On Thoreau's Individualism

Henry David Thoreau, the most influential American writer, naturalist, philosopher in 19th century, who was also an important representative figure of the American Transcendentalism Movement, the outcast of social mainstream thoughts. For over 150 years, his thoughts have inspired people to seek a return to nature. As for his attitude towards life, he believed that human beings should live in their own way, listen to their own heart, and do what they believe is right. The purpose of this essay is to analysize Thoreau's idea of Individualism and his involvement in the crucial social issues. The analysis will first consider the nature of individualism and make distinction between Thoreau's individualism and individualism in American society. Then it will present an intensive study of Thoreau's embracing of some notions of individualism in Civil Disobedience and Walden. And the effects of his individualism have given to society not only in America but in other countries.

Thoreau's View of Naturein Walden

Henry David Thoreau(1817-1862) was an American writer, philosopher, poet, abolitionist, tax resister, development critic, historian, leading transcendentalist, and abolitionist. His name is almost means nature because he has devoted his entire life into observing and studying nature and written many literary works recording his ideas on man-nature relationship. Rereading his works now helps us to deal with the urgent and serious natural crisis.

Henry David Thoreau's Spiritual World

Henry David Thoreau was wholeheartedly in love with nature and he devoted almost all his life time to observation,appreciation and study of nature.Thus he formed a deep understanding of nature.In 1845,Thoreau began a two-year and twomonth residence at Walden Pond.His life was lonely but full of fragrance.He wanted to live meaningfully,confront the essential facts of life and live a simple life.Based on the review of the literature related to this topic,this paper aims to study Henry David Thoreau’s spiritual world,especially reflected in his famous book—Walden.

读美国作家Henry David Thoreau的散文《Love Your Life》有感

150多年前,美国作家Henry David Thoreau在他的名著《瓦尔登湖》散文集中,给我们写下了一篇热情洋溢的散文,鼓励我们每一个人,无论生活的贫穷或是富有,要以满腔的热情热爱生活。在倡导人与自然和谐相处的今天重新拾起这篇散文,心中颇多感慨,逐一记之,以飨读者,与诸位在生活中共勉。

An Unlikely Marriage： Theorizing the Corporeality of Language at the Crossroads of Thoreau, Heidegger and the Botanical World

This paper examines the relationship between language, particularly language that expresses aesthetic experiences of plant life, and corporeality. The theorisation of language is a keystone towards conceptualising participatory relationships between people and the botanical world. A comparative reading of the works of Henry David Thoreau and Martin Heidegger provides a framework for approaching language as embodied participation. Despite political differences, Thoreau and Heidegger shared a mutual conviction about the generative powers of language. Thoreau＇s literary practice partly involved immersion in places such as swamps and forests. Fittingly, Heidegger＇s explication of Rilke＇s concept of＂the Open＂ mirrors the participatory aesthetics of Thoreau. Both thinkers looked towards the capacities of poetics to galvanise the evolution of language. In response to the increasing dissection offered by contemporaneous theories of linguistics, Thoreau and Heidegger held the notion of language as a body in itself, one brought to life through immanence between sensuous bodies in the world. For each theorist, language was both bodily and a body. Their works evidence that multi-sensorial encounters with the natural world can be captured in language. The body of language may be engaged with as a whole living phenomenon rather than a dissected corpse as this comparative reading of Thoreau and Heidegger will intimate.

Back to Simplicity and Nature： The Spiritual Bond Between Thoreau and Chuang Tzu

Henry David Thoreau, an American Transcendentalist of 19th century, surprisingly share profound affinities with Chuang Tzu, a legendary ancient Chinese philosopher in many respects. Of all the similarities, simplicity is the most significant advocacy they both strive to preach. They both believe the sensual desires and spiritual qualities existed in an opposing relationship. They both agreed that aiming for simplicity is to obtain spiritual wealth. They both claim that simplicity purifies one＇s material life and helps turn one＇s vision inward. Simplicity is a necessary aspect of the path to spiritual freedom. Nature is an indispensable realm to reconcile their spiritual and practical

Analysis of the Relationship Between Humans and Nature Through Emerson,Thoreau and Hawthorne's Views

Although Emerson, Thoreau and Hawthorne were all influenced by transcendentalism, they have different understanding of and attitudes towards nature and the concept of transcendentalism because of their cultural background. Through analyzing similarities and differences of their points of view of nature, people can find that they understand nature with an increasingly deeper tendency. Firstly, Emerson only knew that people could get comfort from nature in the spiritual world, and then Thoreau found out that people could make use of nature from a more substantial way. At last, Hawthorne set a dialectical view of how people should live with nature. As a result, people learn what kind of relationship people should set with nature. Not only can people benefit from nature in their spiritual world, but also they make use of resources in it. This is the reason why people should protect nature during the process of utilizing it.

