A Study On Ecological Ethics In Walden

For United States,the 19 th century was an era of national construction and the literature at the time mainly focused on the value of the United States,the fate and its prospects of the United States and with the acceleration of industrial growth,however,new social emergence of various ideologies were intertwined,and the new society's dynamism filled with dread.Against this backdrop,emerged Thoreau and his book Walden.Thoreau,a renowned American philosopher,writer and thinker in the 19 th century,did not receive due recognition during his lifetime and the generations of his age criticized him more and praised less.His representative book Walden with his poetic descriptions of nature has already become the classics on the American prose,which had the first place in the “Ten books make up American's disposition” of American Heritage in the 1985.This thesis intends to illustrate Thoreau's Walden and Other Writing through basic theory of ecological ethics,and it lays its emphasis on Thoreau's unique character and experience.This thesis consists of five parts.The first part is introduction,which overviews the objective and significance of the research,the researches on Thoreau and Walden abroad and at home.Then there follows an account of motivation and questions of the research,these are the foundation of research.On the basis of the introduction of ecological ethics,Chapter one aims to analyze ecological ethics contained in Walden from the two aspects: reasons for the formation of ecological ethics contained in Walden and feature of ecological ethics contained in Walden,and discusses the relationship between man and nature,especially his views on fishing and hunting,which prove so attractive to ecological ethics.From Chapter two to chapter five,the paper analyzes the three aspects of the reflection of ecological ethics in Walden.Chapter two focuses on the life worship and reverence for life in Walden: man should love nature,respect for nature,and live in harmony with nature,which reflect in Thoreau's ecological ethnic view.Chapter three concentrates on the relation between New Humanism and ecological ethics.New Humanism advocates that ecological ethics should complies with human development to walk close to nature,love nature,care more about nature and live in harmony with nature.In this part,the author tries to interpret the ecological ethic thoughts in Thoreau's Walden with the relevant theories of ecological ethics,which are established on the basis of the New Humanitarian.Chapter four investigates the value of the nature,emphasizes that nature has both use value and economic value.Thoreau's work Walden emphasizes the independent value of nature,and objects to conclude the value of nature as the economic and practical value.He emphasizes the natural aesthetic and spiritual significance.Finally,the last chapter is conclusion with the major findings of the research.This chapter points out that the theory of ecological ethics can not only provide a fresh perspective for interpreting this work,but may well evoke readers' environmental awareness and new lens to view our own situation as well.