亞洲思想，美國超越主義，與垮掉一代

Asian Thought, American Transcendentalism and the Beat Generation

美國十九世紀初中葉的超越主義(Transcendentalism)常被稱為“美國文藝復興'(the American Renaissance)。大約一百年以後，美國另一個文學及文化運動──就是“垮掉一代' (the Beat Generation)， 在許多方面很像十九世紀的超越主義，尤其是兩者都受到亞洲思想與文學很大的影響。跟十九世紀超越主義一樣，垮掉一代及其所產生的反主流文化運動(counter-culture movement)也可視為一種美國文藝復興。本論文探討美國超越主義及垮掉一代與亞洲思想及文亦之間的關係。首先探討'renaissance'（文藝復興）的本義，然後再看看西方國家接觸到亞洲思想及文化後，如何在美國產生超越主義，而大約一百年之後又產生了垮掉一代。本論文超越主義部份的焦點為Ralph Waldo Emerson（愛默生）與Henry David Thoreau(索羅)；垮掉一代的焦點為Jack Kerouac（凱如阿克）與Allen Ginsberg（金斯堡）。

The Transcendentalist movement of early to middle 19th century America is often referred to as the 'American Renaissance'. Approximately one hundred years later, another literary and cultural movement in America, the 'Beat Generation' and its counter-culture successors, was in many ways similar to the Transcendentalist movement of the 19th century, not least in its appreciation of Asian thought and literature. And like its 19th predecessor, the Beat Generation and the counter-cultural movement it spawned can be considered a renaissance of American art, literature, and culture. In this paper, I first explore the idea of a 'renaissance', and then I look at how contact with Asian thought, and literature helped to initiate, first, the Transcendentalist renaissance of American thought, literature, and culture, and then, approximately one hundred years later, the Beat Generation. Among the Transcendentalists, I focus on Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau; among Beat writers, I look at Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.