解读natureWord格式文档下载.docx
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解读natureWord格式文档下载.docx
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Nature"
isthefirstsignificantworktoestablishthisnewwayoflookingatTheAmericasanditsraw,naturalenvironment.InEngland,allnaturalthingsareareferencetolayersofhistoricalevents,areflectionofhumanbeings.However,inAmerica,allofnaturewasrelativelynewtoWesternCivilizationwithnoman-mademeaning.Withthiscleanslate,asitwere,Emersonwasenabledtoseenaturethroughneweyesandrebuildnature'
sroleintheworld.
HenryDavidThoreauhadread"
asasenioratHarvardCollegeandtookittoheart.IteventuallybecameanessentialinfluenceforThoreau'
slaterwritings,includinghisseminalWalden.
Emersonfollowedthesuccessofthisessaywithafamousspeechentitled"
TheAmericanScholar"
.Thesetwoworkslaidthefoundationforbothhisnewphilosophyandhisliterarycareer.
Commentaryon
RalphWaldoEmerson'
sNature
Prof.EricSteinhart(C)1998
[Steinhart|PHIL218Home|Readings|Schedule|PhilosophyHome]
Chapterbychaptercommentary:
0.Introduction
1.Nature
2.Commodity
3.Beauty
4.Language
5.Discipline
6.Idealism
7.Spirit
8.Prospects
Introduction
0.1Ourageisspirituallydead.PreviousgenerationsinteractedwithGoddirectly;
butourageinteractswithGodonlyindirectly,bystudyingthepast,thatis,theBible.ButwecanalsoexperienceGoddirectly.Todoso,wehavetoturnawayfromthepast,thatis,awayfromchurchdoctrine,andtowardnature.SoEmersonstartswithanexplicitattackontheChristianfundamentalismofhisday.
0.2Natureisself-describing;
ithasnosecrets.SinceGodhasmadenatureaccordingtoaplan,anyquestionweputtonatureisonethatnaturewillanswer.Natureisagreatsystemofappearances.Whilescientistsinvestigatetheorderinnature,wehavetowonderwhythisorderexistsatall:
"
towhatendisnature?
"
.Whydoesnatureexist?
Whatisthepurposeofnature?
0.3Sciencetries"
tofindatheoryofnature"
;
thatis,sciencetriestofindatheoryofGod'
splanordesignforcreation.Thekeytofindingthisplanisabstractthought:
themostabstracttruthisthemostpractical."
Thetruescientifictheoryissupportedbyexperimentalevidence:
Wheneveratruetheoryappears,itwillbeitsownevidence.Itstestis,thatitwillexplainallphenomena."
Emersonnowgivesalistofphenomenathatneedexplanations;
thelistisinteresting,sincetheyareallphenomenathatcombinespiritwithmatter:
language,sleep,madness,dreams,beasts,sex."
0.4Philosophersdividerealityinto"
NatureandtheSoul"
thisistheCartesiandualismofmindandbody,spiritandmatter,thoughtandextension.Natureis"
allthatisseparatefromus"
itis"
theNOTME,thatis,bothnatureandart,allothermenandmyownbody."
Thedistinctionbetweennaturalandartificial,betweennatureandtechnology,issuperficial.Emersonwillarguethatthedivisionordualityofnatureandthesoulisillusory.Natureandthesoulreallyexistinharmony,butthisharmonyisananalogy.Thesystemofrelationsinnaturehasthesamestructureasthesystemofrelationsinthesoul.Soulandnaturearenotthesame;
theyarenotevensimilar;
buttheyareanalogous.Bothhavethesamestructure.
ChapterI:
NATURE
1.1Tohaveadirectrelationwithnature,withGod'
sdivinecreation,simplygooutandlookatthestars.
1.2Themindmustbeopentotheappearancesofnatureinordertoachievetruewisdom.
1.3Themindthatistrulyopentonature'
sowntruthispoetic.Thereisadifferencebetweenthepoetandtheengineer.Thepurposeorendofnaturefortheengineerorpracticalbusinesspersonisthatnatureisasourceofrawmaterialsforhumanuse;
thepurposeorendofnatureforthepoetisthatnatureisabeautifulorder.Theengineerseesthepart;
thepoetseesthewhole.
1.4Becausemostofuslookatnatureonlywithourowndesiresinmind,wedonotreallyseenature.Weneedtolookatnatureasifwewerelittlechildren,withoutadultcaresandneeds.Adultsaremorallycorrupt;
childrenareinnocentandabletohaveadirectrelationwithGod'
sdesign.Butanadultcanbechildlikeifheorsheisvirtuous:
Theloverofnatureishewhoseinwardandoutwardsensesarestilltrulyadjustedtoeachother."
