Nature Presented in Multiple Ways - Research Paper Example

?Running Head: Research Proposal Research Proposal Introduction The philosophy of nature has been refined over the years withdifferent philosophers airing their own take on the topic. One of the early works on nature that is relevant to our understanding today was that by Jonathan Edwards who was originally a theologian. The end result of all works by Edwards was always the glorification of God. He was convinced that what constitutes the natural world is related to each other as ultimately, it is related to God. Furthermore, he believed that nature in itself was a way of God communicating to the people of his glory and that it was meant to fill us with the desire to glorify him even more. Edwards’ thoughts were always on the beauty that surrounded us in the creations that were divine. The Iroquois constitution shows an appreciation for nature as it gives guidelines on the procedures of the formation of councils. Wherever a council was about to be formed by the confederate lords the Onondaga lords were meant to open the meetings by thanking nature including to the earth where men dwell, to the streams of water, the pools, the springs and the lakes, to the maize and the fruits, to the medicinal herbs and trees, to the forest trees for their usefulness, to the animals that serve as food and give their pelts for clothing, to the great winds and the lesser winds, to the thunders, to the sun, the mighty warrior, to the moon, to the messengers of the Creator who reveal his wishes and to the Great Creator who dwells in the heavens above, who gives all the things useful to men, and who is the source and the ruler of health and life (Welker, 1996). This paper will attempt to prove the following thesis. Earlier philosophers like Jonathan Edwards and the Iroquois League were the basis from which latter philosophers like Thoreau, Emerson and Whitman drew their influence. Discussion Nature has been said to inspire awe, it has been cited as having all the power and has been seen to be filled with a beauty that can only be referred to as being dangerous. Nature has also been said to have fences which humans being cannot be able to transverse, whether the task is too daunting for the emotions or impossible for the physical body. "For my part I feel that with regard to Nature I live sort of a border life, on the confines of a world into which I make occasional and transient forays only. . ." (Thoreau, 1862) This seems to be the notion that Thoreau tended to exemplify in “Walking”. Thoreau further said that due to these confines of nature, human beings were more or less insignificant and that their existence amidst the very nature was largely untenable. Nor need we trouble ourselves to speculate how the human race may be at last destroyed. It would be easy to cut their threads any time with a little sharper blast from the north. We go on dating from Cold Fridays and Great Snows; but a little colder Friday, or greater snow would put a period to man's existence on the globe (Thoreau, 1862). The sentiments expressed by Thoreau are largely drawn from the belief by Jonathan Edwards that nature has the forces in which God aims to show his glory to mankind. Therefore, in case we go against what nature desires from us, then it can be ruthless. Here, human beings are being cautioned to appreciate nature and to follow the rules of natural justice. Among the many qualities of nature is its elusiveness. Thoreau and Emerson claim that many people lack the capacity to grasp the massiveness of nature. In many cases, nature, excluding what people perceive physically is considered infinite. There is a thrill therefore in chasing the elusiveness of nature in attempting to understand its dynamics and it a bid to discover what others have not about it. Although both philosophers felt that they were so close to reaching the periphery of nature, they could not quite do that but this only aided in their push for that elusive fact that would tell them apart from the others. The enigma of such an endeavor can only be considered as being stimulating. Thoreau wrote a book that is entitled “Where I lived and what I lived for”. He wrote in the book that beyond the last man and since the days of Adam, there is an eternity that is sublime and true. All of these sentiments are similar to those that had been expressed by Edwards as he described nature as abundant and without end. What Emerson and Thoreau did was just expound more on the original sentiments of Edwards since his works on nature dealt more on the understanding nature for the sake of understanding God. Nature is two-faced. This means that not only can it be cruel and treacherous in its wake while exerting natural justice but it can also be a source of solace. Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman cite that nature can be rejuvenating for the soul. These philosophers believed that nature’s glory can always be manifested in the rebirth of both the emotional and spiritual wellbeing of the human being. Just like in Whitman’s words that always stirred emotions of beauty in readers with his beautiful prose, Thoreau (1862) is quoted in his journal saying: In the instant, you leave far behind all human relations, wife, mother and child, and live only with the savages—-water, air, light, carbon, lime, and granite. Nature grows over me. Frogs pipe; waters far off tinkle; dry leaves hiss; grass bends and rustles, and I have died out of the human world and come to feel a strange, cold, aqueous, terraqueous, aerial, ethereal sympathy and existence. I sow the sun and moon for seeds. This shows that he, just like the other philosophers of his time, believed that nature was capable of restoring the human soul to a state of tranquility. Jonathan Edwards believed that everything in nature was meant to arouse desire in the human soul. The way that people enjoy a breeze, a ray of sun, a chirp from a bird or other thing in nature that inflicts calmness is the way that people should feel when they get to know God. He further said that to know God is to enjoy God and since nature is part of God’s way of showing his glory to human beings, then it follows that: to know nature is to know God and hence to enjoy nature should translate to enjoying God. Thoreau exemplifies his admiration for nature by equating dying in nature as a rebirth. He believes that this is some sort of a recycling in which death in nature is reciprocated with a rebirth. Edwards and the Iroquois League believed in the infinity of nature. Additionally, they believed that nature did not have