Transcendentalism
as a form of social
criticism and protest
Transcend: to go
beyond
What is transcendentalism?
– Philosophy that began in the 1830’s
– Mostly consisted of New Englanders (i.e.
Transcendentalist club of Boston, headed by Emerson)
– Struggled with how to define spirituality and religion
– Developed as a protest to the general state of culture
and society (disillusionment)
– Broadened into a literary and artistic movement as
well
– Closely linked to Romanticism
Characteristics of
transcendentalism
Transcendentalists believed that…
– God gave humankind the gifts of intuition, insight, and
imagination
– There is inherent goodness in both man and nature
– Society and its institutions—particularly organized religion
and political parties—ultimately corrupt the purity of the
individual
– Man is at his best when truly "self-reliant" and
independent. It is only from such real individuals that true
community could be formed.
Characteristics cont.
Transcendentalists also believed that…
– The soul of each individual is identical with the soul of the
world and contains what the world contains (Over-Soul)
– Ultimate truth is within ourselves and within nature
– Our judgment can be clouded by outside forces (materialism)
– Social reform movements such as women’s rights and antislavery campaigns were worthy causes
These radical ideas of
the time…
•
profoundly influenced American literature, as it
became more reflective and inspired by nature
and experience (took on a journal-writing style)
•
championed the individualism and self-reliance
that America became known for
Was a reaction to…
– Rationalism
– Manifest Destiny
– Calvinism (i.e. Puritanism)
Has its roots in…
– German idealism and philosophy,
specifically Immanuel Kant
Famous Transcendentalists
– Ralph Waldo Emerson –
wrote essays “Nature” and
“Self-Reliance”
– Henry David Thoreau – wrote
book Walden and essay “Civil
Disobedience”
– Louisa May Alcott – wrote
Little Women
– Nathaniel Hawthorne – wrote
The Scarlet Letter (although he
is widely known as an antitranscendentalist as well)
– Walt Whitman – poet
– Emily Dickinson – poet
– John Muir – founded the
Sierra Club and devoted his life
to the preservation of forests
– Jack London- American author
who wrote The Call of the Wild
and White Fang
Modern day
– Although Transcendentalism was a powerful movement in the 1830’s
and 1840’s, there are still modern transcendentalists who exist.
Potential characteristics of a modern transcendentalist:
-Protective of/interested in nature
-Disdains materialism
-Rebel/rogue
-Doesn’t like societal rules or being hemmed in when it comes to
education or religion
-Chris McCandless, the main character in Into the Wild (which we will
study term 2), is a modern transcendentalist.
Transcendentalist Quote
– “We will work 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 believed himself inspired by
the Divine soul which also inspires all men.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Seminar Questions
1.
What main issues do each of the texts address? Why are they important
in regard to social criticism/protest? In your opinion, how strong is each
on the spectrum of social criticism/protest?
2.
Describe the genre/writing style of these texts. In what ways do these
genres/styles lend themselves to the topics of social criticism & protest?
3.
What is the relevance today of Transcendentalism as a form of social
criticism? How has it endured in your opinion? What evidence do you see
of it around you?
4.
Describe at least one aspect of the Transcendentalist texts that you
personally related to or especially appreciated. Please be specific, noting
a quote for support if applicable.