Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Availability
Open Access Thesis
Keywords
Jeffers, Robinson, --1887-1962; Jeffers, Robinson, --1887-1962;
Abstract
Inhumanism, Robinson Jeffers' philosophical solution to the problems of modern society, is highly individualistic and reflects this author's pessimistic attitude toward the present and the future of the species. His definition, stated in prose as: " ... a shifting of emphasis and significance from man to not-man; the rejection of human solipsism and the recognition of the transhuman magnificence.", presents a cosmography made up of three divisions: man, not-man, and the transhuman magnificence. Man, in this definition, includes all the species homo sapiens from its beginning to some future end. Jeffers feels that the species came into being through environmental pressures which forced the man-like apes from the security of the trees. On the ground, in their new environment, the species developed not only its cruel and blood-thirsty traits but also its present posture and its quick wits. Through its superior intelligence this species has made progress in civilization and in science; however, this progress has not been paralleled by a developing sense of security or by a conquest of basic cruelty. This innate insecurity is reflected in man's acceptance of religious and political leaders who, sometimes, use their followers to attain selfish ends. Man's lack of security coupled with his cruelty have brought about the foreign involvements and the wars which have helped to destroy many past civilizations. It is the individual's involvement with his society which has led to the attitude that the human race is the only important thing in the universe. Most individuals are not strong enough to stand alone philosophically. Because the philosophy of Inhumanism is highly individualistic, it negates strong social or religious organizations. 2 The individual, deprived of the security of a closely knit and organized society, is forced to make his own decisions. This individual freedom of choice does not give the individual license to commit any act because the removal of punishment for evil places upon the individual the entire responsibility for any act which he may commit. The individual must endure the consequences of his own acts and decisions without hope for expiation. The •not-man" unit includes all of the universe except the species homo sapiens. Jeffers' concept of the natural world is cyclical not only in the recurrence of seasons and of birth and death but also in the patterns of peace and violence. This natural world accepts both peace and violence equally, knowing that both are necessaryo Because this world has accepted its roles in the cycle of the universe, it is quiet, free, and enduring; this world is at peace with itself. The natural world offers the only means by which man can perceive the transhuman magnificence. The individual must shift his emphasis from mankind to the entire universe and must realize that the species homo sapiens is only one small part of the existing universe. Through this shifting of emphasis the individual man gains some understanding of Jeffers' God-concept or the transhuman magnificence. The God of Jeffers is totally self sufficient, a creative-destructive force which operates without reason or purpose. It is able to have consciousness of all things only through the consciousness of men, animals, and all natural phenomena. This consciousness is the link between the transhuman magnificence and all things since, to Jeffers, all things have an awareness only through the consciousness of this God. Because the consciousness of all things is a part of this force, to Jeffers, this force is all that exists.
Year of Submission
1967
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Education
Department
Department of English Language and Literature
First Advisor
Robert J. Ward
Second Advisor
Wallace Anderson
Third Advisor
Harold B. Wohl
Date Original
1967
Object Description
1 PDF file (98 leaves)
Copyright
©1967 Chloe Winifred Armstrong
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Armstrong, Chloe Winifred, "Nature, Man, and God in Robinson Jeffers’ Inhumanism" (1967). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 1959.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/1959
Comments
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