SAT经典范文赏析

超验主义 Transcendentalism
Grace M. The philosophy of transcendentalism, as illustrated by the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson, urge men to think freely in order to reach their higher potentials. Emerson states that "whoso must be a man must be a nonconformist" and that "men of tradition are blind herds swarms" in his essay "Self-Reliance". Thus, Emerson believes that social traditions have a way of trapping men into the perfunctory actions of living without fully utilizing their intellects. When men follow tradition, they fail to think for themselves or follow their own divine intuitions. If a man wants to attain his fullest potentials, he must not blindly conform to social expectations, but become an independent thinker. Such a thinker can utilize his soul, which channels the force of the universe and divinity, to transcend above his earthly limits and imbibe in the absolute truth and perfection of God. Emerson's philosophy stresses the overthrow of traditional thinking. Men who are not afraid of searching for new ideas are the ones who will receive inspiration and enlightenment. With his own progressive philosophy, Emerson revolutionized the American way of thinking, which emphasized individualism and self-trust. Applying his own principles to life Emerson shows that originality and creativity of mind can truly change the intellectual landscape of an entire nation.

点评：Grace是又一个在SAT作文中写哲学内容的学生。她一针见血地指出了传统思维的弊端：“Thus, Emerson believes that social traditions have a way of trapping men into the perfunctory actions of living without fully utilizing their intellects.” (因此，爱默生认为社会传统会使人们陷入得过且过的境地而无法完全发挥潜能。)显然，Grace没有掉入这个陷阱，她充分发挥了自己的潜能。