SAT經典范文賞析

超驗主義 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.

點評：Grace是又一個在SAT作文中寫哲學內容的學生。她一針見血地指出了傳統思維的弊端：“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，愛默生認為社會傳統會使人們陷入得過且過的境地而無法完全發揮潛能。)顯然，Grace沒有掉入這個陷阱，她充分發揮了自己的潛能。