1. Transcendentalism: The Spirit of Individualism
“Every individual is capable of discovering this higher truth on his or her own through intuition.”
–Ralph Waldo Emerson

2. Transcend (verb)
To go beyond the limit
Synonyms surpass, exceed

3. Sublime (adjective) Causing wonder or astonishment
Synonyms astonishing, astounding, miraculous, wondrous, phenomenal, mind-boggling; beguiling.

4. An intellectual movement, NOT religious.
Transcendentalism:
An intellectual movement, NOT religious.
A movement of philosophy first, then literature.
Beginning of Romantic (not about love) movement.

5. Transcendentalist Beliefs:
Nature and Ultimate Reality:
Spirituality: Humans could transcend experiences. They can reach limits far below the surface.
Experience spiritual revelation.

6. Nature and Ultimate Reality:
Transcendentalist Beliefs:
Nature and Ultimate Reality:
Eminence: Whatever is divine is everywhere.
Omnipresence: A divine power (for some that means “God”) exists in every living thing. (Trees, grass, fox, man)
Unity: United because of a divine power. (Walt Whitman said, “For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.”)

7. Assumptions of Human Knowledge Sense and Understanding:
Sense = material world.
(We experience life, surroundings, interaction with fellowman)
Understanding = interpreting that material world.
(We have unique perspectives of those experiences)

8. Intuition and Reason:
Intuition gives (internal) knowledge of reality.
Reality may not always resemble what one can see and/or hold in his/her hands.
A Transcendental reality = inner truth.

9. Transcendentalists believe in the power of knowledge.
They do not dismiss logic.
They admire intelligence.
They search for answers.
Not willing to dismiss the intellect, the Transcendentalist looks to REASON to explain an inner truth.

10. Where does one seek truth
Where does one seek truth? With so many voices (intelligent and less than) telling individuals what to do, think, say, and feel, each person must leave (usually only temporary) his/her civilized (and often corrupt) society to find answers.
Since the divine exists everywhere and in everyone, individuals need time with nature to find inner truth.

11. More Transcendentalists Beliefs:
NOT every Transcendentalist agrees with every Transcendental belief.
They do believe in connection to a divine power through nature.
Man has free will.
INDIVIDUALITY is essential!

12. John Muir: econature
PBS, accessed May 10, minutes

13. Popular Transcendentalists:
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Leader/ “Father” of Transcendentalism.
By 1840, internationally known as a philosopher. Poet, Essayist, Lecturer.
Attended Harvard at 14 years old.
Minister until he experienced religious doubt after wife died.
Had a revelation = Humans and nature connect.
“Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” (Emerson)
(7 min of his quotes with music)

14. Henry David Thoreau
Harvard grad, follower of Emerson, abolitionist, great thinker.
Lived by his values, not society’s.
Wrote “Civil Disobedience” against slavery and Walden about living a peaceful and solitary year.
“I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, To put to rout all that was not life, and not, when I had come to die, discover that I had not lived.” (Thoreau)
video game trailer of Walden (3 min)

15. “I exist as I am, that is enough.” (Whitman)
Walt Whitman
Familiar with country and city life.
Jobs ranged from teacher to reporter to carpenter to nurse during the Civil War.
He self published his masterpiece poetry titled Leaves of Grass.
“I exist as I am, that is enough.” (Whitman)
(When I heard the learn’d astronomer audio)

16. Aphorism: brief statement, usually one sentence long, that expresses a general principle or truth about life.
Ex: “Honesty is the best policy.” (Ben Franklin)
In pod squads, choose an aphorism.
Write a brief analysis of the statement.
Connect it to the Transcendentalism philosophy.
Illustrate the statement metaphorically.
Be creative.

17. Aphorisms Write a brief analysis of the statement.
Things do not change; we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts.-Thoreau
Every heart vibrates to that iron string. - Emerson
Imitation is suicide. - Emerson
Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.-Emerson
To be great is to be misunderstood. - Emerson
With consistency, a great soul has simply nothing to do.-Emerson
Is there not a sort of bloodshed when the conscience is wounded?-Thoreau
If a plant cannot live according to its nature, it dies; and so a man.-Thoreau
Write a brief analysis of the statement.
Connect it to Transcendentalism philosophy.
Illustrate the statement metaphorically.
Be creative.

18. Add to aphorism assignment
Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist.-Thoreau
What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think.-Emerson
 It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own.-Emerson
I wish to live deliberately-Thoreau
Why should we live with such hurry and waste life? We are determined to be starved before we are hungry.-Thoreau
Time is but a stream I go a-fishing in.-Thoreau
Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads…-Thoreau
If you have built a castle in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be.-Thoreau
Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.-Thoreau
Things do not change; we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts.-Thoreau
Money is not required to buy one necessary of the soul…-Thoreau
The surface of the earth is soft and impressionable by the feet of men-Thoreau
Trust thyself - Emerson