，他提出了一种全新的思考方式，强调人的自我觉知。《论自然》的出版诞生了新英格兰超经验主义，讲美国文学的浪漫主义推向高潮。2.Essence:“Transcendentalismisidealism”inessence.3.Background:SomeNewEnglanderswhowerenotquitehappyaboutthematerialistic-orientedlifeoftheirtimeformedthemselvesintoaninformalclub,theTranscendentalistclub,andmettodiscussmattersofinteresttothelifeofthenationasawhole.Theyexpressedtheirviews,publishedtheirjournal,theDial,andmadetheirvoiceheard.1840-1929超经验主义俱乐部诞生的背景：当时的新英格兰地区的人对于以物质为主导的生活逐渐感到不满，他们当中的观点相近或相同的人组成了超经验主义俱乐部，讨论各种领域的问题，并出版杂志Dial《日晷》Transcendentalism（超验主义）Transcendentalism—itisaphilosophicandliterarymovementthatflourishinNewEngland,asareactionagainstrationalismandCalvinism（加尔文主义）.Itstressedintuitiveunderstandingofgodwithoutthehelpofthechurch,andadvocatedindependenceofthemind.超经验主义---19世纪末，20世纪初在新英格兰地区兴起的一股哲学和文学上的思潮。该思潮反对加尔文教派，反对理性主义，强调人人都有一种和上帝沟通的灵性，从而不需要教会的帮助，并提倡个体心灵的独立。Calvinism=salvationpredestination救赎预定论=fatalism宿命论超验主义一词“transcendentalism”来源于拉丁动词“transcendere”意为超越极限。超验主义被定义为人通过知觉获取知识的能力。强调知觉的力量，相信人们可以通过感官认知外部世界。认为自然界中的一切事物都是精神的象征。精神高于物质，且无处不在（Spiritispresenteverywhere）4.Representativefigures:some30menandacoupleofwomensuchasEmerson,Thoreau,BronsonAlcott,andMargaretFuller,mostofthemteachersorclergymen,radicalsagainstrigidrationalismofUnitarianism.超经验主义俱乐部的代表人物：Emerson,Thoreau，BronsonAlcott,MargaretFuller,包括教师，神职人员，反对僵硬的理性主义一元论5.MajorFeatures:A.Emphasisonspirit,orOversoulomnipresent,omniscient,omnipotentB.theimportanceoftheindividualasthemostimportantelementofsocietyTheregenerationofthesocietycouldonlycomeaboutthroughtheregenerationoftheindividual,throughhisself-perfection,self-culture,self-improvement,self-relianceC.NatureassymbolicoftheSpiritorGodNaturewasnotpurelymatter.ItwasthegarmentoftheOversoul.IndividualNatureOversoulA.强调超灵B.强调个体是社会中最重要的组成部分。社会的再生，发展取决于一个个个体的发展，包括自我完善，自我修行，自我提高，自助。C.大自然是上帝的象征。6.TheproductofacombinationofforeigninfluencesandtheAmericanPuritantradition.Germanphilosophy:Schelling,Fichte,KantFrenchphilosophy:Cousin,Collard,Gerando,JouffroyEnglishcritics:ThomasCarlyle’sSartor-ResartusColeridge'sAidstoReflectionOrientalmysticism:HinduworksUpanishadsandBhagavad-GitaChineseConfuciusandMenciusIndividualNatureOversoulTranscendentalismreferstoakindofattitudethatbelievesintherecognitioninmanofthecapacityofknowingtruthintuitively,orofattainingknowledgetranscendingthereachofthesenses.Inanotherword,transcendentalistsbelievethatmanlearnsthingsnotonlythroughreasoningbasedonhisfivesenses,orbyhisownsensualexperiences,andthathealsolearnstruthspontaneously,outofhissoulorinstincts.(tobecontinued)超经验主义认为：人的学习不仅仅是基于感官，经验，人也会从内心出发自然而然地习得真理。Inaliteralsense,itmeansthebeliefthatknowledgeandprinciplesofrealitycanbeobtainedbystudyingthought,notnecessarilybypracticalexperiences.Inthissensethetermisalmostsynonymouswiththewordmysticism.ItwasfirstappliedtotheGermanphilosophicalsystemsofHegel,Kant,andFichte.LaterthewordcametobeusedmorelooselytoapplytoamovementthatbeganinNewEnglandaround1830,thespokesmanofwhichwasRalphWaldoEmerson.II.RalphWaldoEmerson(1803-1882)1.LiteraryStatus:“FatherofAmericanEssay”,TheConcordSageLeaderandspokesmanofNewEnglandTranscendentalismEssayist,poet,philosopher,orator,critic2.Life:Boston,Massachusetts–BostonLatinSchool–HarvardCollege–rejectingCalvinisttenets–runaschoolforyoungladies–abandonedaUnitarianminister–tourinEurope–hisreturntoAmerica–promulgatingTranscendentalism3.Hismajorworks:A.CollectionsPoems(1847);RepresentativeMen(1850);EnglishTraits(1856)SocietyandSolitude(1870);LettersandSocialAims(1876)B.EssaysSelf-RelianceCompensationTheOver-SoulThePoetExperienceNature(theBibleandmanifestooftheNewEnglandTranscendentalism)TheAmericanScholar(IntellectualDeclarationofIndependence)C.PoemsConcordHymnTheRhodora1.3.MajorworksNature(1836):“TheUniverseiscomposedofNatureandtheSoul,Spiritispresenteverywhere”Thebookpresentsatheoryoftheuniverse,itsorigin,presentcondition,andfinaldestiny.Nature’svoicepushedAmericanRomanticismintoanewphase,thephaseofNewEnglandTranscendentalism,thesummitofAmericanRomanticism/AmericanRenaissance.TheAmericanScholar(1837):Inthisessay,EmersoncallsforadistinctiveAmericanstyle,dealingwithAmericansubjects.Thus,regardedas“America’sDeclarationofIntellectualIndependence”Self-Reliance(1841):Thisessayfocusesonhisdiscussionontheindividual’srelation’swithhisculture—cultureinthebroadestdefinition,thusexploringtheimplicationsofthefierceindividualismattheheartofhisTranscendentalfaith:thedignity,theultimatesanctity[holiness]ofeachhumanbeing.TheOver-Soul(1841):Itisaphilosophicwork,inwhichEmersongivesanexplici