摘要
作为美国文化的塑造者和奠基人,拉尔夫·沃多·爱默生的思想创新对同时代及此后的作家均产生了重要影响,然而爱默生的创造性既非独此一家,亦不振聋发聩,他只用"道德情操"这个老调弹出新曲,以此达到观念更新的目的。爱默生把道德情操视为一切宗教的根本,从人与上帝的心智相通说明人的神性与无限可能性,扫除了个人发展过程中外在的障碍。虽然道德情操是重要的个人素质,但爱默生认为道德情操无法受教于他人,唯有通过直觉才能领会。圣人虽然令人钦佩,但每个心灵都是独立而平等的,每个人都应该听从自己内在的声音。伟人以自己的广闻博识、身正德高为普通人树立了榜样,成为社会的中坚力量。爱默生吸取中西传统思想之精华,提倡道德修养以促进自我克制,他很少讨论抽象的公正原则,更重视以"修德"塑造追求公正的人,这是爱默生思想重要的突破点和闪光点,它在任何时代都不过时。
As a founder of American culture, Ralph Waldo Emerson has exerted a significant influence over his contemporaries and later writers with his creative mind. While Emerson＇s innovation is neither original nor sensational, he successfully transforms traditional ideas with ＂moral sentiment＂. Emerson removes the external barriers to the course of human development by interpreting ＂moral sentiment＂ as the essence of all religions. Since man and God share the same mind, man becomes divine and infinite individuals. Though moral traits are fundamental, they can only be learned through intuition. In spite of the fact that great men are admirable, every soul is equal and independent, so one should listen to his/her heart＇s voice. It is undeniable that great men set examples for common people with virtue and wisdom and make themselves pillars of the society. Emerson, absorbing traditional Chinese and western thoughts, promotes moral sentiment so as to encourage self-discipline. He rarely discusses abstract principles about justice; instead, he emphasizes fostering moral individuals who will execute the principle of justice, which will never be wrong in any society.
出处
《外国文学研究》
CSSCI
北大核心
2015年第5期141-147,共7页
Foreign Literature Studies
基金
"江苏高校优势学科建设工程资助项目"的支持