The Comparison of the Ecological Outlook of Henry David Thoreau and Gary Snyder

The development of industrial civilization has brought to human beings great achievements. However, while conquering nature and gaining more and more wealth, we have faced a series of problems such as environmental disruption, ecological unbalance, and frequent natural disasters. Gradually, human beings began to pay attention to the relationship between economic development and nature. This paper, based on the ecological ethics theory of Zeng Jianping, analyzes the ecological outlook in the works of Thoreau and Snyder to observe the relationship between man and nature and afterward verifies the scientificalness of the ecological ethics theory of Zeng Jianping in return.

From Society to Solitude:An In-depth Analysis of Thoreau’s Characters in Walden

With the deterioration of the environment and the unbalanced relationship between man and nature,people are plagued by varieties of social problems and rising spiritual crises.This paper aims to analyze Thoreau’s characters in Walden and attempts to provide the implications for our contemporary life.Combined with Thoreau’s life experience and the background of Walden,the paper starts with the analysis of Thoreau’s characters from three aspects concerning his pursuit of inner serenity,search for true essence of life and abiding passion for life,which constitute his unique and independent characters and provide the enlightenment for contemporary life.We concluded that unique thoughts,attitudes,and spirit embedded in Thoreau’s characters are inextricably connected with our contemporary life.His personal experience and practice of solitary life at Walden Pond is a testimony to the necessity of closing to nature actively and confronting life passionately.

独立生活中的自我与自然——梭罗教育实践与思想探微

美国十九世纪作家、哲学家、超验主义者亨利·戴维·梭罗以其代表作《瓦尔登湖》闻名于世。鲜为人知的是,梭罗曾短暂地投身于教育实践,并终身对教育议题保持关注。本文通过梳理梭罗的生平及多部作品,对其教育思想展开分析:作为教师,梭罗提倡建立相对平等的师生关系,要以自然和实际生活为师;作为学园演讲者,梭罗认为,成人和孩童一样,都应接受教育,免于无知;作为自我教育实践者,梭罗指出应当从自然之中寻找自我,过不受物质负累的简朴生活。对梭罗的教育思想进行解读,一方面有助于增进对梭罗的了解,拓宽理解其思想谱系以及超验主义运动的维度;另一方面则有助于挖掘其思想中至今仍不过时的关于自由、自我、自然关系的教育内涵,期待能为当今的教育者和受教育者提供启示。

《瓦尔登湖》中“天人合一”的生态思想及其当代启示

《瓦尔登湖》是美国作家梭罗的代表作之一,被誉为环境文学的经典之作。本文融和了老庄的东方智慧,分析《瓦尔登湖》中“天人合一”的生态思想。用生态宇宙观探讨《瓦尔登湖》中人与自然、女性与自然的理想关系以及男性与自然的矛盾关系。无论是基于道家哲学的生态思想还是梭罗的生态和谐观念,对当代社会有互鉴创新的重要意义。

梭罗与中国儒道思想关系研究综述

梭罗作为美国超验主义的代表人物之一,他的作品处处闪耀着东方哲学的光芒。文章以梭罗与中国儒家思想和道家思想关系的国内外研究为对象,从纵向与横向两个维度重点分析国内外梭罗和中国儒道思想关系研究的特点与不足。结果表明,目前国内外梭罗与中国儒家和道家思想关系的研究呈现5大主题,分别是梭罗对于儒家思想的引用和解读、儒家思想对于梭罗作品的影响、梭罗作品的道家思想溯源、梭罗与庄子思想的异同、《瓦尔登湖》中的儒家和道家思想解读。通过总结之前的国内外研究成果,反思当前国内研究现状,为推进梭罗与中国儒道思想关系研究提供建议和思考。

