The Enlightenment of Thoreau’s Living Aspects on Modern People-Simplicity Enrichness Nature

Lai Bingqing

Abstract：Nowadays we live in a crowded，noise，complicated and fast world，which makes us feel at sea when we face some obstacles or problem in actual life. The thesis aims to arouse our modern peoples rethought and reconsideration about present life through Walden;or Life in the Woods.

Key Words：Walden;transcendentalism;simplicity;enrichness;nature

Introduction：

Walden;or Life in the Woods makes the American writer Henry David Thoreau known all over the world. He is an essay，philosopher and thinker also influenced by Transcendentalism. This helps to play an important role in forming his values and outlooks.

Chapter 1 Introduction to Henry David Thoreau and his Walden

（一）Henry David Thoreau

Henry David Thoreau，who is Emersons truest disciple and put into practice many of Emersons theories，was born in Concord in 1817 and died in 1862.Much if his time was spent in Concord which is the center of American ideas and culture at that time，except short-term traveling and oversea studies.

（二）Walden;or Life in the Woods

1. Introduction to the book

Walden;or Life in the Woods is Thoreaus masterpiece，also a classical works that made him well-known in literary world. It records his life experience from 1845 to 1847 in Walden Pond，which contains a time of two years，two months and two days. This book was published in 1854 after several repeated revision.

2.My Little Thought to Its Content

There are many well-known philosophical sentences appeared in this book. Such examples are as follows：

“For the improvement of ages have had but little influence on the essential laws of mans existence;as our skeletons，probably，are not to be distinguished from those of our ancestors.”

Chapter 2 Transcendentalism

Transcendentalism is an important idea tide，which began in New England at the early 30s and spread in other places of Poland，then became an important idea liberation .It put emphasis on indirect communication and divinity of human nature in result of liberating humanity and improving mans positions，making ones freedom possible. Transcendentalism has intense critical spirit with its social aim to build a perfect，free and equal society. Despite that it showed utopian ideal color，pursuing free spirit of transcendentalism has become a vital heritage（n American culture.

Chapter 3

The Enlightenment of Thoreaus Living Aspects on Modern People

（一）Simplicity and Enrichness

1.Escape from Vulgarity

Thoreau lived in the Mid-age 19th Century when American capitalism was soaring heavily .At that time，people devoted most their lifetime to making a fortune through doing business，so the only aim for their life was to pursue profit and accumulate wealth.

2. Recognize and Rethink Yourself

Nowadays we are living in an epoch，where mentality is deprived of and no morals，conscience and ideas are needed，one is becoming more smooth but not rosy.

3. The Real Pursue for Ones Heart

Actually，from Thoreau，we could see clearly that he pursued for independent and free spirit，at the same time，he also showed that he loved loneliness. Through Walden;or Life in the Woods，it is seen that he expressed his ideas in a practical way .

（二）Environment Protection

1. Thought about Rationality between Humans and Nature

Since 1950s，we have realized the importance of moral development，which turn to emphasize the factual richness in reality.

2.A Simple Explanation about Relation between Humans and Nature

The extension for moral objects is the result of objective environmental changes .In the early 17s century，some western thinkers brought up “Animal Rights”this concept frequently and asked for legal assurance and protection .

3. The Reasons of Reconsideration to Relationship Between Nature and Humans

If simply speeking，the relation between man and nature is ethics relationship，which also needs the coordination of morals .

4. Appreciation for Beauty -Enjoy Nature

From Thoreau and other scholarsideas，the understanding to nature not only comes from strict inference and dissolution，but utilitarian factual complaint.

5. Return to Nature

Dealing with relations between man and nature，he rejects to mans conquer to nature and reform to make nature adjust to humansexistence，but stands for that man should survive in the natural world through self-cultivation .

Conclusion：

n this noisy world，it is necessary to gain a quite and calm state and find a home to our spiritual world to return to the primitive and pure soul .Another equally important problem is the environment protection.

The two-above-mentioned enlightenment is brought by Thoreau，which generates a further significant influence to modern people，every detail in life. There are closenly-related .The purpose of the study is to guide us to rethink and recognize our outlooks and values，then realize to protect nature .

Bibliography：

[1] Bennett，Jane. Thoreaus Nature：Ethics，Politics，and the wild [M]. Thoreau Oaks，Calif：Sage，1994.

[2] Buell，Lawrence .The Environmental Imagination：Thoreau，Nature Writing，and the Formation of American Culture[M].U.S.A：Harvard University Press，1995.”