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Chapter One Introduction

1.1 Brief Introduction to Thoreau and The Maine Woods
Henry David Thoreau was a famous writer and philosopher in American literature history. He was also known as the leading transcendentalist whose works about nature became very hot later. Many scholars studied his works in later years. He devoted all his life into the description and observation of the nature which was evident in many of his works. His prose became an independent school in the nineteenth century in America. Especially the ecological thoughts revealed in his prose works are worthy to be studied and shared. Thoreau discussed the relationship between humans and the nature in some of his works. And he showed his opinions in the works. Some people might take the relationship between humans and the nature for granted. However, this relationship has been a very fundamental and important one. Since that time, two polar opinions have coexisted. One is anthropocentrism and the other is ecocentrism. The first one emphasizes the superiority of humans over other beings. The latter one calls for equality among creatures within the ecosphere. Then anthropocentrism and ecocentrism have a debate. And Thoreau was believed to lean to the latter. As an icon of ecocentrism, Thoreau lived a life “for the search for a path to nature-knowledge and a resolution of the questions inherent in humanity’s relationship with the rest of the natural world” (Botkin, 2001). He kept detailed journals which expressed his ideas on this relationship between humans and nature. He differed from many others in his age. And he sought a connection between himself and nature both spiritually and physically. Thoreau developed his peculiar idea of nature by absorbing a lot from transcendentalism, Oriental philosophies and American Indian savagism. Most of the sources Thoreau derived from belong to the circle of non-anthropocentrism or at least have much to do with the relationship between humans and nature. How have ecological philosophies developed in the course of the confrontation between the above-mentioned two camps? What is the position of Thoreau in this course? What does Thoreau leave to his adherents? These questions will be discussed in the thesis.
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1.2 Research Background
The relationship between man and nature has always been the permanent topic in literature. Science and technology has developed rapidly since the nineteenth century. And great changes of the natural environment have taken place due to the boundless material desire of humans. Developing economy is certainly very important for a developing country like China. And people’s life are filled with materialism. They are driven by economic interests. Therefore, nature loses her peace ever. Meanwhile people grab more and more from nature and the environmental destruction is becoming more and more serious in recent years. There are many signs of the unbalanced ecological environment, such as global warming, bird flu, sandstorm, flood, hazy wea