《缅因森林》中的荒野与印第安人

在《缅因森林》中,梭罗对荒野的内在价值进行了高度肯定,其笔下的荒野拥有鲜明的主体性特征及原始色彩,剥离了荒野与人类生存之间的联系;同时他还进一步发掘了荒野外在的精神与文化价值,并提出了建立国家保护区以保存包括印第安人在内的原始荒野的构想。然而,梭罗构想中“诗化的”与现实中“退化的”的印第安人形象的冲突表明,印第安人身上与荒野相近的原始色彩被梭罗从其日常的荒野生活实际中抽离,被视为原始荒野象征物。该文分析了梭罗的荒野观及其荒野保护思想的传达,在此基础上探讨《缅因森林》中的印第安人形象,旨在为相关研究提供参考。

从“自然”到“生态”——试析梭罗作品中的生态隐喻

隐喻是人类认识世界的重要手段,生态隐喻反映人类对待生态问题的态度。梭罗作品中包含着大量的生态隐喻,对其中的动物隐喻、季节隐喻及处所隐喻进行解读有助于我们挖掘自然文学鉴赏的新角度,带来新的审美体验。同时,梭罗作品传达了一种乐观主义思想,可以帮助我们确定未来生态批评的方向,有益于促进人与自然和谐共生。

梭罗《瓦尔登湖》中的物本体书写研究

随着思辨实在论和物导向本体论的纵深发展,当今西方文学界在经历了20世纪的“语言学转向”和“文化转向”之后,出现了明显的“物转向”。文学文本中的物本体书写和物性叙事在不同时期文学中的呈现各不相同。美国超验主义文学家和自然主义者亨利·大卫·梭罗密切关注物的本体性和能动性,通过物本体书写深刻反思了19世纪美国实用主义工业文明背景下的物人关系。梭罗在《瓦尔登湖》中深入探索了“平等之物”,表达了“去人类中心主义”的新物质主义自然观和哲学观,与“心物感应”、“物我两依”等中国传统物质观念形成了跨时空对话和共鸣。

逍遥之境:从庄子到亨利·大卫·梭罗

美国超验主义思想者、作家亨利·大卫·梭罗或隐或显地受到庄子的影响。从互文性研究视角入手探讨《庄子·内篇》与《瓦尔登湖》的文本关系:在人天(自然)关系上,两者皆持有物我交融的自然观念,追求人与自然的和谐;在人生境界上,两者均提倡返璞归真,追求无执无宥、顺化而逍遥的心造之境。两个文本在更广大的文本网系中呈现互文共生关系。

庄子生态美学视阈下《瓦尔登湖》的文学治疗功能

“文学”作为一种特殊活动的精神产物,不但能提高读者的文学修养,还能影响其心理状态,具有内在的治疗功能。该文从庄子生态美学的独特视角出发,立足于中国传统的生态美学智慧,采用文献研究、学科交叉、案例研究等方法分析《瓦尔登湖》所蕴含的文学治疗功能,探究其生成路径与实现形式。在阅读《瓦尔登湖》的过程中,读者通过文学的共情、宣泄和净化等治疗途径,能够达成缓解焦虑、宣泄苦闷和消弭物欲的心理治疗效果。该研究有助于丰富学术界对于梭罗作品的研究范式,并逐步改变美学研究中西方话语占中心地位的现状,推动中华优秀传统文化的传播。

儒家角色伦理学与“美国文艺复兴”中的“自我”书写——以爱默生、梭罗和惠特曼为核心的考察

“美国文艺复兴”三杰爱默生、梭罗和惠特曼的“自我”意识激发了美国独立民族意识的觉醒,超越主义中对自我内在神性的过分强调使得主体思想陷入了唯我的泥淖,超越主义者们对此进行了深入反思和反省。当代美国著名的哲学家、思想家、汉学家安乐哲提出以中国传统文化中儒家角色伦理学作为走出西方极端个人主义窘境的有效疗救手段。爱默生、梭罗和惠特曼的“自我”书写与儒家角色伦理学的人学、仁学思想有共通之处,由此可见对儒家思想研究、诠释和传播在未来世界文化秩序构建的具有世界意义。