梭罗的个人主义理想与个人的道德良心

19世纪美国超验主义思想家H.D.梭罗的个人主义深受美国传统渊源的影响,同时也颇具个性,主要体现在他对"个人道德良心"的呼唤.他把个人良心看作比法律更高的一种道德原则.他主张:个人利益高于机构利益.任何机构化了的组织不能将自己的意志强加于人,而应当尊重每一个人的权利,使人人有机会按自己的良心行事,实现自己的生活目标.梭罗的<论公民不服从>和<瓦尔登湖>这两部作品集中表达了他的个人主义的观点,梭罗正是从个人道德良心的角度来阐释其个人主义主张的.他的个人主义理想影响了美国民族文化的建构,并已成为整个美国文化的一个重要组成部分.

Thoreau's Ideal Individualism and Moral Construction

Henry David Thoreau's individualism can be traced back to the exponents of the American Revolution and Transcendentalism. Thoreau puts forward his own idea of individualism, focusing his attention on conscientiousness. He argues that conscientiousness is prior to laws, and that social organizations should pay respect to individual rights. Therefore, individuals can live a true life according to their conscientiousness. Both his "Civil Disobedience" and Walden express Thoreauvian individualism. It is argued in the paper that Thoreauvian individualism, now as an indispensable part of American thought, has played a principal role in the construction of American culture.