Transcendentalism
Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson
"We will walk on our own feet; we will work with our
own hands; we will speak our own minds...A nation of
men will for the first time exist, because each believes
himself inspired by the Divine Soul which also inspires
all men” (Emerson).
• "It is said to be the age of the first person
singular" - Ralph Waldo Emerson
• "Nothing at last is sacred but the integrity
of your own mind." - Ralph Waldo
Emerson, from Self-Reliance
What is Transcendentalism?
• “The Transcendentalists can be
understood in one sense by their context -by what they were rebelling against, what
they saw as the current situation and
therefore as what they were trying to be
different from” (Lewis).
•
What is Transcendentalism?
• “One way to look at the Transcendentalists
is to see them as a generation of well
educated people who lived in the decades
before the American Civil War and the
national division that it both reflected and
helped to create” (Lewis).
What is Transcendentalism?
• “These people, mostly New Englanders, mostly
around Boston, were attempting to create a
uniquely American body of literature. It was
already decades since the Americans had won
independence from England. Now, these people
believed, it was time for literary independence.
And so they deliberately went about creating
literature, essays, novels, philosophy, poetry,
and other writing that were clearly different from
anything from England, France, Germany, or any
other European nation..” (Lewis).
What is Transcendentalism?
• “Another way to look at the Transcendentalists is
to see them as a generation of people struggling
to define spirituality and religion (our words, not
necessarily theirs) in a way that took into
account the new understandings their age made
available” (Lewis).
• “The Enlightenment had come to new rational
conclusions about the natural world, mostly
based on experimentation and logical thinking”
(Lewis).
What is Transcendentalism?
• The pendulum was swinging, and a more
Romantic way of thinking -- less rational,
more intuitive, more in touch with the
senses -- was coming into vogue. Those
new rational conclusions had raised
important questions, but were no longer
enough” (Lewis).
European influence
• German philosopher Kant raised both questions and
insights into the religious and philosophical thinking
about reason and religion (Lewis).
• “This new generation looked at the previous generation's
rebellions of the early 19th century Unitarians and
Universalists against traditional Trinitarianism and
against Calvinist predestinationarianism. This new
generation decided that the revolutions had not gone far
enough, and had stayed too much in the rational mode”
(Lewis).
• "Corpse-cold" Emerson called the previous generation of
rational religion (Lewis).
The Rise of Transcendentalism
• The spiritual hunger of the age lead to an
intuitive, experiential, passionate, morethan-just-rational perspective. God gave
humankind the gift of intuition, the gift of
insight, the gift of inspiration. Why waste
such a gift? (Lewis).
• And so Transcendentalism was born.
• Most of the Transcendentalists became
involved as well in social reform
movements, especially anti-slavery and
women's rights (Lewis).
• They also believed that “at the level of the
human soul, all people had access to
divine inspiration and sought and loved
freedom and knowledge and truth”
(Lewis).
• “Thus, those institutions of society which
fostered vast differences in the ability to be
educated, to be self-directed, were
institutions to be reformed. Women and
African-descended slaves were human
beings who deserved more ability to
become educated, to fulfill their human
potential, to be fully human” (Lewis).
• One of the main ideas of
Transcendentalism is that one's own
opinions should prevail over deliberate
conformity. Emerson wrote concerning that
notion saying, "Whoso would be a man,
must be a nonconformist" ("Self-Reliance"
15)
Quotes
• "Imitation is suicide"(3).
• Whoso would be a man, must be a
nonconformist"
• In "Walden" Thoreau states "If a man does
not keep pace with his/companions,
perhaps it is because he hears a different
drummer./ Let him step to the music which
he hears, however measured or far away"
(239-242).
Dead Poet’s Society
• Dead Poet's Society also relates the idea that
self-reliance and individualism must outweigh
external authority and blind conformity to custom
or tradition through its content.
• John Keating desperately wants the boys to hear
something different from what other adults are
telling them.
– "Don't be lemmings,"
– "Find your own walk",
– "Don't conform; make it for yourself," he almost
pleads with them. Mr. Keating wants them to defy the
familiar values and follow their hearts instead. All of
his lessons have the common thematic idea of nonconformity, which are the singular most important
aspects of his teachings. On the first day of class Mr.
Keating persuades the young men to stand on their
desks. "I stand upon my desk to remind yourselves
that we must constantly look at things in a different
way" (Dead Poet's Society).
Transcendentalism
• Transcend - go beyond
"LOOK BEYOND WHAT YOU SEE"
- RAFIKI
Transcendentalism
• Transcend - go beyond
– beyond your senses
• group of philosophers & writers who rejected
traditional religion
– don’t have to go to church to be religious
• religious discovery would lead to truths more
profound than could be found through reason
Transcendentalism
• humans are naturally good
• be self reliant
• private inward prayer
• act on own beliefs
• lead moral meaningful lives
Transcendentalists
• led by:
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
– Henry David Thoreau
"Nothing great was ever
achieved without enthusiasm.“
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Success
To laugh often and much
To win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty,
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better,
Whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or redeemed social
condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because
you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
"What lies behind us and what lies before
us are tiny matters compared to what
lies within us."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
• Lewis, John. "Transcendentalism." The
Transcendentalists - including Ralph
Waldo Emerson - Henry David Thoreau
- Others - Dial Magazine. Web. 26 Jan.
2010.
<http://www.transcendentalists.com>.
• The Dead Poet's Society. Perf. Robin
Williams. 1989. DVD.