KEY
Historical Context
 The Age of Reason (1700-1800): A movement that tried to understand the world through
God-given gifts of rationalism, reason, and logic.
 Romanticism (1800-1860): A movement to understand the world by placing faith in feelings
and intuition
o A reaction to rationalism and a backlash against organized religion and politics
o Imagination, spontaneity, individual feelings, and wild nature were of greater value
than reason, logic, planning, and cultivation
o In the mid-1800’s, New England experienced an American Renaissance—a vital
period in American culture. There was an explosion of literary genius that produced
a remarkable body of work, and organizations were focused on intellectual pursuits,
social reforms, and improvements in education.
o One such organization: The Transcendental Club, led by Ralph Waldo Emerson
What is Transcendentalism?
 An American philosophical movement that refers to the idea that “in determining the
ultimate reality of God, the universe, the self, and other important matters, one must
transcend, or go beyond, everyday human experience in the physical world.”
 Transcend (v): to rise above; to go beyond the expected; to outdo; excel
 Every individual is capable of discovering higher truth through intuition. Intuitive thought
is a capacity to know things spontaneously and immediately through our emotions.
Through intuition, being in nature, being alone, and being open to having a spiritual
experience, each individual can achieve an ideal spiritual state, which transcends the
physical.
Influences of Transcendentalism
 Plato’s philosophy of Idealism (4th century B.C.):
o True reality involves ideas rather than the world as perceived by the senses
o Reality is mentally constructed
o Human ideas shape society
o Idealists seek a reality that underlays physical appearances
 Immanuel Kant’s philosophy (18th century):
o One should think independently, free from external authorities or customs
o Unite reason and experience
o Intuition is an important tool for discovering truth
 Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Nature (1836)
Transcendentalists…
 Attempted to create a uniquely American body of literature
 Wrote journals, essays, novels, philosophy, poetry
 Were involved in social reform movements, especially anti-slavery and women’s rights
 Believed that reform required an individual’s achieved self-reliance and independence—
only then could true community be formed
 Famous transcendentalists: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman,
Margaret Fuller, Amos Bronson Alcott, Emily Dickinson
Core Beliefs
1. Everything in the world, including each of us, is a reflection of the Divine Soul.
 If we trust in our power to know God directly, then we will realize that each of us is part
of the Divine Soul, the source of all good
 God is the Divine Soul; Humans are part of the Divine Soul
 God is good  Humans are good
2. Nature is a doorway to the spiritual or ideal world.
 A deep and important connection exists between humans and nature
 Nature brings us closer to God; society limits our spiritual growth
 “Every natural fact is a symbol of some spiritual fact.” - Emerson
3. Everyone can use intuition.
 Intuition = power
 Each of us has an ability to learn directly w/o conscious use of reasoning
 Transcendentalists were optimistic that every person could achieve spiritual truth
4. Self-reliance and individualism must outweigh external authority and blind conformity to
custom and tradition.
 Individuals have the right to choose their own paths in life rather than to conform to
society’s expectations.
 Individuals should stand up for what is right, rather than accepting the beliefs of the
masses.
5. Spontaneous feelings and intuition are superior to deliberate intellectualism and rationality.
“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” -Emerson
Historical Context
 ______________________________ (1700-1800): A movement that tried to understand
the world through God-given gifts of rationalism, reason, and logic.
 ______________________________ (1800-1860): A movement to understand the world
by placing faith in feelings and intuition
o A reaction to rationalism and a backlash against organized religion and politics
o Imagination, spontaneity, individual feelings, and wild nature were of greater value
than reason, logic, planning, and cultivation
o In the mid-1800’s, New England experienced ______________________________
—a vital period in American culture. There was an explosion of literary genius that
produced a remarkable body of work, and organizations were focused on
intellectual pursuits, social reforms, and improvements in education.
o One such organization: The Transcendental Club, led by Ralph Waldo Emerson
What is Transcendentalism?
 An American philosophical movement that refers to the idea that “in determining the
ultimate reality of God, the universe, the self, and other important matters, one must
transcend, or go beyond, everyday human experience in the physical world.”
 Transcend (v): ______________________________________________________
 Every individual is capable of discovering higher truth through intuition. Intuitive thought
is a capacity to know things spontaneously and immediately through our emotions.
Through intuition, __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Influences of Transcendentalism
 Plato’s philosophy of Idealism (4th century B.C.):
o True reality involves ideas rather than the world as perceived by the senses
o Reality is mentally constructed
o Human ideas shape society
o Idealists seek a reality that underlays physical appearances
 Immanuel Kant’s philosophy (18th century):
o One should think independently, free from external authorities or customs
o Unite reason and experience
o Intuition is an important tool for discovering truth
 Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Nature (1836)
Transcendentalists…
 Attempted to create a uniquely American body of literature
 Wrote journals, essays, novels, philosophy, poetry
 Were involved in social reform movements, especially anti-slavery and women’s rights
 Believed that reform requires an individual’s achieved self-reliance and independence—
only then could true community be formed
 Famous transcendentalists: ___________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
CORE BELIEFS
1. Everything in the world, including each of us, is a reflection of the________________________
 If we trust in our power to know God directly, then we will realize that each of us is part
of the Divine Soul, the source of all good
 God is the Divine Soul; Humans are part of the Divine Soul
 God is good  Humans are good
2. ________________________ is a doorway to the spiritual or ideal world.
 A deep and important connection exists between humans and nature
 Nature brings us closer to God; society limits our spiritual growth
 “Every natural fact is a symbol of some spiritual fact.” - Emerson
3. ________________________ can use intuition.
 Intuition = power
 Each of us has an ability to learn directly w/o conscious use of reasoning
 Transcendentalists were optimistic that every person could achieve spiritual truth
4. Self-reliance and ________________________ must outweigh external authority and blind
conformity to custom and tradition.
 Individuals have the right to choose their own paths in life rather than to conform to
society’s expectations.
 Individuals should stand up for what is right, rather than accepting the beliefs of the
masses.
5. Spontaneous feelings and ________________________ are superior to deliberate
intellectualism and rationality.
“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” -Emerson
The ideas that Transcendentalists held as a cornerstone for their belief
system are, first, self-development or education, whether self-taught or
formally educated. The second is self-reliance; each individual can sustain
him or herself without the help of outside influence. Next, equality
regardless of demographics. Finally, freedom from the oppression of
others, or abolition. The American Transcendentalist movement helped
to instigate the American Civil War.
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Ralph Waldo Emerson
Born May 25, 1803 in Boston (died in 1882)
Became a minister at Second Church in Boston, until he decided his personal beliefs
conflicted with church doctrine.
o He believed each person contained _a spark of divinity
and that people should search for the truths in in nature and within themselves
Went abroad, and met these Romantic poets: William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge
Formed Transcendentalist Club: 1835
o Nature: urged Americans to think for themselves and to resist the bonds of
conformity.
“Self-Reliance” (1841)
Essay argues people should recognize their own ideas and follow their convictions
Trust God and our own intellectual instincts
Faith in individual consciousness: “trust thyself”
Henry David Thoreau
 Born July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts (died in 1862)
 Met Emerson in 1837
o Emerson viewed Thoreau as a true disciple and Thoreau saw Emerson as a friend,
mentor and father.
 1845: Thoreau built a cabin on Walden Pond, and wrote his most famous wrote Walden.
 Dedicated abolitionist and social reformer
 July, 1846: spent a night in jail because he failed to pay an income tax for several years.
 “Civil Disobedience” (1849)
Motivated partly by his disgust with slavery and Mexican-America War
He could not support a government that endorsed slavery and waged an imperialist war
against Mexico.
Government is usually more harmful than helpful, leading to injustice
 Actions should be based on individual consciences
 Message: there is a higher law than the civil one, and the higher law must be followed even
if a penalty ensues.
Historical background of Transcendentalism
 The Age of Enlightenment (early 1800s): A movement that tried to understand the world
solely with rational thought, leaving religion out entirely.
 Romanticism (early to mid 1800s): Soon after the Age of Enlightenment, a movement to
understand the world less rationally and using intuition – getting in touch with the senses
 Emerson and other intellectuals were _______________with their current state of society
o Reaction to the rationality of the Enlightenment
o Spiritual hunger gave rise to an ____________________, __________________,
____________________, more-than-rational perspective
o God gave mankind the gift of ______________, the gift of __________________,
and the gift of ______________. Why waste such gifts?
What is Transcendentalism?
 Root word: transcend
o To rise above; to go beyond the expected; to outdo; excel
 An American philosophical movement that encouraged individuals to
_______________________________________________________________________.
 The individual had to seek ____________________ and the essential ________________
through intuition.
 Inner spiritual or mental essence of the human
 Fundamental belief: ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________ .
Roots of Transcendentalism
 Immanuel Kant’s philosophy:

