Transcendentalism Belief in a higher level of truth that can be attained through human reasoning 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

Can you pronounce it? Can you spell it? TRANSCENDENTALISM

Historical Background The American Revolution inspired artists to create an American identity separate from England To a large degree, it was a reaction against the Enlightenment or Age of Reason, especially its emphasis on the power of human reasoning, formal decorum and a suppression of the imagination or “fancy.”

Historical Background cont’d... Radical changes in political life Industrialization was booming, cities were expanding The Gold Rush and westward expansion Technological advances (electric motor, ether anesthesia, telegraph, etc.)

Transcendentalism A branch of Romanticism, along with Dark Romantics and Fireside Poets (which we will cover later) Began in Germany Immanuel Kant, philosopher 1700s Developed in United States in 1836 Transcendental Club in Boston established Led by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Transcendentalist Beliefs!

Nature Nature was an escape from the evils and materialism of society Nature is a manifestation of the divine One can reach a higher level of spirituality and truth in nature Nature should remain pure and untainted Oversoul: Man, universe, and nature are intertwined (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Individualism Rejection of traditional societal beliefs Belief in being true to oneself and following intuition Belief in nonconformity Self-reliance

Optimism Fundamentally optimistic, convinced of the essential goodness of life This optimism would later be shunned by the Dark Romantics, sometimes called the Anti- Transcendentalists Belief that people are naturally good

Other Main Elements Suggests that every individual is about to connect to a higher truth through intuition Civil disobedience Reject material excess Support of abolition and women’s rights Remains very hard to define--a philosophical, literary, artistic, and social movement

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) The Father of Transcendentalism

Ralph Waldo Emerson Ordained a Unitarian minister in 1829, resigned after 3 years due to theological conflicts Settled in Concord, Massachusetts in 1836 and founded the Transcendental Club with colleagues Banned from Harvard for 30 years following his Divinity School address Expressed Transcendentalist views in his essay, “Nature” Wrote “Self-Reliance”

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) Lived the ideas that Emerson espoused Spent two years living at Walden Pond in order to “live deliberately” a simple life in nature Wrote “Resistance to Civil Government” and “Waden” Refused to pay taxes because of his opposition to the Mexican-American War and slavery, and he spent a night in jail because of his refusal

“When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” by Walt Whitman How does the speaker feel about science? Was Walt Whitman a transcendentalist? Why? How is the poem different from the past works we’ve read? Similar? What characteristics of Transcendentalism does it have? Have you ever felt like what you were taught in school could be learned better through experience? Why is it important to go to school and get real life experience?