美国文学简史常耀信版Chapter-4-Transcendentlism

Chapter4SummitofRomanticism–AmericanTranscendentalismMajorwritersandLiteraryWorksTranscendentalismTranscendentalismAformofidealism/philosophicalromanticismfirstdevelopedinEurope,thenreachedAmericaandflourishedinNewEnglandduring1830s-CivilWar;“transcendental”,atermlongusedinphilosophytodescribetruthsbeyondreachofman’slimitedsenses;inphilosophyandliterature,beliefinahigherrealitythanthatfoundinsenseexperienceorinahigherkindofknowledgethanthatachievedbyhumanreason.NewEnglandTranscendentalismThephaseofNewEnglandTranscendentalismisthesummitofAmericanRomanticism.Itwas,inessence,romanticismonPuritansoil.ItwasstartedbyagroupofintellectualandtheliterarymenoftheUnitedStatessuchasEmerson,HenryDavidThoreauwhoweremembersofaninformalclub,i.e.theTranscendentalClubinNewEnglandinthel830s.3Transcendentalism1.TheTranscendentalClubTwomajoractivities:-Between1840and1844,publishingsixteenissuedofTheDial,aquarterly.-EstablishingBrookFarmin1841,autopiancommunity,supposingtobebetterenabledtowardsself-realization.2.TranscendentalismasaphilosophyAwayofknowing(orepistemology);Individualscanintuitivelyreceivehighertruths.Thevisibleworld,ifintuitedwithimagination,offersendlesscluesabouttheinvisibleworldwhosetruthstandeternallybehindthefactualworldperceivedbythesenses.Forliterature—anemphasisonsymbolicrepresentation.Nature----morallygood,provingGod’spresenceeverywhereinhiscreation.Thehumannatureisaccordinglyallgood.TranscendentalismwasthereversedformofCalvinism.TranscendentalismAbroad,philosophicalmovementinNewEnglandduringtheRomanticera(peakingbetween1835and1845).Appearedin1830,markedthematurityofAmericanromanticismandthefirstrenaissanceintheAmericanliteraryhistory.ThetermwasderivedfromtheLatinverbtranscendere:toriseabove,topassbeyondthelimits.Itstressedtheroleofdivinityinnatureandtheindividual’sintuition,andexaltedfeelingoverreason.7Thetranscendentalistsreactedagainstthecold,rigidrationalismofUnitarianism(基督教)上帝一位论inBoston.Theyadheredtoanidealisticsystemofthoughtbasedonabeliefintheessentialunityofallcreation,theinnategoodnessofman,andthesupremacyofinsightoverlogicandexperiencefortherevelationofthedeepesttruths.Basically,Transcendentalismhasbeendefinedphilosophicallyastherecognitioninmanofthecapacityofknowingtruthwithintuition(theactorfacultyofknowingorsensingwithouttheuseofrationalprocesses),orofattainingknowledgetranscendingthereachofthesenses.83.Transcendentalism—nothavingthekindoflogicalconsistencyThreesourcescanbeidentified:-neo-PlatonismThebeliefthatspiritprevailsovermatterandthereisanascendingscaleofspiritualvaluesrisingtoabsoluteGood.--GermanRomanticism(idealism)Emphasizingintuitionasameansofpiercingtotherealessenceofthings.--EasternmysticisminterpretedfromancientAsia.(Confucius,MenciusandHinduism)TheancientGreekphilosopherPlatodevelopedthenotionofahigherrealitythatexistsbeyondthepowersofhumancomprehension.Platoexplainedthattheideaofabsolutegoodnesstranscendshumandescription.Otherphilosophersthenappliedthisconcept,knownastranscendence,todescribetheunknowablerealityofGod.新柏拉图主义认为，世界有两极，一端是被称为“上帝”的神圣之光，另一端则是完全的黑暗。但新柏拉图主义也相信，完全的黑暗并不存在，只是缺乏亮光而已。世间唯一存在的就是上帝，照耀着神圣之光，但就像光线会逐渐变弱，神圣之光也无法普照整个世界。灵魂受到神圣之光的照耀，物质则位于那光照不到的黑暗世界，而柏拉图所提出的自然界的“形式”则微微受到神圣之光的照耀。新柏拉图主义强调，世间一切事物都有这种神圣之光，但最接近上帝的光芒的，还是人类的灵魂，只有灵魂才能与神秘与伟大合而为一。在一些偶然的时候，人甚至可以体验到自己就是那神圣的自然之光。GermanIdealisticPhilosophyGermanidealism:Thephilosophicalmeaningofidealismhereisthatthepropertieswediscoverinobjectsdependonthewaythatthoseobjectsappeartousasperceivingsubjects,andnotsomethingtheypossessinthemselves,apartfromourexperienceofthem.Theverynotionofathinginitselfshouldbeunderstoodasanoptionofasetoffunctionsforanoperatingmind,suchthatweconsidersomethingthatappearswithoutrespecttothespecificmannerinwhichitappears.我们在客体中发现的属性取决于它们出现在主体面前的方式，而不是它们自身所固有，独立于主体经验之外的。物自体是指物体本身所固有的属性，它的存在不受主体认识形式的限制。11Germanidealistphilosophy:intuitionpiercingtotherealessenceofthingsRalphWaldoEmersondescribedmovement'snamethus:Itiswellknowntomostofmyaudience,thattheIdealismofthepresentdayacquiredthenameofTranscendental,fromtheuseofthattermbyImmanuelKant,ofKonigsberg,whorepliedtotheskepticalphilosophyofLocke,whichinsistedthattherewasnothingintheintellectwhichwasnotpreviouslyintheexperienceofthesenses,byshowingthattherewasaveryimportantclassofideas,orimperativeforms,whichdidnotcomebyexperience,butthroughwhichexperiencewasacquired;thatthesewereintuitionsoftheminditself;andhedenominatedthemTranscendentalforms.[fromTheTranscendentalist](cont.)Transcendentalism(cont.)Transcendentalism,then,isnotasmuchconcernedwithametaphysicsthattranscendsourdailylivesbutratherwithanewviewofthemindthatreplacesLocke'sempiricist,materialistic,andpassivemodelwithoneemphasizingtheroleoftheminditselfinactivelyshapingexperience.AgainstLocke'sclaimthatthereisnothinginthemindnotfirstputtherethroughthesenses,theTranscendentalistsanswerwithLeibnitz,yes,nothingexcepttheminditself.ButwhileKantemphasizedthepowerofthemindhealsostresseditslimits,itsinabilitytoknowrealityabsolutely.TheTranscendentalistvisionwentbeyondKantininsistingthatthe