Transcendentalism

Belief in a higher kind of knowledge than can be achieved by human reason.

So, what does “transcendentalism” mean? Trancendentalism means: A loose collection of eclectic ideas. (About literature, philosophy, religion, social reform, and the general state of American culture.) An idealistic philosophy, spiritual position, and literary movement that advocates reliance on romantic intuition and moral human conscience. A belief that humans can intuitively transcend (go above) the limits of the senses and of logic to a plane of “higher truths.” Something different for each person involved in the movement.

So, what did all Transcendentalists believe? The intuitive faculty (instinct), instead of the rational or logical, became the means for a conscious union of the individual soul to the world around it. Value spirituality (direct access to a benevolent God, not organized religion or ritual), divinity of humanity, nature, intellectual pursuits, and social justice.

Where did it come from? Ralph Waldo Emerson gave German philosopher Immanuel Kant credit for popularizing the term “transcendentalism.” It is not a religion—more accurately, it is a philosophy or form of spirituality. It began as a reform movement in the Unitarian church with some influence from European romanticism ( Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats, Shelley, Byron, etc.). –If Unitarians believe that truth comes only through empirical study and rationality... Transcendentalists take that idea & add in romanticized mysticism or spirituality—humankind capable of direct experience of the holy.

Where did it come from? In 1836, Emerson first expressed his philosophy of transcendentalism in his essay Nature. –“To go into solitude, a man needs to retire as much from his chamber as from society. I am not solitary whilst I read and write, though nobody is with me. But if a man would be alone, let him look at the stars.” In 1837, Emerson wrote in his essay "The American Scholar": –"We will walk on our own feet; we will work with our own hands; we will speak our own minds... A nation of men will for the first time exist, because each believes himself inspired by the Divine Soul which also inspires all men."

Romanticism in America It centered around Boston and Concord, MA. in the mid- 1800’s. Roughly 1830s-1850s Established Utopian communities—groups to escape American materialism Most popular Transcendentalist community—Brook Farm “Transcendentalist Club” formed by Emerson in 1836— promoted writing, reading, and reform projects

Concord, Massachusetts, 1850s

Emerson, Hawthorne, Alcott Homes Concord, Massachusetts, 1850s

Basic Premise #1 The “Oversoul” or “Divine Soul” An all pervading, unitary, spiritual power of goodness from which all things came and of which everyone was a part. Man, universe, and nature are intertwined, thus an individual is the spiritual center of the universe, and 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 in terms of an individual.

Basic Premise #2 Individualism “If I know it’s the truth, then it is truth.” The structure of the universe literally duplicates the structure of the individual self—all knowledge, therefore, begins with self- knowledge. This is similar to Aristotle's dictum "know thyself."

Basic Premise #3 Nature is Truth Transcendentalists accepted the concept of nature as a living mystery, full of signs; nature is symbolic –a guide to higher understanding. Open yourself to nature.

Basic Premise #4 Self-Reliance The belief that individual virtue and happiness depend upon self-realization or self-reliance—this depends upon the reconciliation of two universal psychological tendencies: 1.The desire to embrace the whole world— to know and become one with the world. 2.The desire to withdraw, remain unique and separate—an independent existence. –to “live deliberately - to front only the essential facts of life...”

Who were the leading Transcendentalists?

Ralph Waldo Emerson Ordained as a Unitarian minister, but resigned after the death of his first wife. Poet, popular lecturer, and essayist Founded the Transcendental Club His circle of friends called him "The Sage of Concord," because they considered him wise.

Ralph Waldo Emerson Banned from Harvard for 30 years following his Divinity School address – During this graduation address, Emerson discounted Biblical miracles and proclaimed that, while Jesus was a great man, he was not God: historical Christianity, (the formalism of organized (or, “historical” in his terminology) Christianity has obscured the sentiment of personal revelation). His comments outraged the establishment and the general Protestant community. For this, he was denounced as an atheist, and a poisoner of young men's minds. Despite the roar of critics, he made no reply, leaving others to put forward a defense. He was not invited back to speak at Harvard for another thirty years.

Ralph Waldo Emerson Causes: –A committed Abolitionist, –a champion of the oppressed Native Americans, –a tireless crusader for peace and social justice, –a supporter of educational reform, –a selfless champion of other creative geniuses around him Emerson’s Creed: Emerson spoke out against materialism (the belief that material or physical things—not spiritual—are the most important), formal religion, and slavery. He Outlived His Mind – Sadly, Emerson, who was known in his youth for his sharp wit and impressive intellect, lost his memory as he got older. His lack of memory sometimes caused him to forget his own name and details of his life. Emerson stopped appearing in public in 1879 and died three years later at his home in Concord, Massachusetts. He is buried in Sleepy Hollow cemetery.

Henry David Thoreau Schoolteacher, essayist, poet In 1845 he began his famous two-year stay on Walden Pond, which he wrote about in his master work, Walden. While living at Walden Pond, Thoreau also had an encounter with the law. He spent a night in jail after refusing to pay a poll tax.

Henry David Thoreau –This experience led him to write another one of his best-known and most influential essays, "Civil Disobedience" (also known as "Resistance to Civil Government"). Thoreau held deeply felt political views, opposing slavery and the Mexican-American War. He made a strong case for acting on one's individual conscience and not blindly following laws and government policy. "The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right," he wrote. –Since its publication in 1849, "Civil Disobedience" has inspired many leaders of protest movements around the world. This non-violent approach to political and social resistance has influenced American civil rights movement activist Martin Luther King Jr. and Mohandas Gandhi, who helped India win independence from Great Britain, among many others.

Henry David Thoreau Influenced environmental movement An ardent and outspoken abolitionist, Thoreau served as a conductor on the Underground Railroad to help escaped slaves make their way to Canada. In May 1862, Thoreau died of the tuberculosis with which he had been periodically plagued since his college years. –He left behind large unfinished projects, including a comprehensive record of natural phenomena around Concord, extensive notes on American Indians, and many volumes of his daily journal jottings. –At his funeral, his friend Emerson said, “The country knows not yet, or in the least part, how great a son it has lost. … His soul was made for the noblest society; he had in a short life exhausted the capabilities of this world; wherever there is knowledge, wherever there is virtue, wherever there is beauty, he will find a home.”