1. American Transcendentalism Wainwright English 11

2. American Transcendentalism An important American movement in philosophy and literature from 1836-1860. Important writers: Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. “philosophy based on a search for reality through spiritual intuition”

3. Beliefs: 1. Intuition is the main source of knowledge; it is the “highest power of the soul” and it is the power that “never reasons, never proves, it simply perceives…” (Emerson)

4. Beliefs: 2. Nature is a living mystery, full of signs. Nature is symbolic. As Emerson said, “Every natural fact is a symbol of some spiritual fact.” The natural world is a doorway to the spiritual world.

5. Beliefs: 3. Everyone, not just an “elect” few like the Puritans believed, had the ability to experience God first hand. People who believed in transcendentalism explored their inner spiritual life.

6. Beliefs: 4. “Oversoul”: A spiritual unity of all forms of being—God, humanity, nature—share a universal soul.

7. Basic Tenants: The essential nature of human beings is good and that, left in a state of nature, human beings would seek the good. Society is to blame for the corruption that mankind endures. Emerson states, “A man is a god in ruins.” Idealism Emphasis on self-reliance The study of nature brings self-knowledge

8. Top 6 signs that you may be a Transcendentalist 6. You believe that Nature- with-a-capital-‘N’ demands the most serious reverence. 5. You believe that everything in Nature strives to realize its inner potential—from the smallest weed to the tallest mountain. 4. You believe that intuition is more important than logic. 3. You believe that ALL knowledge comes from inside—one does not need the past, the family, or society to act as guides to behavior—and that each of us knows how to behave if only we TRUST our inner light. 2. You believe strongly in a philosophy of individualism and self-reliance.

9. #1 1. You insist that we should follow our instincts WHEREVER they may lead NO MATTER what rules or convention might demand; TO BE FULLY HUMAN is to do whatever one wants (and believes in fully) to do, whatever the cost.