Take a look at learning attitude through Emerson's idea
100/3/11
I've been thinking about today's lecture in American Literature. We were talking about American literary author, Ralph Waldo Emerson. And we read one of his works called "The American Scholar." In this essay, Emerson put more emphasis on independent thinking, which meant people should think differently on their own and avoid following others. Moreover, he stated that people's abilities were distributed by the whole soceity, which could not be unified as a complete man. Upon learning Emerson's viewpoint, I began to think about it. But it was weird that my family and friends barely mentioned such an important thinking, and I had never thought of this before.
Hence I wonder whether it is our culture affected by the way we think. You know that this society is full of richness and diversity. However, our education somehow is stuck in focusing on study only. If we spent less time on study, we should'nt have more time to play or watch telly. And if I had watched movie for two hours, I shouldn't have felt guilty on it. This is our education teach us to follow this principal (I mean for most of the time). And we somehow take it inward without noticing. So, what does it have something to do with Emerson's idea? I think the point is quite clear, isn't it? Our learning attitude lacks of independent thinking and of being a complete person. Sometimes I wonder why we should do things in a continuous way. You would say "That is for the job." Of course I know it is for the job! But why don't we pay more attention on what we desire or what we fond of? It seems to be hard in this soceity, doesn't it? Emerson made a good point of analogy for his ideas for he applied human organ to metaphor our own specialty. Through Emerson's idea, I think it's quite true for people to open up their unknown or undevelop potentiality because you'll never know where you could be.
After finishing this lecture, I began to recall when was the last time in having a meal which is full of my all senses.
Picture source: news.harvard.edu/.../
I've been thinking about today's lecture in American Literature. We were talking about American literary author, Ralph Waldo Emerson. And we read one of his works called "The American Scholar." In this essay, Emerson put more emphasis on independent thinking, which meant people should think differently on their own and avoid following others. Moreover, he stated that people's abilities were distributed by the whole soceity, which could not be unified as a complete man. Upon learning Emerson's viewpoint, I began to think about it. But it was weird that my family and friends barely mentioned such an important thinking, and I had never thought of this before.
| Ralph Waldo Emerson in his study in October 1879. |
Hence I wonder whether it is our culture affected by the way we think. You know that this society is full of richness and diversity. However, our education somehow is stuck in focusing on study only. If we spent less time on study, we should'nt have more time to play or watch telly. And if I had watched movie for two hours, I shouldn't have felt guilty on it. This is our education teach us to follow this principal (I mean for most of the time). And we somehow take it inward without noticing. So, what does it have something to do with Emerson's idea? I think the point is quite clear, isn't it? Our learning attitude lacks of independent thinking and of being a complete person. Sometimes I wonder why we should do things in a continuous way. You would say "That is for the job." Of course I know it is for the job! But why don't we pay more attention on what we desire or what we fond of? It seems to be hard in this soceity, doesn't it? Emerson made a good point of analogy for his ideas for he applied human organ to metaphor our own specialty. Through Emerson's idea, I think it's quite true for people to open up their unknown or undevelop potentiality because you'll never know where you could be.
After finishing this lecture, I began to recall when was the last time in having a meal which is full of my all senses.
Picture source: news.harvard.edu/.../
You can check Louis Althusser's idea of "ideology," (ISA&RSA...)an idea similar to Emerson's...
ReplyDeleteOh~ good
ReplyDeleteThat sounds cool~
Thx a lot!
ReplyDeleteAfter friday's class, I think most of the time we are too care about other people's openion. It really makes me feel unhappy and unfree.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Emerson's idea, I think I would start my new life. :)