Transcendentalism An important American Literary and Philosophical Movement (though NOT a religion) 1830s to 1860s “Do not be too moral. You may cheat yourself out of much life. Aim above morality. Be not simply good; be good for something.”

Transcend (v) To go beyond a limit or range, for example, of thought or belief So, TRANSCENDENTALISM, at its core is about “moving beyond” common experience and understanding. A sub-genre of romanticism Based on many of the same ideas Nature, emotion, intuition over reason

Transcendentalism 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. Shared the Puritan philosophy that saw signs and symbols in human events

Where does Transcendentalism come from? The term transcendental came from 18th century German philosopher Immanuel Kant. Transcendentalism originated from the past idea of Idealism (created by Greek philosopher Plato in 4th century BC). Idealism=true reality involved ideas rather than the world perceived by the senses. They wanted to look past physical appearances to see permanent reality and truth. Transcendentalists were Idealists in a broader, more practical sense. They believed in human perfectibility as an achievable goal and worked to achieve it.

Premises of Transcendentalism How they view the world God is in every aspect of nature/nature is a reflection of the divine spirit. Self-reliance and individualism must outweigh external authority. Inspiration is blunted by social conformity, thus it must be resisted. People can use their intuition to behold God’s spirit revealed in nature or their own souls. Spontaneous feelings and intuition are superior to deliberate intellectualism and rationality.

So who were a few Transcendentalists? Ralph Waldo Emerson (former Unitarian minister from Massachusetts who became the most well known Transcendentalist.) Henry David Thoreau (his pupil, the son of a pencil maker who dropped out of society to live a solitary and transcendent life).

Transcendentalists Ralph Waldo Emerson Henry David Thoreau

EMERSON: the father of Transcendentalist thought What he combined into transcendentalism… Puritan thought (God revealed himself through the Bible and the physical world) The beliefs of Jonathan Edwards (who found God’s wisdom, purity and love in the sun, moon and stars and in all of nature) And the Romantic tradition (nature) He viewed the world based on intuition - the capacity to know things spontaneously and immediately through our emotions rather than through reason and logic. He possessed an intense feeling of optimism that stemmed from the belief that God could be found directly through nature (even tragic natural events such as death, disaster and disease).

Emerson’s belief’s Con’t God is good and works through nature. Death, disease and disasters have a spiritual explanation. One must know God directly to realize that they are a part of the Divine Soul (universe), which is the source of all good.

Why did Transcendentalism become popular? The optimism of Emerson and transcendentalism was appealing because of what was happening in society at the time: economic downturns, regional strife, conflict over slavery. As with Romanticism, Americans felt that there must be more to life than logical, rational experience. The Transcendentalists sought to regain a spirituality that they thought was missing from current thought and philosophy.

DID YOU KNOW? Transcendentalism has been criticized for assessing human nature too optimistically and underestimating human weakness and potential for evil; of placing too much emphasis on the self-reliant individual at the expense of society and social reform. Martin Luther King Jr. and Ghandi were influenced by the ideas of the transcendentalists.