愛默生與人的個人身份意義

Emerson an Man's Personal Identity

西方槷人一直都在追尋界定它所知的世界裡的身份意義，這個挑戰將他導向兩極化的觀點，這兩個觀點，一個觀點是英國哲學家洛克(John Locke)所領悟到的，人被他所接受的外在事物所塑造而成；另一個觀點是德國哲學家萊布尼茲(Leibnitz)所領悟到的，人由內在自我塑造自己。一個以自我信賴的個人主義擁護者自居的愛默生(Ralph Waldo Emerson)則以支持扮演個人生命充滿活力的角色為先鋒，來選擇決定他的命運。所以當人們看到愛默生的理想主義時。生成萬物之靈才是操縱生命的要因。它變得如此有目共睹，所有的人都可以做的是樂意地接受它，取代一種私人傳記式的身份意義的獨特思想情感表現，人應該努力成為萬物之靈的風奏琴（Aeolian Harp 風吹自鳴之琴）有自我特色。人們的選擇只是順從平日社會風俗或順從生成萬物之靈的存在。真正的人沒有個人的身份意義，除非生成萬物之靈演奏挑動橫過他存在的琴弦，他只是一個樂器，但從來不是演奏者。

Western man has always sought to define his identity in the world that he knows. This challenge has led him to two polar views. These views are the Lockean approach where man is shaped by what he takes in from without and the Leibnitzean approach where man shapes himself from within. As the champion of a self-reliant individualism, Ralph Waldo Emerson would seem to be leading the van in support of an individual playing a vital role in choosing and determining his destiny. However, when one looks at Emerson's idealism, it becomes evident that the Oversoul is the dominant factor in life. All a man can do is to be open to it. Instead of a unique expression of man's biographical identity, man should strive to be an Aeolian Harp to the Oversoul. Man's choices are only to submit to the social customs of the day or to submit to the presence of the Oversoul. The true man has no personal identity except that of the Oversoul playing across the strings of his being. He is an instrument but never the player.