Transcendentalism An original voice for American Society

Definition   Transcend- Be or go beyond the range or limits of (something abstract, typically a conceptual field or division)

Definition   Transcendentalism- An idealistic philosophical and social movement that developed in New England around 1836 in reaction to rationalism. It taught that divinity pervades all nature and humanity, and its members held progressive views on feminism and communal living. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were central figures.

In a Nutshell   Individuals “transcend” to a higher spiritual level. To achieve this goal, the individual had to seek spiritual, not material, greatness and the essential truths of life through intuition.

Elements   God is found in Nature   People are inherently “good”   Optimistic   Fantasy-like   Individualism leads to “higher truth”

 Transcendentalism is the spirit of restless self- exploration in a desirous mood.  “Insist on yourself; never imitate”  "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation...."  “The civilized man has built a coach, but has lost the use of his feet.”

The Transcendentalist believed in perpetual inspiration, the miraculous power of will, and a birthright to universal good. - William Henry Channing

Ralph Waldo Emerson   Life   Emerson was the philosopher and teacher   Ultimate optimist   Anti-slavery   Wrote “Self-reliance” and “Nature”   Believed in the “Oversoul” “Father of American classical literature”

With respect to the Oversoul  (1) the human soul is immortal, and immensely vast and beautiful  (2) our conscious ego is slight and limited in comparison to the soul, despite the fact that we habitually mistake our ego for our true self  (3) at some level, the souls of all people are connected

Henry David Thoreau   Life   Thoreau was the student and the practitioner   Anti-slavery   Anti-government   Arrested for refusing to pay a poll tax   Wrote “Walden” and “Civil Disobedience”

Assignment Part 1   Read Emerson’s Self -Reliance, highlighting for thesis sentences in each paragraph. When you have them all highlighted, go back through and paraphrase each sentence on the back of your paper.

Respond in a written reflection on Self-Reliance  Write 3 paragraphs in which you reflect on Emerson’s transcendentalist perspective.  In each paragraph, correctly quote a line from Self-Reliance that demonstrates a strong opinion and respond to that opinion.  Do you agree, disagree, other?  Support your response with details and examples from your own life.