On Ralph Waldo Emerson's Goodness Of Human Nature

The problem of human nature is the deepest of the issues regarding human beings which have long been under discussion since ancient time. Many philosophers and scholars express their different comments about the goodness or evil of human nature. Is man's original nature good, bad, or capable of becoming either good or bad, or good in some and bad in others? In Chinese philosophy, after Mencius'goodness of human nature, disputations between doctrines on the goodness and evil of human nature have led to many different arguments. In the western society, the evil of human nature occupies the main stream of thoughts. Christianity preaches that human nature is degenerating; man is born with original sin, and only God himself can give people salvation to remove from the power of evil. Over thousands of years, the western people are enslaved by God and obedient to God all the while. Emerson opposes Christianity's view of evil of human nature. He insists that human nature is good and man is equal when born. His perspectives liberate people from God, and inspire people to be self-reliant and bring confidence to individual and social development. This dissertation will focus upon Ralph Waldo Emerson's Goodness of Human Nature.Emerson draws inspirations from Eastern and Western philosophers for his theory of goodness of human nature. There are two kinds of threads of thought in this dissertation: The first is the western religions and philosophy's influence on Emerson's thinking. Christianity, Puritanism, Unitarianism, Calvinism, and to the ancient Greek philosophy (Especially Plato, Plotinus and Neo-Platonists), and the Germany Classicism (Kant, Fichte, Schelling and Cousin) and European Romanticism, all have influenced the development of Emerson's thoughts in goodness of human nature. The second is the problem of Oriental philosophy (the Hindu and Chinese Confucian philosophy.) from which Emerson has drawn. Emerson finds the Oriental thoughts are coincident to his thoughts to some extent.In Emerson's era, western movement and frontier spirit fostered rapid development of American economy. During this period, Emerson is optimistic for all the things over the world. His thoughts are similar to our Chinese aesthetician Li Zehou's philosophy of optimistic outlook and harmony. In Emerson's eyes, America is an undeveloped virgin soil, and with its natural simplicity, it is his sources of goodness of human nature.Emerson's theory of goodness of human nature also differs from other philosophers'viewpoints. His thoughts have deep religious elements. Emerson believes that man is divine. His Oversoul is the embodiment of truth, goodness and beauty and man has the nature of goodness. At the same time, Emerson draws Chinese Confucianism thoughts of benevolence and thinks that man has the nature of benevolence.This paper is composed of three parts: the introduction, the body and the conclusion. The introduction is a brief survey of human nature and Emerson's philosophical thoughts. It explores about the writing background and retrospects some theories of goodness of human nature in human history.Chapter One talks about man's divinity. In western people's eyes, God is almighty and beyond man's power; man must worship God. However, Emerson is anti-Christianity. He thinks God is living in man's heart; man has divinity, at least man is half of God. Western religion argues that man has original sin. If man seeks salvation, he must rely on God.Emerson thinks that God's nature is love and goodness, so is man. Emerson rejects Calvinist doctrines of human depravity and predestination. In this way, Emerson overthrows original sin and affirms goodness of human nature. In essence, Emerson denies man's depravity and regards divinity as human nature.Chapter Two expounds man's goodness. Emerson is indebted so much to Plato for his thoughts. Plato thinks that the highest embodiment of world is"goodness";"goodness", like the Sun, it is the source and the embodiment of all the things. All things come from substance and emancipate from the highest substance. This means that all things share the nature of goodness. Emerson thinks that Oversoul exists in Nature, which is the soul of all things and the embodiment of truth, goodness and beauty. Man should communicate with Oversoul in Nature and enhance his own moral education and purify his soul. Kant thinks that everyone has one"moral archetype"which can turn evil to goodness. He emphasizes moral discipline. Everyone should gradually improve his own moral level and reach the state of eternal goodness. Chapter Three elaborates man's benevolence. Emerson admires Chinese Confucianism, especially Confucius'doctrine of benevolence and Mencius'innate goodness of human nature. Benevolence is the basic tenet of one's life.The last part is the conclusion of the dissertation, which summarize three aspects of Emerson's theory of goodness of human nature: man's divinity, man's goodness and man's benevolence. Many critics say that Emerson is a social-goodness thinker. And he only pays attention to goodness of society and ignores the evil of society. In fact, Emerson not only attends to the goodness of human nature, but also senses the evil of society. He thinks that evil is caused by the absence of good, not others. Emerson inherits Kant's thoughts and puts forward compensation principle. Dualism is the feature of all the things, so is human beings. Man's evil does not exist when born, but caused by the improper relation among human beings.Emerson's theory of goodness of human nature has deep social influences. He overthrows the theory of evil of human nature which Christianity preaches over thousand of years. Man has no original sin, and does not make atonement and rely on God. He gives American society positive influence. Everyone is equal and can become sage and his own God. Man's spirit is liberated.