Emerson Thoreau Dickinson Whitman Background Transcendentalism really began

Emerson Thoreau Dickinson Whitman

Background • Transcendentalism really began to take shape in the 1830 s • Remember Romanticism was popular during this time. Romanticism started in Europe and branched out to America. • 19 th century scholars took the Romanticism beliefs and added unique American elements to create Transcendentalism • Transcendentalism eventually moved America away from its European past and into a new entirely American future

Background Continued • Immanuel Kant • As a German Philosopher, Immanuel Kant was well aware of the influence of Romanticism on American Literature. • In a writing of his, Kant was the first to use the term Transcendentalism to describe the New England based movement.

What is it? • Transcendentalism is not just a literary genre, but an entire beliefs system • Here a few things Transcendentalists believe: • All humans are inherently good • The focus should be on the individual and therefore individual intuition leads to truth • One can obtain a natural state of being by finding solace in mother nature • Society corrupts the individual • God, nature, and man are all connected in a universal over-soul

Romantic Influences • Just to review Transcendentalism evolved from Romanticism so there is a lot of overlap. Here a few things: • • • Defiant Individualism Reverence of Nature Quest for solitude Intuition leads to truth Celebrates the imagination A person must discover his or her own truth and allow that to guide them

How did Transcendentalism Influence People? • Transcendentalism encouraged people not to conform to society • You can be whoever you want to be! • Conforming is preventable and highly discouraged • Everyone should be unique

Why should you care? • Transcendentalism is so interwoven into American ideology we don't even realize it today. • The self made person who is highly respected owes a debt to Transcendentalists and their beliefs in following intuition • A person's ability to freely express him or herself through clothing, music, and lifestyle choices is based off of the Transcendentalist belief in not conforming • Likewise your ability to express your opinions and attitudes in my classroom about Transcendentalism is indebted to the philosophy behind Transcendentalism

Why should you care continued!? • Americans weren't always so open and did oppress people when the country was first formed (Native Americans, African Americans, Women); however, Transcendentalists and people who adapted the beliefs helped paved the way for our modern and more accepting society. No we haven't eradicated all prejudice, but we have made great strides in the right direction in the last 165 years, beginning with the Transcendentalists. • The idea of showing one another respect because we all have inherent value as individuals is rooted in the Transcendentalist belief in the shared universal soul • Learning about Transcendentalism: • Gives everyone a context and history for fundamental American beliefs • Empowers individuals to form their own identity regardless of what others think • Opens up conversations about individualism, therefore ensuring that the philosophy survives • Celebrates a literary movement that is entirely American and therefore reinforces our modern American beliefs

Ralph Waldo Emerson • He is the founder of Transcendentalism • Born in 1803 and raised in Boston Massachusetts • Emerson traveled to Europe speaking with writers such as Thomas Carlyle and Williams Wordsworth • He soon gathered his new found knowledge into what is now Transcendentalism • He began writing and lecturing once he had returned to Massachusetts • Throughout his life Emerson spoke at about 1500 public lectures, spreading his ideas across America and Canada • So Transcendentalism began right here in Mass!!

Henry David Thoreau • As a child growing up in Concord Massachusetts, Henry David Thoreau appeared to always go against rules. He had always envisioned doing things his way. In 1845, Thoreau ventured to Walden Pond where he built a cabin in order to seek isolation and find relief in nature. Later, he took the lessons he learned from Emerson and his time spent at the Pond and wrote about it in his Novel called Walden. Along with other readings such as Civil Disobedience and Resistance to Civil Government, Thoreau voiced Transcendentalist beliefs; particularly highlighting it’s individualism and how vital intuition is.

Think-Write-Share Have you ever been in a situation where you had to choose between something you thought was the right course of action and the course that others thought you should take? What was your final decision?