Chapter 4 New England TranscendentalismEmersonThoreau

1、Chapter 4 New England Transcendentalism Emerson ThoreauexitcontinueI. Historical Background II. New England TranscendentalismIII. Ralph Waldo EmersonIV. Henry David ThoreauexitcontinueI. I. Historical Background Historical Background 1. The Mexican-American War (1846-1. The Mexican-American War (184

2、6-1848)1848)2. The westward expansion 2. The westward expansion exitcontinueII. New England Transcendentalism1. General introduction to Transcendentalism American transcendentalism was an important movement in philosophy and literature that flourished during the early to middle years of the nineteen

3、th century (about 1836-1860). It began as a reform movement in the Unitarian church. For the transcendentalists, the soul of each individual is identical with the soul of the world and contains what the world contains.exitcontinue2. The factors that influenced New England Transcendentalism New Engla

4、nd Transcendentalism was the Product of a combination of foreign influences and the American Puritan traditiona. Foreign influences: concepts of Schelling, Fichte, Kant; Coleridge and Thomas Carlyle; French eclecticism and Oriental mysticismb. American Puritanismexitcontinue3. Major Concepts 3. Majo

5、r Concepts a.a. It stressed the power of intuition, believing that It stressed the power of intuition, believing that people could learn things both from the outside people could learn things both from the outside world by means of the five senses and from the world by means of the five senses and f

6、rom the inner world by intuition. But the things they inner world by intuition. But the things they learned from within were truer than the things learned from within were truer than the things they learnethey learned from without, and transcended them. d from without, and transcended them. It held

7、that everyone had access to a source of It held that everyone had access to a source of knowledge that transcended the everyday knowledge that transcended the everyday experiences of sensation and reflection. experiences of sensation and reflection. Intuition was inner light within. Intuition was in

8、ner light within. b. b. It took nature as symbolic of spirit of God. All It took nature as symbolic of spirit of God. All things in nature were symbols of the spiritual, things in nature were symbols of the spiritual, of Godof God s presence. Nature was alive, filled with s presence. Nature was aliv

9、e, filled with GodGod s overwhelming presence. Everything in the s overwhelming presence. Everything in the universe was viewed as an expression of the universe was viewed as an expression of the divine spiritdivine spirit. .exitcontinuec c. . It emphasized the significance of the It emphasized the

10、significance of the individual and believed that the individual individual and believed that the individual was the most important element in society was the most important element in society and that the ideal kind of individual was and that the ideal kind of individual was self-reliant and unselfi

11、sh.self-reliant and unselfish.d d. . Emerson envisioned religion as an Emerson envisioned religion as an emotional communication between an emotional communication between an individual soul and the universal “Oversoul”. individual soul and the universal “Oversoul”. The “Oversoul” as called by Emers

12、on was an The “Oversoul” as called by Emerson was an all-pervading unitary spiritual power of all-pervading unitary spiritual power of goodness, omnipresent and omnipotent, from goodness, omnipresent and omnipotent, from which alwhich all things came and of which everyone l things came and of which

13、everyone was a part.was a part.4.4. Significance: New England Transcendentalism Significance: New England Transcendentalism is theis the summit of American Romanticism.summit of American Romanticism.5. 5. Representatives: Emerson, ThoreauRepresentatives: Emerson, ThoreauexitcontinueIII. Ralph Waldo

14、EmersonIII. Ralph Waldo Emerson1. Life 1. Life a. born in a clergymans family in New Englanda. born in a clergymans family in New Englandb. graduated from Harvardb. graduated from Harvardc. c. became a Unitarian minister to the Second Church of became a Unitarian minister to the Second Church of Bos

15、ton, but not for long. Boston, but not for long.d. Fd. Finding the rationality of inding the rationality of UnitarianismUnitarianism intolerable, intolerable, he decided to leave his job as minister. he decided to leave his job as minister.e. e. went to Europe, and met Coleridge, Carlyle and went to

16、 Europe, and met Coleridge, Carlyle and Wordsworth and made friends with them, and brought Wordsworth and made friends with them, and brought back the influence of European Romanticism. back the influence of European Romanticism. f. founded a Transcendentalists Club and published a f. founded a Tran

