1. Transcendentalism 1830s-1840s Ralph Waldo Emerson Henry David Thoreau

2. Transcendentalism Transcendentalism is a movement of thought that took place in America in the mid-1800s.

3. Transcendentalism The foundation of Transcendental thought comes from a mixture of German philosophy, ancient Greek philosophy, Asian belief systems, and American Puritan beliefs.

4. Transcendentalism The most important idea of transcendentalism was that true reality was not about the physical world but in spiritual understanding.

5. Transcendentalism In determining the ultimate reality of truth, the universe, the self, and other important matters, one must transcend, or go beyond, everyday human experience in the world.

6. Transcendentalism With that, the true reality involved ideas and emotions rather than the world as perceived by the senses.

7. Transcendentalism Transcendentalists believed that people could become perfect through hard work, and they worked to achieve this goal. The way to become more perfect was to seek and gain a better understanding of truth.

8. Transcendentalism Some ways to gain a better understanding of truth included: Nature- Transcendentalists believed that truth reveals itself through nature. All aspects of Nature reveal part of truth/ spirituality.

9. Transcendentalism Some ways to gain a better understanding of truth included: Intuition- our capacity to know things spontaneously and immediately through our emotions rather than through our reasoning abilities.

10. Transcendentalism Some ways to gain a better understanding of truth included: Trust- Individuals must trust our own ability to know truth. Then we will realize that each of us is also part of the Divine Soul, the source of all good.

11. Transcendentalism The Results of Transcendentalism: Optimism- Transcendentalists urge people to free themselves of the “quiet desperation” of their lives. Your condition today may seem dull and disheartening, but it need not be. If you discover the truth and spirituality within you, your life will partake of the grandeur of the universe.

12. Transcendentalism The Results of Transcendentalism: Self-Reliance: If you learn to trust your own ability to know truth and make decisions, you don’t need to rely on other people’s opinions or help to live your own life. This also allows people to stand up for things they believe in and make a difference in their world.

13. Transcendentalism The Major Overall Ideas Nonconformity Self-Reliance Free thought Confidence Importance of Nature

14. Ralph Waldo Emerson RWE was the best known Transcendental writer and lecturer, making the ideas of Transcendentalism more widely known. Emerson and his ideas appealed to both intellectuals and the general public.

15. Ralph Waldo Emerson He expressed better than any other American previously the advantages of a young country and encouraged letting go of England’s ways of the past.

16. Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau was an American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, and historian. A leading transcendentalist, Thoreau is best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay, “Civil Disobedience”, an argument for disobedience to an unjust government.