Emerson: Nature, Self-Reliance Thoreau: Walden American Renaissance Emerson: Nature, Self-Reliance Thoreau: Walden

Renaissance Major shift in government Society shifted from a whole to each individual Living for self Living based on intuition Comparative to the European Renaissance “rebirth” or “coming of age” describing the explosion of American literary genius. Produced a remarkable body of work, enough masterpieces for a national literature

Self-Improvement Lyceum movement Est. Josiah Holbrook Educating adults, training teachers, establishing museums, and instituting social reforms Lectures on history, music, philosophy, famous people, etc.

Social Improvement Utopian plans for a perfect society Public Education (Horace Mann) Mental Institutions (Dorothea Dix) Abolition of Slavery Women’s Rights

“The Transcendentalist Club” Emerson’s utopian group Tran-over, scendent-to climb Transcendental 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. Intuition is an important tool for discovering truth. Human perfectibility God can be found in nature

Transcendentalism Philosophy Plato’s idealism True reality involved ideas rather than the world as perceived by the senses. Puritan thought “Every natural fact is a symbol of some spiritual fact.” –Emerson Romantic tradition Nature is a doorway to a mystical world holding important truths

Transcendentalist World View pg. 212 Everything is a reflection of the Divine Soul. Divine Soul is the source of all good. The physical facts of the natural world are a doorway to the spiritual or ideal world People can use their intuition to behold God’s spirit revealed in nature or in their own souls Spontaneous feelings and intuition are superior to deliberate intellectualism and rationality.

Emerson’s Outlook Capacity to know things spontaneously and immediately through our emotions rather than through our reasoning abilities. God can be found directly in nature Death is part of lifecycle

Ralph Waldo Emerson Family Education Career Father died at 8 of TB One of 7 children Raised by aunt Mary Moody Emerson, Calvinist Wife died a year after marriage of TB Son died of scarlet fever at 5 Education Entered Harvard at 14 Came from a family of 7 generations of preachers Career Resigned pastorate after 3 years Writer and lecturer Self-proclaimed poet Transcendentalism Believed in the existence of an Over-Soul: spiritual unity that encompasses all existence. Give moral and spiritual meaning to individualism  

from Nature Transcendental statement of the unity of humanity, God and nature Relation of the individual to the natural world Nature seen as a solution to the costs of progress Idealized picture of country life Emerson says if you sit and look at nature you will be better off

from Self-Reliance Self actualization-making the most of yourself and your potential Never compare yourself to the accomplishments of others-you only succeed if you fully achieve your potential The divine spirit will work through the individual for the good of society. To be a man must be a nonconformist

Henry David Thoreau Harvard educated but considered to be a “failure” School teacher Public lectures Marriage proposal refused Personality Influenced by reading Emerson’s “Nature” Self-reliant nonconformist Abolitionist Protested Mexican War Helped fugitives escape to Canada Inspired passive resistance Gandhi Martin Luther King, Jr.

Walden, or Life in the Woods Most well-known works ever produced in America Narrative of Thoreau’s experiment in simple living Stayed at Walden Pond for 2 years and 2 months Believed in the simple life “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation” Discusses human nature, nonconformity, war, physical v. mental isolation, relationship to nature, demise of society through technology

Walden, or Life in the Woods “Where I lived, and What I Lived For” Wanted to live deliberately, simply, no frills “I wanted to live deep and suck all the marrow out of life” p. 237 People are trapped in artificial routines, need to discover life through experience “Solitude” Distance is not physical but caused by points of view “no exertion of the legs can bring two minds much nearer to one another” p. 238 Solitude in nature brings us closer to the source of all life

Walden, or Life in the Woods “Conclusion”’ Routine does not foster growth “How worn and dusty, then, must be the highways of the world, how deep the ruts of tradition and conformity!” p. 243 Living simply allows you to dream BIG! “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them…” p. 243 Discover life independently, uniquely “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.” p. 244 Bug metaphor “Only that day dawns to which we are awake.”

“Resistance to Civil Government” Government should serve individuals, sources of change and progress Shame on those who passively accept controversial governmental actions Directly be allegiance and indirectly p. 250 Civil disobedience: Jailed for not paying poll tax Opposition to Mexican War Someone paid his tax Criticizes townsfolk