American Transcendentalism
1830-1855
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Transcendentalism-What It Is Not
IS NOT A RELIGION
–
–
–
-
Does not stick to a belief in a god
Does not stick to a belief in life after death
Does not stick to the belief that what you do now affects what happens to you after death – This
life is the focus, not the next
Transcendentalism – What It Is
IT IS A WAY OF LIFE
–
–
–
“It is a pragmatic philosophy” (sensible)
“It is a state of mind”
“It is a form of spirituality”
It is a search for truth that can be found within
- The Big Three
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller
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Basic Premises
1. Individual – The individual is the key to everything. This does not reject a god, but puts more
emphasis on the power an individual has to explain everything.
2. The universe is a reflection of the individual. This means that all knowledge begins with knowing
yourself.
3.
“…nature [is] a living mystery, full of signs – nature is symbolic”
4. Self-realization is the key to your own happiness and merits – this gives an issue of contradicting
ideas to be self-realized:
People want to know the world and become one with the world
People want to be separate and alone – egotistical view
5. The outside and the inside are unified
Your outside reflects what is inside – your beauty isn’t based on how you look, it’s how you act
The look of the world around you depends on what is happening inside you
6. To know and understand nature is directly affected by knowing yourself – these are one and the
same.
If you can’t understand yourself, perhaps studying nature can help you find yourself.
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-
Relation to Religion and Romanticism
Puritanism: morals and belief in a “’divine light’”
Quakerism: “’inner light’”
Unitarianism: morals came from the individual
Romanticism: “nature is a living mystery”
Basic Tenants
1. Form of idealism (impracticality)
2. Must rise above the primitive of human kind
3. We are all part of the Oversoul – it is where we go when we die
Everyone has a part of Oversoul and the Oversoul is everywhere
God is in physical nature and man
4. Biblical miracles have little to no import; instead, the world around us is full of miracles, even
through the smallest creatures
5. Satan is not actively working on earth; mankind is generally good, but occasionally does bad
things by not thinking things through or ignorance.
6. Death should not be found scary – one simply dies and becomes part of the Oversoul
7. Live in the here-and-now
8. Self-reliance and human thinking are important – this determines our fate
9. Great leaders show us what we can become
10. Being consistent is unnecessary because our opinions and thoughts may change day by day
11. True reform comes from within oneself
Credits


Reuben, Paul P. “Chapter 4; Early Nineteenth Century: American Transcendentalism: A Brief
Introduction” PAL: Perspectives in American Literature – A Research and Reference Guide. 19 Apr. 2004
http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap4/4intro.html
Updated 11/2/10
American Transcendentalism
1830-1855
TO BEGIN…how important do you think it is to be yourself – an individual? On the other hand, how
individualized do you think most people are? Explain this viewpoint.
-
Transcendentalism-What It Is Not
IS NOT A RELIGION
–
Does not stick to a belief in a god
–
Does not stick to a belief in life after death
–
Does not stick to the belief that what you do now affects what happens to you after death
– This life is the focus, not the next
How do you believe this viewpoint relates to the way people think today?
-
Transcendentalism – What It Is
IT IS A WAY OF LIFE
–
“It is a pragmatic philosophy” (sensible)
–
“It is a state of mind”
–
“It is a form of spirituality”
- It is a search for truth that can be found within
Where do you think people search for truth today? Why?
The Big Three
Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller
Basic Premises
1.
Individual – The individual is the key to everything. This does not reject a god, but puts more
emphasis on the power an individual has to explain everything.
2.
The universe is a reflection of the individual. This means that all knowledge begins with knowing
yourself.
How do these viewpoints of the individual differ from today’s viewpoints?
3.
“…nature [is] a living mystery, full of signs – nature is symbolic”
4.
To know and understand nature is directly affected by knowing yourself – these are one and the same.
If you can’t understand yourself, perhaps studying nature can help you find yourself.
How does this differ from modern viewpoints of nature?
5.
Self-realization is the key to your own happiness and merits – this gives an issue of contradicting ideas
to be self-realized:
People want to know the world and become one with the world
People want to be separate and alone – egotistical view
How important do you feel it is to know who you are and how you feel about certain things?
6.
The outside and the inside are unified
Your outside reflects what is inside – your beauty isn’t based on how you look, it’s how you act
The look of the world around you depends on what is happening inside you
Do you agree or disagree with that statement? Explain.
Relation to Religion and Romanticism
Puritanism: morals and belief in a “’divine light’”
Quakerism: “’inner light’”
Unitarianism: morals came from the individual
Romanticism: “nature is a living mystery”
1.
2.
Basic Tenants
Form of idealism (impracticality)
Must rise above the primitive of human kind
Are people too impulsive today? Explain.
3.
We are all part of the Oversoul – it is where we go when we die
Everyone has a part of Oversoul and the Oversoul is everywhere
God is in physical nature and man
4.
Biblical miracles have little to no import; instead, the world around us is full of miracles, even through
the smallest creatures
Do agree or disagree with this statement? Explain.
5.
Satan is not actively working on earth; mankind is generally good, but occasionally does bad things by
not thinking things through or ignorance.
Do you agree or disagree? Explain.
6.
Death should not be found scary – one simply dies and becomes part of the Oversoul
7.
Live in the here-and-now
Do you agree or disagree? Explain.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Self-reliance and human thinking are important – this determines our fate
Great leaders show us what we can become
Being consistent is unnecessary because our opinions and thoughts may change day by day
True reform comes from within oneself
Write a three-sentence summary of transcendentalism that you could use to teach another person about what
transcendentalism is.
Credits
Reuben, Paul P. “Chapter 4; Early Nineteenth Century: American Transcendentalism: A Brief
Introduction” PAL: Perspectives in American Literature – A Research and Reference Guide. 19 Apr. 2004
http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap4/4intro.html
Updated 11/2/10