an end point and that it was self-generating. The fact that nature was a self-sustaining system, according to Edwards, was to dispute the materialism that had been forwarded by philosophers before him like Locke. Later, Emerson concedes that nature is indeed without an end. Although he cites that there might be ends at some point in nature, the ends are usually the beginnings of something else. In his book, “Circles”, Emerson (1841) states that “there is always another dawn risen on mid-noon. This fact, as far as it symbolizes the moral fact of the Unattainable, the flying Perfect, around which the hands of man can never meet…" (1883). In these sentiments, it is clear that Emerson believed that nature is continuous and that its fluidity can be equated to the continuation of the spirit. The cues that are picked in the surroundings are what form the basis for the opinions voiced by the philosopher. Thoreau’s “The Pond in Winter” is a continuation of Emerson’s and Edwards’ sentiments. In the book he claims that after a night in winter, he woke up feeling that there was an unanswered question that he had struggled with during his sleep. He further writes that when he glanced out of the window, there was Nature and her lips were shut hence no question had been posed. The daylight and nature had answered the question that he had been struggling with. He continues to add that we live in a confined manner with the laws weighing down on us. However, if we were to interrogate matters further, we discover that there is a harmony in nature that has more laws than we envisage which we see as conflicting but are really concurring. Nature does not have to answer the questions that we have but all we need to do is look and all our questions answer themselves. What we do not see in nature is said to be even more wonderful than what we do see. On closer inspection of the above statement, it is possible to draw parallels with what sentiments Edwards expressed about God. What we have to do is believe and things will happen. This teaches that the best way to discover nature and in turn God is to just look around and attempt to see the things that we do in a different light which is more objective. In time, nature will reveal itself and will open the eyes to things unseen. The works of later philosophers seemed to have been guided by that of the previous ones. Nature was always the source of second chances to human beings where they could be reborn and recapture their lost innocence. However, the truth must be the first action for the rebirth to occur. In his book "The Method of Nature", Emerson (1841) states that Shall we not quit our companions, and betake…some unvisited recess in Moosehead Lake, to bewail our innocence and recover it, and with it the power to communicate again with these sharers of a more sacred idea…Let us worship the mighty and transcendent Soul… Truth is always holy, holiness is wise…Tenderly and tenderly they woo and court us from every object in nature, from every fact in life, from every thought in the mind. The one condition coupled to the gift of truth is its use…Emanuel Swedenborg affirmed that it was opened to him, that the spirits who knew truth in this life, but did it not, at death shall lose their knowledge. In the quote, it is clear that Emerson believed that nature was capable of restoring a person’s innocence but only after his truth was known by the spirits. Earlier philosophers had stated that the power of nature was infinite. In fact, Edwards equated the power of nature with that of God. It is therefore not surprising to see that the latter philosophers followed in this belief in that nothing was impossible in nature and that one only needed to understand it to receive its power and to allow it to assist in finding solace that eludes many a man. Perhaps the most telling fact that the latter philosophers like Thoreau, Emerson and Whitman borrowed their ideas from philosophers of the earlier years is the connection between nature and spirituality. Walden and Walking, which are two of the most famous works of Thoreau, are continuous metaphors that are advocates for the spirituality of humans, their mental ferocity and their physical strength in the confines of nature. There seems to be a notion that if nature was nonexistent, then the human being would also not survive in any manner of way: be it spiritual, physical, mental or emotional. It is what the human feeds on and it is what he uses in his every day endeavors. Thoreau seemed to have spent his entire life attempting to be at harmony with nature and understanding it more. While Walden suggests that what Thoreau philosophized was in large part due to his communion with nature, Emerson’s philosophy on nature is not. His is more from what he thought of nature; what it should be and how it is. This is the opinion of some authors who attempt to draw comparison between him and Thoreau. However, this might not be the case. Although his tone is much more commanding and seems to be more of a preach act than a practice act, the fact is that he has indicated that spirituality in humans is drawn from nature. Emerson seems to tell his readers what the connection between nature and the spirit is whereas Thoreau shows his readers what it is. Despite the style of expression of both philosophers, their works are similar to those of Edwards and of the Iroquois League. Conclusion The thesis developed for this paper was that earlier philosophers like Jonathan Edwards and the Iroquois League were the basis from which latter philosophers like Thoreau, Emerson and Whitman drew their influence. In the discussions above, we have analyzed the sentiments that were expressed by the two groups of philosophers. One aspect in particular stand out: that nature forms the foundation as well as the driving force for the existence of man. Without nature, man would not exist in either form: mental, emotional, physical or spiritual. Therefore, as earlier philosophers had said, nature is the way that God displays his glory and in appreciation of his glory, we appreciate him. Philosophers of the latter years said that nature is the reason for our existence and is the answer to all our questions. References Emerson, R. W. (1841). Method of nature: An Oration. Boston: Samuel G. Simpkins Emerson, R. W. (1883). Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Massachusetts: Cambridge Thoreau, H. D. (1862). Walking. The Atlantic Monthly Volume 9 (56) pp. 657-674 Welker, G. (1996). The Iroquois Constitution. Retrieved from on 18th January, 2012 http://www.indigenouspeople.net/iroqcon.htm Read More