존 스타인벡의 사상적 원류 논의와 생태세계주의

초록

Throughout his fiction and nonfiction works, John Steinbeck embodies in his characters or directly elaborates a philosophical vision. His vision is similar or parallel to both American tradition such as transcendentalism and modern ecological thinking on the one hand and Asian religious and philosophical tradition, on the other hand. This similarity has led Steinbeck scholars to make frequent comparative studies between his thinking and American or Asian tradition, exploring probable influences on Steinbeck from such traditions, because he did not directly mention nor did he leave any records on this matter. This autobiographical deficiency of proof has resulted in two tendencies in such comparative studies: the first is an obsessive hunting of resources that may hint the influence or connection. The second tendency is a restricted, arbitrary, or even distorted interpretation of Steinbeck. The core of Steinbeck’s philosophy and thinking lies in eco-cosmopolitanism that embraces both American and Asian tradition. And it is not too irrelevant to argue that Steinbeck intentionally did not mention, despite high probability, any influences from or connections to either tradition with the intention that his eco- cosmopolitanism would not be confined to either tradition. Eco-cosmopolitanism entails a new environmental imagination of the global that is indeed needed for the current and future generations and, therefore, this concept promises to regenerate Steinbeck into a new perspective.

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