用爱默生《论美国学者》观点分析儒家思想(中英双语)
ThesimilaritiesofTranscendentalismandConfucianism
---AnalyzeConfucianismwithEmerson’sideafromTheAmericanScholar
RalphWaldoEmersonwasamajorAmericanpoet,philosopherandcenteroftheAmericanTranscendentalmovement.TheideaheexpressedinhisgreatworkTheAmericanScholarplayedanintegralroleinestablishingtheAmericanscholarandtheAmericanspiritofindividualism.AlsoinChineseSpringandAutumnPeriod,ConfuciusandMencius,twoConfucianismphilosophers,intendedtoinfluencepeople’sattitudeandliveswiththeirthoughts---Confucianism,whichatsomeextenthaveaconnectionwithTranscendentalism.
First,bothemphasizedtheimportanceofhumanbeings.Emersonbelieved“theworldisnoting,themanisall.”Heregardedmenasthemainpartofsociety,thustheinnovationofsocietycalledforhumanbeings’self-improvementandself-reliance.Sodidconfucians.Intheiropinions,menwereequal.Therulershouldbebenevolentandrighteoustowardsthemasses.Theessenceoftranscendentalismwasindividualism,whichmeantonemustestablishacentralsystemwhichbreakoftheofGod.Inchina,therewasnoGod,confuciansthusheldthatmenoughttoberuledbymen.Inthisway,thesocietymaybedeveloped.Emersononcesaid:“wewillwalkonourownfeet,wewillworkwithourownhands;wewillspeakourownminds….Confuciansassertedtheidentityofhumannature,andtheythought;“allmenarebornidenticalbutthecircumstancemakesthemdifferent”.Inthisaspect,Emersonandconfucianswerefabulousidentical.
Second,thesetwothoughtsalladvocatedpeopleemancipatetheirminds.“Thescholaristhatmanwhomusttakeupintohimselfalltheabilityofthetime,allthecontributionsofthepast,allthehopesofthefuture.Hemustbeauniversityofknowledge.”EmersonhopedallAmericanscholarsdonotimitateEuropeanculturebutformtheirownideas.HebelievedhimselfinspiredbytheDivineSoulwhichalsoinspiredallmen,thatwastomean,mencanimprovethemselvesbycommunicatingwithDivineSoul.;Hebelieved“itisforyoutoknowall;itisforyoutodareall.”Andconfuciansadvocatedequalitybetweenteachersandstudentsandencouragestudentstoformopinionoftheirown.Obviously,theseideashadagreatinfluenceonbeings’education.
Third,theyhadthesimilarviewsonthemateriallives.Confuciansadvocatedmoderation;theymaintainedthattherewasnonecessarytochaseluxury,andmoralfidelityshouldbepromoted.Emersonupheldspirit;hebelievedinmiracle,intheperpetualopennessofthehumanmindtonewinfluxoflightandpower;insteadofpursuingmaterialwealth,menneededdependonthemselvestoenrichtheirminds.
Onthewhole,bothtranscendentalismandconfucianismattachedgreatimportanceoneachcountry.TranscendentalismpushedtheAmericanliteratureintoaflourishingperiod;confucianismhaddominatedafeudalsocietythatinessencelasted2,000years,andforthatreasonitsinfluenceoverhistory,socialstructureandthepeopleofChinacannotbeoverlooked.