瓦爾登湖的生活哲學(xué)Life Philosophy from the Walden

LifePhilosophyfromtheWaldenInthenineteenthcentury,withtherapiddevelopmentofmodernsocialproductiveforcesofcapitalism,peoplebegantofeeltheadvancedtechnologythematerialcivilizationbroughtprofoundly.Meanwhilethepursuitofmaterialbecameobvious.Thecommercializationofagewasinclinedtosatisfywithpeople’sincreasingmaterialrequirementtoamaximumextentwhileanyspiritualbeliefinthetideofthestrongdevelopmentofcapitalismappearfeebleandsovulnerable.Inthefaceofsuchphenomenon,manyscholars,thinkersandotherpeoplewithloftyideasgeneratedtheunprecedenteddoubts:Isthecommercialsocietyofcapitalismouridealsociety?Arethemoneyandthepowerourhumanpermanentpursuit?Withthiskindofdoubts,inthesummerof1845,ThoreaubuiltlogcabinbesideWaldenPond,livinginthewoodsalongfortwoyearsandtwomonths.Helivedmodestly,Self-sufficiencyandplantedsprouts,gatheringberries.Duringthesparetime,heoftenwentswimmingandwentforawalk,orchattedwithsomefriendslivingatthenearbytown.Meanwhile,hewrotedowntheWalden,therepresentativeworksofimmortality.Theauthor’smovingtothecabinwasweirdaction,especiallyintheagewhenmostpeoplechoosetostruggletosucceedinsocietyrequiringmoremoneyandpower.TheWaldenisthesinceredescriptionofthenature,theauthoritativeguideofsimplelifeandtheheartlesschargestothegoldcoinsociety."Innumerablelittlestreamsoverlapandinterlaceonewithanother,exhibitionasortofhybridproduct,whichobeyshalfwaythelawofcurrents,andhalfwaythatofvegetation.Asitflowsittakestheformsofsappyleavesorvines,makingheapsofpulpyspraysafootormoreindepth,andresembling,asyoulookdownonthem,thelaciniated,lobed,andimbricatedthallusesofsomelichens;oryouareremindedofcoral,ofleopard’pawsorbirds'feet,ofbrainsorlungsorbowels,andexcrementsofallkinds."(chapter17)TheaboveexampleisfromthedescriptionoftheWaldenPondbytheauthorwhenalivelyandfreshpictureunfoldbeforeoureyes.ThedescriptionofthebeautifulsceneryofWaldenPond,inConcord,Massachusettscontrastsdeliberatelytothedestructiontonaturebyhumanbeings,revealingtheecologicalcrisisandtheirsocialroots,publicizingtheawarenessofunexpecteddevelopment.Asweknow,inthe19thcentury,withtherapiddevelopmentofmodernsocialproductiveforcesofcapitalism,underthetideofcommercialization,thematerialcivilizationdevelopedwithhighspeedintheAmericansocietywhichsatisfiedpeoplematerialrequirementinawaybuttemptingthemtoputforwardfurtherdemandswhichtransformintothethedrivingforceofthetechnicalprogressandcommercialdevelopment.Inthecycle,peoplehadbecomeamechanicalpart.Thespiritualcivilization,asakindofconditionedpowerwasgraduallyblanking.Sincethesecondhalfofthe18thcentury,atfirstintheEngland,thenintherestofcountriesinEurope,AmericaandJapantheindustrialrevolutioncametrue,eventuallyestablishingthesystemofindustrialproductiononthebasisofthecoal,metallurgy,chemicalindustryandsoon.Thiswasarevolutionoftechnologyandeconomywiththeimprovementofthebasicpower.AndthesteamenginewasappliedtousecoalasfuelAsresultshowed,inthesecountries,alongwiththeestablishmentofthecoal,metallurgical,chemicalandotherheavyindustry,theturbidtownandsmokepoisoningeventhappenedwhiletheriverhadhurtseriously.However,Thoreauisthepioneerofecologicalliterature,thedescriptionofnaturethroughhislifeissaturatedwiththethoughtofecologicalholism.Hetoldhisreadersonlywhenhumangetalongwiththenatureharmoniouslycanpeoplehaveaccesstoreceiveacompletelifeconnotation,thatistosay,therelationshipbetweenhumanandnatureshouldbegentleverymuch.Thoreaualsocriticizedthetiredpeopleformaterialdesire:,,Mostoftheluxuries,andmanyoftheso-calledcomfortsoflife,arenotonlynotindispensable,butpositivehindrancestotheelevationofmankind.Withrespecttoluxuriesandcomforts,thewisesthaveeverlivedamoresimpleandmeagrelifethanthepoor”(chapter1)Simplelifeitselfisnottarget,andThoreauwasnotintendedtocallpeopletolivethewildsforlongtime,themostprimitivelife.Hisextremetrycheckandthepromotionofthesimplelifeistocallforhumansimplifiedmateriallifeasmuchaspossiblesothatdecreasingthedamagetotheenvironment.Meanwhile,weshouldspendthetimesavedbysimplifyingthemateriallifeinobtainingthemaximumrichspirituallife.InThoreau’sopinion,theprogressofmankindisnottheoccupationofphysicalassetsmoreandmorebutthespirituallifeofabundanceandtheascensionofthepersonality.Otherwise,eventhoughhumanpossessalltheworldandreceivethemaximumwealthinmaterial,humanlosetheirownsoul,forwhatisamanprofited?Moreover,theexhaustlessmaterialdesireintensifywhenitissatisfied,eventuallyruiningthematerialsystem.ForThoreau,anythingmorethanwhatisusefulisnotjustanextravagance,butarealimpedimentanddisadvantage.Thoreausaidinthebook:"WhenamaniswarmedbytheseveralmodeswhichIhavedescribed,whatdoeshewantnext?Surelynotmorewarmthofthesamekind,asmoreandricherfood,largerandmoresplendidhouse,finerandmoreabundantclothing,morenumerous,incessant,andhotterfires,andthelike."(chapter1)Intherealworld,wemaythinkthesimplelifestylelikeThoreaus’doesn’texist,butIbelieveitrootsinsideofuswherethekeyiswhetherwewouldliketotryitornot.Solongasweliveasweare,obeyingtheorderofourheart,weareabletogetthepeaceofmind.Thoreauneverwenttothestreetmarketandtheartgallerytosearchforentertainmentwhileheenjoyedthesatisfactionfromthelonelyfeeling.However,hedidnotrejectinterpersonalcommunication,instead,hewasquiteexcitedwhensomephilosophersorpoetspayedavisithiminfact.Thoreauhopeawayfromhumansociety,asthesameintheeconomicaffairs,hehadthisthoughtthathecanthroughtheirownlabortomaintainlife,producingmoresubstancethanheneed,merelycreatingprofits.Thoreautellhisreadershisaccountsummaryandlistedthedetailedlistofpaymentsinthebook.Forexample,Thoreaurecordedsomeaccounts:“Sothatallthepecuniaryoutgoes,exceptingforwashingandmending,whichforthemostpartweredoneoutofthehouse,andtheirbillshavenotyetbeenreceived...wereHouse,$28121/2Farmoneyear,14721/2Foodeightmonths,874Clothing&c.,eightmonths,8403/4Oil,&c.,eightmonths,200Inall,$61993/4”ThiskindoflistisnotnecessaryseenfromthesurfacebutThoreaudidn’tthinkso.Hewantedtoprovethatsolongashedideverythingwell,hecouldbecomethecreatorofthelifebutnotthetakerintheeconomiclife.Self-reliancethusrefersnotjusttopayingone’sownbills,butalsomorephilosophicallytothewaythenaturalworldandhumankindrelyontheselftoexist.Theyarebothproductsofself-reliance,sincetheeconomizingthatallowedThoreautoliveonWaldenPondalsoallowshimtofeelonewithnature,tofeelasthoughitispartofhisownsoul.Hewassatisfiedwithhiscabinonlycostingalittlemoney.Thelifestylethatlivinghappilybyhisownlabor,butnottorefuseanyaidfromotherpeopleisnotonlyrepresentself-reliance,alsoapleasuremetallyhappeningwhenhecontrolhislifeabsolutely.Thoreauhadastrongfaithonlife.WhatThoreaureceivefromWaldenwasnotonlythathepossessedanewhousehebuiltherself,butmoreenjoymentwasfromtheprogressinmetalwhichisalsothesymbolofconqueringtheworld.InDependenceDay,Thoreaumovedintothecabinthefirsttime,hewasfulledwiththeasenseofprideregardlessoftherewasnochimneyandparget.Hesaweverythinginpositiveopinionsandthoughtthattheblankwallinthecabinbroughtthefreshairinsummer.TimeisbutthestreamIgoa-fishingin.Idrinkatit;butwhileIdrinkIseethesandybottomanddetecthowshallowi