新英格兰超验主义.ppt

New England Transcendentalism Emerson ( 1803-1882) Founder and Spokesman of Transcendentalism 1 the descendant of a long of New England clergyman. 2 went to Harvard 3 went to Europe and brought back with him the influence of European Romanticism New England Transcendentalism: the summit of American Romanticism Transcendentalist Club: 《日冕》 Transcendentalism and Major Features ( P56 – 57) “whatever belongs to the class of intuitive thought” ----- Emerson 1 The Transcendentalists placed emphasis on spirit, Oversoul (超灵）as the most important thing in the universe. Oversoul: an all-pervading power for goodness, omnipresent and omnipotent, from which all things came and of which all were a part. Transcendentalism and Major Features ( P56 – 57) 2 Transcendentalists stressed the importance of the individual over society. The ideal type of man were the self-reliant individualists. The individual soul communed with the Oversoul and was therefore divine. 3 The Transcendentalists offered a fresh perception of nature as symbolic of the spirit or God. The physical world was a symbol of the spiritual. Nature the Bible of New England Transcendentalism （P 60-62） 1 Nature as the purest and the most sanctifying moral influence on man and advocates a direct intuition of god in nature. “I become a transparent eye-ball. I am nothing. I see all. The currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am a particle of God.” Nature 2 God is operative in the soul of man. Therefore man is divine– divinity of man and infinitude of man. Man should and could be self-reliant. If man depends himself, cultivates himself and brings out the divine in himself, he can hope to become better and even perfect. 3 Nature is emblematic of God. “ particular natural facts are symbols of particular spiritual facts.” eg. Flowing water, ant, seaon The American Scholar: America’s Declaration of I