Transcendentalism:  Began as a reform movement in the Unitarian Church, around 1836  Follows the belief that there is an ideal spiritual state, which “transcends” the physical and intellectual.

Transcendentalism:  In other words, “Transcendental” refers to the 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.

Transcendentalism:  Intuition, instead of logic or the five senses, became the means for a conscious union of the individual psyche with the world psyche  Nature is the vehicle to help a person “transcend”

Transcendentalism:  It became a loose collection of ideas about literature, philosophy, religion, social reform, and the general state of American culture.

Basic Principles of Transcendentalism:  An individual is the spiritual center of the universe.  Spontaneous feelings and intuition are superior to deliberate intellectualism and rationality. People can use their intuition to behold God’s spirit in nature or in their own souls  Self reliance and individualism outweighs authority and blind conformity, custom or tradition. The idea of self-reliance and individualism came through the identification of the individual with God

Famous Transcendentalists:  Ralph Waldo Emerson The “original” transcendentalist Wrote essays (Self-Reliance)  Henry David Thoreau Protégé of Emerson Wrote Walden