Trinity, Unity, and Aesthetic Feelings

This chapter will examine the highest state of virtue, which is in essence, the successful transcendence of false self to the true self. For both Emerson and Chinese philosophy, the highest state of virtue is to live in harmony with nature. In Emerson, it is a new trinity among nature, spirit, and human beings. In Chinese philosophy, there is unity between human beings and nature. For them, the highest state of virtue is accompanied by aesthetic feelings. Emerson terms the aesthetic feelings as ecstasy. Confucianism terms the aesthetic feelings as joy, while Zhuangzi terms it as ultimate joy which is often interchangeable with tranquility. I will conduct a comparative study of the concept of trinity and unity between Emerson and Chinese philosophy.