17、scendentalists Club and published a journal journalg. g. became the most eloquent spokesman of became the most eloquent spokesman of Transcendentalism Transcendentalismexitcontinue2. Works 2. Works a. a. EssaysEssays散文集散文集b. b. NatureNature论论自然自然( (a book which declared the a book which declared the

18、 birth of Transcendentalism birth of Transcendentalism) )c. c. The American ScholarThe American Scholar论论美美国学国学者者(Americans (Americans Declaration of Intellectual Independence) Declaration of Intellectual Independence)d. d. DivinityDivinity， The OversoulThe Oversoul论论超超灵灵e. e. Self-relianceSelf-reli

19、ance论论自立自立f. f. The TranscendentalistThe Transcendentalist超超验验主主义义者者exitcontinue3. Emerson3. Emerson s s aestheticsaestheticsa.a. poets should function as preachers who gave poets should function as preachers who gave directions to the mass. directions to the mass.b. b. True True poetrypoetry and tr

20、ue art and true art shouldshould ennoble and ennoble and serve as a moral purification and a passage serve as a moral purification and a passage toward organic unity and higher reality.toward organic unity and higher reality.c. c. Emerson places emphasis on ideas, symbols Emerson places emphasis on

21、ideas, symbols and imaginative words.and imaginative words.d. d. As to theme, Emerson called upon American As to theme, Emerson called upon American authors to celebrate America and the life authors to celebrate America and the life today.today.e. e. EmersonEmerson s aesthetics brought about a s aes

22、thetics brought about a revolution in American literature in general revolution in American literature in general and in American and in American poetrypoetry in particular. It in particular. It marked the birth of true American poetry and marked the birth of true American poetry and true America po

23、ets such as Whitman and true America poets such as Whitman and DickinsonDickinsonexitcontinue4. Limitations 4. Limitations a. a. EmersonEmerson had no sense of evil and too had no sense of evil and too optimistic about human nature and the optimistic about human nature and the society. Somebody once

24、 called this kind of society. Somebody once called this kind of optimism Transcendental folly. optimism Transcendental folly.b. His reputation fell in the 20th century b. His reputation fell in the 20th century exitcontinueIV. Henry David ThoreauIV. Henry David Thoreau1.1. Life Life a. a. His father

25、 was an His father was an successfulsuccessful storekeeper storekeeperb. b. went to Harvard, but did not like the life of the went to Harvard, but did not like the life of the college much. college much. O On graduation he stayed with his family, n graduation he stayed with his family, first helping

26、 his father to make pencils and then, running first helping his father to make pencils and then, running a private school. a private school.c. c. made friends with Emerson, used his library and made friends with Emerson, used his library and embraced his ideas. embraced his ideas.d. Id. In 1845, wit

27、h the permission of Emerson, he went to build a n 1845, with the permission of Emerson, he went to build a cabin on a piece of Emerson cabin on a piece of Emerson s property on Walden Pond, s property on Walden Pond, and moved on July4 to live there in a very simple manner and moved on July4 to live

28、 there in a very simple manner for a little over two years. for a little over two years. T There on the Pond, he tried to here on the Pond, he tried to be self-sufficient in every thing. be self-sufficient in every thing.e. e. detained for a night in jail for refusing to pay a poll-tax of detained f

29、or a night in jail for refusing to pay a poll-tax of $2.00 to a government he thought unjust. $2.00 to a government he thought unjust. I In fact, he was soon n fact, he was soon set free after his aunt paid the sum for him. It inspired him set free after his aunt paid the sum for him. It inspired hi

30、m to to write his famous essay write his famous essay “ “Civil DisobedienceCivil Disobedience” ”, which influenced , which influenced people such as Mahatma Gandhi. people such as Mahatma Gandhi.exitcontinue2. Works 2. Works a. a. A Week on the Concord and Merrimack A Week on the Concord and Merrima

31、ck Rivers and Walden / WaldenRivers and Walden / Walden 瓦尔登湖瓦尔登湖b. b. Civil DisobedienceCivil Disobedience 论论公民之不服公民之不服从从It It influenced people such as Mahatma influenced people such as Mahatma Gandhi.Gandhi.exitcontinue3. 3. WaldenWaldena.a. The book described the authors extremely simple The book described the authors extremely simple life and regeneration he experienced when he lived near life and regeneration he experienced when he lived near the Walden pond.the Walden pond.b. Tb. This is a book on self-