Reaction to the current state of society/culture

Eastern Influences (Hindu & Buddhist)

Truth, if it agreed with an individual’s intuition of truth, must be indeed truth

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Nature (1836)
Transcendentalists…
 Attempted to create _______________________________________________________
_______________________________.
 Wrote essays, novels, philosophy, poetry, and other writings that were clearly different from
anything from any European nation (England, German, France, etc.).
 Struggled to ____________ spirituality and religion in a way that took into account the
______________________ of their age.

Famous transcendentalists:
Core Beliefs
1. Celebrated the individual rather than the masses, emotion rather than reason, nature rather
than man
2. Individuals should be confident in their beliefs, rather than accepting the beliefs of the
masses.
3. Individuals have the right to choose their own paths in life rather than to conform to
society’s expectations.
4. There were two ways of knowing: through instruction (or the senses) and intuition.
Transcendentalists found _________________ more important.
5. A deep and important connection between man and nature exists to help sustain man’s
serenity.
Social Reform

Strove for reform yet insisted that reform began with the _________________, not the
__________________________________.

Most were involved in social reform movements, especially _______________________
and ______________________________.
o Women and African-descended slaves were human beings who deserved the ability
to become educated, in order to help them fulfill their _________________
____________________________________________________.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
 Born May 25, 1803 in Boston (died in 1882)
 Became a minister at Second Church in Boston, until he decided his personal beliefs
conflicted with church doctrine.
o He believed each person contained __________________________________
and that people should search for the truths in ___________________________
_______________________.
 Went abroad, and met these Romantic poets:
 Formed Transcendentalist Club: 1835
o Nature:
 “Self-Reliance” (1841)
Henry David Thoreau
 Born July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts (died in 1862)
 Met Emerson in 1837
o Emerson viewed Thoreau as a _________________________________________
___________________________ and Thoreau saw Emerson as a _____________
________________________________.
 1845: Thoreau built a cabin on Walden Pond, and wrote his most famous wrote Walden.
 Dedicated abolitionist and social reformer
 July, 1846: spent a night in jail because _______________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
 “Civil Disobedience” (1849)