Relation between man and nature in Thoreau’ Walden_新概念themaninhat
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Relation between man and nature in Thoreau’ Walden The relation between man and nature is an important iue to evolution of culture and civilization.The American philosopher Thoreau manifests his spectacular statement on this relation in Walden.Through a close contact with nature, Thoreau gradually formed his own views on man-and –nature relationship.In this part, Thoreau’s views are to analyzed in four aspects.1.Simplicity—Way to End Man’s Abuse of Nature
Thoreau is known for his call to simplify.His approach to Walden is in itself an experiment of simplified lifestyle.As a matter of fact, what Thoreau preaches is not just a way of living, but also an altitude man should adopt towards nature.Man blindly strives for physical comfort and enjoyment at the cost of nature.Strongly against the luxurious life, Thoreau is known for his call to simplify.Thoreau himself had reduced the means of life not because he wanted to prove that he could go without them, or to disclaim their value in enriching life, but because they were usually factitious.Wealth can not bring about richne.It robbed one of life itself.Life, in Thoreau’s understanding, is worthy of being called life only when it is up to a certain spiritual standard.“Most of the luxuries, and many of the so-called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind”, because it made men slaves of
money and thus became the tool of their tools.By simplifying, Thoreau did not mean to do without neceities of life, but wanted to see what was eential, that is, whether or not things served the ends of human.Food, Shelter, Clothing, and Fuel, these were the eentials on the commodity level of life, neceary to any higher life, and he did not deny them.His conclusion was the means were not so important as the end of life, as the material society aumed they were.Thoreau’s call to simplify is not only a way of living, but from the perspective of desire motivation criticism, also an attitude man should adopt towards nature.Human desire, like a devil released from a bottle, is hard to bring under control once it is set free.If human desire swells immoderately, man is doomed to suffer the contamination and devastation of nature, the result of which is inevitably the complete destruction of mankind.Since human desire is destructive, it is preing for man to propagate simplicity as it is a way to end man’s abuse of nature and an attitude man should adopt toward nature.This is an indispensable part of Thoreau’s views on man-and-nature relationship.2.Equality—Ideal Man-and-Nature Relationship Thoreau is a pure lover of nature;He gives priority to whole nature.In his eyes, instead of the nature, man is her child.So the relationship man has with all natural entities is that of equal brotherhood.In Walden, Thoreau asked, “What is the pill which will keep us well, serene，contended? Not my or thy great-grandfather, but our great-grandmother Nature’s universal, vegetable, botanic medicines, by which she has kept herself young always.” What Thoreau applies himself to observing and knowing is “our great-grandmother Nature” herself and all the plants and animal that Thoreau takes as his brothers and sisters.As far as Thoreau is concerned, all natural objects are joined together in a single animated whole.He cherishes a love for the whole order of being and natural kinship and refuses to accept human-centered indifference toward nature.All is equal in nature.Man, instead of conqueror or a master, is just a constituent part of nature.This is he tried to advocate in his book Walden.3.Preservationism—Criticism of Industrialization In Thoreau’s opinion, industrialization, in the proce of seeking development at the cost of our natural resources, made man farther and farther away from nature.Thoreau criticized the practice of roughly poeing and utilizing nature and called upon people to seek poetry in nature and to live poetically in nature.If man approaches the wilderne with nothing more than a gun or an axe, he can not expect to live on the earth forever.Captivated by the loveline of unspoiled nature and regretful for the disturbances brought by advancing civilization, Thoreau questioned industrialization and appealed to people to preserve resources.4.Life with Principle—Outcome of a Harmonious Relationship between Man and Nature Throughout Thoreau’ life, he aspired to pursue a life that is simple in means, but rich in ends, with a principle of maintaining a harmonious relationship with nature.Such life with principle frees man from mundane affairs and encourages him to unlock the secrets and underlying beauty of nature.In order to realize it, man has to be aware of the importance of life with principle and further cultivate a harmonious relationship between man and nature.On one hand, if man exploits nature indiscriminately, he is digging his own tomb.Any life is, in the long run, impoible without a harmonious relationship between man and nature, not to mention life with principle.On the other hand, Thoreau does not deny the importance of the neceities of life, but try to maintain a balance between material and spiritual cultivation.If man takes too much from nature, the result is the achievement of material enjoyment but negligence of spiritual development, which is a complete deviation from life that is simple in means, but rich in ends.So a harmonious relationship between man and nature is the basis on which man is able to maintain life with principle.In other words, a harmonious coexistence with nature leads to life with principle.
