塞繆爾`巴特勒的代表作《眾生之路》(The Way of All Flesh 1903)于1873年開始寫作,到1885年完成,前后共經(jīng)歷十多年。該書是一部半自傳體小說(shuō),也是一部成長(zhǎng)小說(shuō)(Bildungsroman)。巴特勒將自己的進(jìn)化論思想完美地融入了這部小說(shuō)的構(gòu)思創(chuàng)作中,這實(shí)際上是一場(chǎng)他對(duì)自己的進(jìn)化論思想的全面演繹。這部作品是巴特勒為探索科學(xué)真知耗盡畢生精力,最后結(jié)合自己的人生經(jīng)歷書寫的進(jìn)化論的絕唱。雖然對(duì)達(dá)爾文自然選擇理論抱有誤解,但是巴特勒在其發(fā)表的小說(shuō)與專著中表達(dá)了自己的一套進(jìn)化論思想,開創(chuàng)了進(jìn)化論成長(zhǎng)小說(shuō)中獨(dú)特的一派。遺憾的是,巴特勒的作品在他生前沒(méi)有得到足夠的重視,后人也沒(méi)能全面系統(tǒng)地理解其著作與思想。本書意在對(duì)巴特勒《眾生之路》這部小說(shuō)中進(jìn)化論思想展開全面、系統(tǒng)的研究與解讀。
Contents A Companion to the Studies of Samuel Butlers The Way of All Flesh (1903) Contents Introduction Chapter OneThe Way of All Flesh (1903): a summary Chapter TwoThe Way of All Flesh as a Lamarckian novel of inheritance 2.1Lamarckian essence in the novel: change, will and environment 2.2Heredity: the oneness of personality between parents and offspring 2.2.1Heredity in The Way of All Flesh 2.2.2Ernests parents—Theobald and Christina 2.2.3Ernests childhood in a Godfearing family 2.2.4Alethea and Overton Chapter ThreeAinsi va toute evolution—Butlers utilitarian taste 3.1Butler and God 3.2Vice and virtue 3.3Butler and utilitarianism 3.4Butler and money Chapter FourSelfhelp and freewill: the reconstruction of personal identity 4.1Unconscious Memory and Cunning as two limbs of man—Ernests growth 4.2Luck or cunning? Butlers ideal gentleman 4.3“Sensible teaching” in The Way of All Flesh 4.3.1On childhood 4.3.2About Dr. Skinners school at Roughborough 4.3.3Ernests Cambridge years 4.4Samuel Butler on education Conclusion Bibliography Selected index and glossary of names Appendix Acknowledgements