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1、,An American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century.,New England Transcendentalism,Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 April 27, 1882),Introduction to Transcendentalism and Emerson,A philosophic and literary movement that flourished in New England,
2、 particularly at Concord (1836-1860), as a reaction against 18th century rationalism. This romantic, idealistic, mystical, and individualistic belief was more a cast of thought than a systematic philosophy The soul of each individual is identical with the soul of the world, and latently（潜伏地） contain
3、s all that the world contains. Through belief in the divine authority of the souls intuitions（直觉） and impulses, based on this identification of the individual soul with God, there developed the doctrine of self-reliance and individualism, the disregard of external authority, tradition, and logical d
4、emonstration, and the absolute optimism of the movement. Among transcendentalists core beliefs was the belief in an ideal spiritual state that “transcends“ the physical and empirical and is realized only through the individuals intuition, rather than through the doctrines of established religions,Tr
5、anscendentalism,Intuition, rather than reason, was regarded as the highest human faculty. Fulfillment of human potential could be accomplished through mysticism or through an acute （敏锐的）awareness of the beauty and truth of the surrounding natural world. Transcendentalists believed that God is inhere
6、nt in nature and in human beings and that each individual has to rely on his or her own conscience and intuition for spiritual truths.,Major Concepts of Transcendentalism 1. It stressed the power of intuition. 2. It placed spirit first and matter second. 3. It took nature as symbol of spirit or God.
7、 4. It advocated the permeation of Over-soul. 5. It stressed unity of humanity and nature. 6. It stressed individuality.,He founded a Transcendentalists Club and on September 19, 1836, he held the first official meeting. After that he became the most eloquent spokesman of Transcendentalism In 1841 h
8、e published his first series of Essays, which included “Self-Reliance,” “Prudence,” and “Friendship” In 1842-1844 he edited The Dial（日晷）, a transcendentalist journal 1846 Published Poems On April 21, 1882, Emerson was found to be suffering from pneumonia. He died on April 27, 1882,In 1834 he moved t
9、o Concord, Massachusetts（马萨诸塞州）, and developed a circle of literary friends, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau In 1836 he anonymously published the first book, Nature, a long philosophical essay that established his transcendentalist views In1837 he delivered his “American Scholar“
10、lecture In1838 he delivered the “Address at Divinity College”,His whole life,He was born in Boston in 1803, the son of a Unitarian (唯一神论者) minister who was a member of an old Puritan family. In October 1817, at 14, Emerson went to Harvard College where in 1820 he began to keep the voluminous（大量的）jou
11、rnals that he continued throughout his life, and that formed the basis of most of his essays and poems. In1823，he graduated from seminary school and became a priest to follow in the footsteps of his father.,Emerson toured Europe in 1833 and later wrote of his travels in English Traits (1856), during
12、 which time he met Carlyle（卡莱尔）, Wordsworth, and Coleridge（柯勒律治）, through whom he became intimately associated with the transcendental thought and brought back with him the influence of European Romanticism.,Major works,First Series,Second Series,First Series（1841）,Self-Reliance论自助,Compensation 论补偿,
13、The Over-Soul 论超灵,Love,Friendship,Prudence,Circles圆,Intellect,Essays,Self-Reliance,Emerson urges his readers to retain the outspokenness（坦白） of a small child who freely speaks his mind. A child he has not yet been corrupted by adults who tell him to do otherwise. He also urges readers to avoid envyi
14、ng or imitating others viewed as models of perfection; instead, he says, readers should take pride in their own individuality and never be afraid to express their own original ideas. In addition, he says, they should refuse to conform（遵照） to the ways of the popular culture and its shallow ideals; ra
15、ther they should live up to their own ideals, even if doing so reaps them criticism and denunciation Throughout the essay he gives a defense for his famous catch-phrase “trust thyself.” This argument follows three major points: the self-contained genius, the disapproval of the world, and the value o
16、f self-worth. Throughout this essay, Emerson argues against conformity with the world. He gives an archetype（原型）for his own transcendental beliefs, but also argues for his slogan “trust thyself.” For someone to transcend their current state, one must lean only on their own understanding, hold a certain level of disregard for the opinions and currents of society, and most importantly hold a respect for self regardless of circumstances and societys opinions.,Thank Yo
