Look through the Importance of Independet Consciousness to a Scholar in The American Scholar

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Look through the Importance of Independent Consciousness
to a Scholar in The American Scholar
【Abstract】In The American Scholar, Emerson demonstrated that nature, books and action were the indispensible parts for a true scholar. This paper focuses on discussing the importance of independent consciousness to a scholar which is from his work, and the way to acquire it. The thesis, then, comes to a further illustration a scholar with indepe ndent consciousness can and will awaken and affect every singe person’s mind, and change their life and the whole society.
【Key words】Independent consciousness; nature; books; actions; living soul
In The American Scholar,Emerson descried a strong sense of national independence and personal independence, which reflected the common voice of men of insight in the United States at that time. They all wanted to put an end to the learningof other lands, and create a new remarkable age of American culture. Emerson expressed a unique strength in philosophy in this article. He seized the imagination of his contemporaries tightly, and fulfilled the optimistic and positive spirit in American. The shock strength with a strong sense of independence was the starting point of all thoughts of Emerson. He firmly believed that independent consciousness was the living soul for a scholar.
Scholar acquires independent consciousness must depend on the impact of three aspects: nature, books and action. And who representative of knowledge is very likely to become a mere thinker or the parrot of other men’s thinking. To obtain a complete impression of a man, a scholar must observe nature and the whole society carefully. Studying nature is to understand his inner world clearly, and to get insight of life and nature law. A scholar can be called a true one when he becomes a man, a thinking man. Reading is to create something, to activate other’s mind. The overall absorption of the author’s thought may lead the readers’ mind to be shack led and their creativity loses. The lost of independent consciousness, lost of soul.
In addition to nature and books, the more important to acquire independent consciousness is action. As Bacon said reading maketh a full man[1]. When a person can understan d nature directly, he doesn’t need to rely on books any more. The final goal to reading books creatively is to create, and action is just the only way to achieve it. It is the air of free thinking, an audacious hope of independent thought.
Emerson called for independent consciousness to a scholar, for he knew that scholars were the eyes of the world and leaders of people’s spirit liberation. As a sign of a true scholar, he has the ability to change not only the material world, but also human’s inner world. Independent consciousness is the complete liberation of a scholar in spirit, and the foundation of his living soul. It’s scholars’ great duty to awaken the potential of every single people, to light up the fire in life in their heart, so that they can think independently to solve their own problems.
These who acquire the spirit of independence from scholars will face hardship and loneliness peacefully, explore the true meaning of life persistently, and pursue the noble and eternal faithfully. With the spirit of independence, a person will get his dignity,
realize his life value, and achieve his life goal. People who have independent consciousness will make up a mature and harmonious society.
As for us, the ordinary people, we also must always keep in mind that the vital importance of independent consciousness. For it can help us to think independently and to pursue our dream constantly, that’s the true meaning of our life. Meanwhile, we firmly believe that we can and should take actions to change our inner world and the outside. We can choose hope over fear together; we will change our country and change the world.
References:
[1] 吴翔林,2005.9,英美文学选读:增订版[C]。

北京:中国对外翻译出版公司,331—343.
[2] Francis Bacon. 2009. Bacon's Essays. BiblioBazaar, LLC.
[3] Claude H. Van Tyne. 2001. The Causes of the War of Independence. Publications LLC.
[4] Rogers,JC. 1982 Nov. The spirit of independence: the evolution of a philosophy. Amer J Occup Ther.。