本論文旨在檢視約翰生的作品，藉以探索「快樂的本質寄託於來世的永生。」此永恆的快樂係來自於上帝的恩澤、人類對神的順從、懺悔以及美德(善行)。為此，我將細察約翰生「救贖」的概念基礎、本質，以及道德與宗教觀。本論文第一章側重約翰生早年生活經歷對他的影響，佐證他的精神焦慮(spiritual anxiety) 實來自於畏懼死亡，這是在研究約翰生「有條件的救贖」時重要的指標。第二章則試圖解釋十八世紀英國的宗教觀，並聚焦詮釋約翰生身為宗教人及道德家二個角色。這二重身份是分析約翰生的快樂觀時的關鍵。約翰生的道德觀受到十八世紀英國社會、宗教以及道德經驗深切影響，儘管謹慎處理，也不容易清楚了解。他的宗教道德觀所涉及的議題龐大，我將透過他的佈道詩與其他作品探討基督教信仰與其道德觀的關聯。儘管約翰生的道德教誨有時明顯相互矛盾，卻從未脫離他道德思想的中心：「快樂來世尋。」第三章第四章則會分別細究約翰生在期刊散文系列--《漫談者》(The Rambler)、《疏懶者》(The Idler)和《冒險者》(The Adventurer)，以及東方故事(Oriental tale)《快樂王子:雷斯勒斯》中常討論的主題，包括快樂以及救贖、美德和永恆，試圖論證約翰生的「快樂」主要建立在基督教救贖與永恆的信仰上。
在《快樂王子:雷斯勒斯》一書中，經歷一連串追尋快樂的冒險後，約翰生透過尼卡雅(Nekayah)道出快樂的本質：「計較此岸的生活已不重要；我只願追尋彼岸的永生。」 這段話清楚表明此生的快樂是靠不住的，追尋也是無涯無際，不知其所止的。為掌握永恆的快樂，人在此生應該竭力想望來世的幸福。另外，我會以約翰生的生平與文字佐證，藉以確定「永恆帶來快樂」之設想。來世的永生撫慰了約翰生此生的精神焦慮，突顯了來世的魅力。這雖與約翰生終生恐懼死亡相左，卻明確指出一名虔誠基督徒不單追求救贖，同時也追尋死後上帝的奬賞。最終章我將呈現約翰生的生平、宗教、道德觀以及文學如何交織，使得他接受此生的殘缺(身體缺陷及心靈不安)，轉而力求來世更高層次生命的完美。

This thesis aims to examine Johnson’s writings and argue his happiness is a state of eternity in the afterlife which results mainly from God’s mercy and human beings’ obedience, repentance and virtue (or good works). To prove my thesis, I need to study the foundation and essence of Johnson’s salvation alongside his moral and religious thoughts. I thus argue, in Chapter One, that Johnson’s early life has great influence upon him and his well-known spiritual anxiety serves as the main cause of his fear of death and as an important index in the study of Johnson’s conditional salvation. Before probing into Johnson’s salvation, I attempt in Chapter Two to expound religion in eighteenth-century England, especially Johnson’s role as a religious man and a moralist. Both identities play crucial roles in analyzing Johnson’s happiness. Johnson’s morality is surely profoundly conditioned by the climate of social, religious and moral experience shared by his contemporaries in eighteenth-century England and can hardly be dissolved despite great care. His religious and moral thoughts are so large questions to approach, not to mention to answer them. Therefore, the treatment is necessarily selective. I will focus on the connection between Johnson’s morality and his own Christian belief shown in his sermons and other genres of writings. Though Johnson is noticeably ambivalent towards his moral instruction at times, he never jumps the track of the core of his moral thinking: his happiness is of after-life. In Chapter Three and Chapter Four, I will do a close reading on Johnson’s frequent discussion of happiness in his periodical essays and Oriental tale Rasselas and on that of salvation, virtue and eternity respectively with intent to argue that Johnson’s happiness is largely supported by his belief in Christian’s ideas of salvation and eternity.
Samuel Johnson in Rasselas voices the essence of happiness through Nekayah after a series of adventures and pursuit of happiness: “To me, the choice of life is become less important; I hope hereafter to think only on the choice of eternity” (Rasselas 418). This passage clearly marks that happiness of this life is unreliable and the quest will be not only aimless but endless. To assure everlasting happiness, one ought to aspire to the afterlife by strenuous efforts in this life for eternity. Furthermore, I will show evidence from Johnson’s life and words to strengthen my presumption that eternity forwards the realization of happiness. The eternal state of afterlife pacifies Johnson’s spiritual anxiety in this life and enhances the charm of the world coming after. This is quite at odds with Johnson’s fear of death; however, it pinpoints how a devout Christian struggles for not merely salvation but rewards from God after death. As such, I conclude my thesis in Chapter Five by showing how the intertexture of Johnson’s life, religion, morality and literature helps him accept his imperfection, physically wretched and mentally disturbed, and then strive for perfection, that is, an elevated state of life in another world.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements …………………………………………………………………………..i
English Abstract ……………………………………………………………….…………….ii
Chinese Abstract …………………………………………………………………………….iv
Chapter One:
Introduction: Johnsonian Beauty and Sorrow …………………………………………..1
Chapter Two
Eighteenth Century Society: Johnson as a Religious Man and a Moralist……….…….17
Chapter Three
Happiness Not Found HERE …………………………………………………………..40
Chapter Four
Salvation, Virtue, and Eternity …………………………………………………………61
Chapter Five
Conclusion: The Sublimation of Sin and Pain ………………………………………....82
Notes ………………………………………………………………….……………………..87
Works Cited ………………………………………………………………………………….93

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