资源描述:
《The Oversoul by Emerson.pdf》由会员上传分享,免费在线阅读,更多相关内容在学术论文-天天文库。
1、TheOver-SoulfromEssays:FirstSeries(1841)byRalphWaldoEmerson"Butsoulsthatofhisowngoodlifepartake,_Helovesashisownself;dearashiseye_TheyaretoHim:He'llneverthemdie:_Theylive,theyliveinblesteternity."_HenryMoreSpaceisample,eastandwest,_Buttwocannotgoabre
2、ast,_Cannottravelinittwo:_Yondermasterfulown;_Aspellislaidonsodandstone,_NightandDay'vebeentamperedwith,_EveryqualityandESSAYIXTheOver-SoulThereisadifferencebetweenoneandanotherhouroflife,intheirauthorityandsubsequenteffect.Ourfaithcomesinmoments;our
3、viceishabitual.Yetthereisadepthinthosebriefmomentswhichconstrainsustoascribemorerealitytothemthantoallotherexperiences.Forthisreason,theargumentconceiveextraordinaryhopesofman,namely,theappealtoexperience,isforeverinvalidandvain.Wegiveupthepasttotheo
4、bjector,andyetwehope.Hemustexplainthishope.Wegrantthathumanlifeismean;buthowdidwefindoutthatitwasmean?Whatisthegroundofthisuneasinessofourssenseofwantandignorance,butthefineinuendobywhichthesoulmakesitsenormousclaim?Whydomenfeelthatthenaturalhistoryo
5、fmanhasneverbeenwritten,butheisalwaysleavingbehindwhatyouhavesaidofhim,anditbecomesold,andbooksofmetaphysicsworthless?Thephilosophyofsixthousandyearshasnotsearchedthechambersandmagazinesofthesoul.Initsexperimentstherehasalwaysremained,inthelastanalys
6、is,aresiduumitcouldnotresolve.Manisastreamwhosesourceishidden.Ourbeingisdescendingintousfromweknownotwhence.Themostexactcalculatorhasnopresciencethatsomewhatincalculablemaynotbalktheverynextmoment.Iamconstrainedeverymomenttoacknowledgeahigheroriginfo
7、reventsthanthewillIcallmine.Aswithevents,soisitwiththoughts.WhenIwatchthatflowingriver,which,outofregionsIseenot,poursforaseasonitsstreamsintome,IseethatIamapensioner;notacause,butasurprisedspectatorofthisetherealwater;thatIdesireandlookup,andputmyse
8、lfintheattitudeofreception,butfromsomealienenergythevisionscome.TheSupremeCriticontheerrorsofthepastandthepresent,andtheonlyprophetofthatwhichmustbe,isthatgreatnatureinwhichwerest,astheearthliesinthesoftarmsoftheatmosphere;thatUnity,thatOver-soul,wit