1. Transcendentalism
Prepare to take notes.

2. Number your paper 1-9 Respond to each of the following 1-4 (1-strongly disagree, 2 – Disagree, 3 – Agree, 4 – Strongly Agree
The world / society does not encourage people to be individuals.
It is more important to trust my gut feelings than what I’ve been taught.
Most people are fake. 
A short life, filled with many experiences is better than a long life with few experiences.

3. If you scored a 27 or higher, you’re probably a Transcendentalist!
Fate / destiny does not exist.
My spiritual gains are more important than my monetary gains (my soul is more important than my money or possessions).
We waste our lives worrying about small things.
We think we control technology, but it really controls us.
First-hand experience of something is better than reading about it or watching it on TV/movie/computer.
If you scored a 27 or higher, you’re probably a Transcendentalist!

4. Emerson: Born in Boston, MA.
Came from a long line (seven generations) of clergymen, and father was a minister.
Very poor, but family put emphasis on education.
He entered Harvard at the age of 14.
Was a minister for a short time, but left seeking inner direction that he felt was lacking.
He drew his ideas from many religions and philosophers from all over the world.
Overturned the commonly held idea that God / Higher Power was control of everything and everyone (the operator of a machine), and replaced it with the idea that God / Higher Power is in each one of us, and which permeates all life forms. This he called the “over-soul.” The over-soul is the “is one soul which animates all men.”
Hence: Transcendentalism – A philosophy based on a search for reality through spiritual intuition.

5. Thoreau:
Thoreau was a friend and student of Emerson’s and worked as a carpenter at his home for a time.
He also attended Harvard.
When he could not make a living as a writer, he devoted his life to self-education.
He took Emerson’s philosophy and put it into action.
His emphasis is on nature as a reflection of an inner spiritual reality.
His most famous work is Walden is based on his experiment at Walden Pond, the subject of which is the relationship between nature to the human mind and spirit.

6. Transcendentalism
Not only a literary movement, but a system of belief.
Because part of the core belief system of Transcendentalists is the desire and necessity to be an individual, it is difficult to define what Transcendentalism exactly is. However, all Transcendentalists believe in the following core ideas…

7. 1. The Oversoul An individual is the spiritual center of the universe
In an individual can be found the clue to nature, history and, ultimately, the cosmos itself.
It is not a rejection of the existence of God, but a preference to explain an individual, and the world, as part of a whole.

8. The piece of fabric…

9. 2. All Knowledge begins with Self Knowledge
Desire to be one with the world around you
Desire to remain separate

10. 3. Nature is Symbolic
Example: The frozen pond:

11. 4. Intuition over Intellect
Intellect is good, but should not trump our intuition or instinct.
“Trust thyself”