Naturearousesalltheemotionsinus,becausethereissomethingemotionalinnature.Theinfinityofnatureabsorbsthefinitenessofthehumanself.ThefiniteselfascendstothedivineperspectiveofGod,itrisestotheGod'
s-Eyeviewoftheworld:
Ibecomeatransparenteye-ball;
Iamnothing;
Iseeall;
thecurrentsoftheUniversalBeingcirculatethroughme;
IampartorparticleofGod."
Inthewildernessthereissomethingthatisasbeautifulashumanity.Emerson'
sideaoftheselfinwildernessasanall-seeingspectatorisverydifferentthanThoreau'
sidea.ForThoreau,theselfinwildernessisactive.
1.5Thereisarelationofcorrespondenceoranalogybetweenhumanbeingandallnaturalbeings:
forinstance,thereisaspiritual(occult)relationbetweenpeopleandplants.Natureandspiritmirroroneanother.ThisisanoldNeoplatonicidea,whichalsoflourishedintheRennaisance(Paracelsus),andwhicharoundEmerson'
stimewastalkedaboutbyEmanuelSwedenborg.Swedenborgfoundedanewsemi-Christianreligioussect.Itwassortof"
NewAge"
.
1.6Whatisessentialistobeinharmonywithnature.ButtobeinharmonywithnatureistobeinharmonywithGod'
sdesign;
itistobemorallyvirtuous.Ourrelationwithnatureisemotionalandspiritual:
Naturealwayswearsthecolorsofthespirit."
Weprojectouremotionsintonature,andnaturereflectsthembacktous.Natureisamirrorofthemoralstateofthesoul.
ChapterII:
COMMODITY
2.1Godmadenatureforapurpose;
thispurposeistobeusefultohumanity.Thereareseveralclassesofusefulness:
Commodity;
Beauty;
Language;
andDiscipline."
2.2Natureexiststoservehumanneeds.Emerson'
sviewofnatureisBiblical.NatureremainssomethingliketheGardenofEden,whichGodmadeastheperfecthomeforAdamandEve.WhenAdamandEveweremorallyvirtuous(beforetheoriginalsin),theyexistedinaperfectharmonywithnature--naturewasnotalienorhostile,itwasakindofperfecttechnologythatsatisfiedallhumanneeds.ButaftertheFallofHumanity(originalsin),humanityismorallycorruptandisnolongerabletobeinharmonywithnature.ThisistheBiblicalCurse:
AdamandEvearethrownoutoftheGardenofEdenandnowhavetoworktobesatisfiedbynature.God'
spunishmentisbothjustandmerciful:
despiteourmoralwickedness,naturestillservesusifwework.Naturedoesnothateus:
allthemiserieswesufferatthehandsofnature(earthquakes,tornadoes,disease,death)arejustindicationsofourownmoralcorruption.ButifweworkonourSalvation,wecanrestoreourselvesandtheearthtothatoriginalstate.WecanbecomelikeAdamandEvebeforetheFall,andwecanrestoretheEarthtoaperfectGardenofEden.
2.3Natureexiststoservehumanneeds:
Nature,initsministrytoman,isnotonlythematerial,butisalsotheprocessandtheresult.Allthepartsincessantlyworkintoeachother'
shandsfortheprofitofman....theendlesscirculationsofthedivinecharitynourishman."
Humanvaluesarebuiltintonature;
whatisgoodforusisnaturallygood.Sciencerevealsatheoreticalcorrespondence(truth)withnature;
religionrevealsamoralcorrespondence(goodness).
2.4Technologyisthearrangementofnaturalforcesandcausesforthebenefitofhumanity,toservehumanneeds:
Theusefulartsarereproductionsornewcombinationsbythewitofman,ofthesamenaturalbenefactors."
Technologyishumanwork.Naturerespondstothiswork.Technologyismagical,butitisakindofmagicthatrequireseffort.Ifweweremorallyvirtuous,wewouldnothavetowork,butourwisheswouldbecomerealities.Emersonthinksthatthetruerelationofhumanitywithnatureismagical.
2.5Thereisnoneedtolistallthebenefitshumanitygainsfromitstechnologicalorpracticalwork.Butthesebenefitsarenotendsinthemselves:
Amanisfed,notthathemaybefed,butthathemaywork."
TheworkEmersonhasinmindismoralworkonthesoul.
ChapterIII:
BEAUTY
3.1Peoplehaveanimalneeds,butthesearemorallylow:
Anoblerwantofmanisservedbynature,namely,theloveofBeauty."
3.2Natureisatotalityofappearances;
buttheseappearancesareorderedaesthetically.Thefactthatwefindbeautyinnatureshowsthatnatureisorganizedaccordingtothesameprinciplesofthehumansoul.Beautyisaspiritualvalue.
3.3Forbetterconsideration,wemaydistributetheaspectsofBeautyinathreefoldmanner.
3.4.Naturerefresheshumanity;
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