Transcript Transcendentalism - Los Gatos High School

Transcendentalism
http://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/2011/08/on-walden-pond-lives-of-quiet.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_david_thoreau
Henry David Thoreau
Walden Pond, important Transcendental site
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Fuller
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Replica_of_Thoreau%27s_cabin_near_Walden_Pond_and_his_statue.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Waldo_Emerson
Re-creation of Thoreau’s cabin at Walden
Margaret Fuller
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Definition

It’s a philosophy, not a religion
(Reuben).

Individuals must rely on intuition more
than reason and experience –
“transcend” the physical and intellectual
world (Applebee).

A loose collection of eclectic ideas about
literature, philosophy, religion, social
reform, and the general state of
American culture (Silva).

Emerged in mid-1800s in New England
(mostly Boston and Concord)
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ralph_Waldo_Emerson_House_%28Concord,_MA%29.JPG
Emerson’s home
http://www.humansarenotbroken.com/your-diet-is-not-a-lifestyle/
en.wikipedia.org
Origins

German philosopher Immanuel Kant
popularized the term “transcendentalism”
(SparkNotes). Kant claimed that humans
understood truth through reflection and
introspection, not by studying the
universe.
Immanel Kant


Transcendentalism began as a reform
movement in the Unitarian church.
ycwu001.blogspot.com
Emerson first expressed his philosophy of
transcendentalism in his essay “Nature.”
Rodin’s The Thinker
The Oversoul

In Emerson’s essay “The Oversoul,”
he asserted that individuals should
rely on intuition instead of logic or
the five senses.

When humans relied on intuition,
they connected with the Oversoul,
the great life spirit which connects
all people.
multiculturalismincanada.wordpress.com
The Oversoul unifies and connects us
www.libraries.iub.edu
Principle #1

An individual is the spiritual center
of the universe.

In other words, the individual is of
utmost importance, and truth,
beauty, and God are understood
by first looking within oneself
(Reuben).
inspireshineheal.com
All answers lie within
film-at-11.blogspot.com
Focus on the individual
inspirationboost.com
Principle #2

aurorasana.wordpress.com
All knowledge begins
with self-knowledge.
This is similar to
Aristotle's dictum
"know thyself”
(Reuben).
www.poweranimalsunleashed.com
izquotes.com
www.fanpop.com
Principle #3

Transcendentalists
believed nature to
be mysterious and
symbolic (Reuben).
waywardamericans.wordpress.com
www.jumpintoabook.com
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson (1803 – 1882) was born in
Boston, MA, the son of a Christian
minister.

He attended Harvard College (now
University) and later became a
Unitarian minister in 1829.

After his wife died in 1831 (2 years
after becoming a minister), Emerson
resigned from the clergy.

Emerson wrote many notable essays
including “Self Reliance,” which
encouraged a spirit of individualism
and “American Scholar,” which inspired
Americans to develop a unique identity
apart from Europe.
thegrowingspace.com
www.aphorism4all.com
Henry David Thoreau

Thoreau (1817 – 1862) was a devoted
follower of Emerson, and the two were
close friends.

Thoreau famously wrote Walden, a
book about his two year stay at Walden
Pond outside Concord, MA. During that
time, he built a hut and tried to live
simply.
commons.wikimedia.org
Interior of Thoreau’s hut
www.rugusavay.com

Most of the Transcendentalists were
abolitionists, and Thoreau was
especially outspoken. He also wrote an
essay entitled “Slavery in
Massachusetts.”
Margaret Fuller

Margaret Fuller (1810 – 1849) had a
reputation for being one of the most
well-read people in all New England.
In fact, it was believed that she was
the only woman who had access to
the library at Harvard College.

A talented writer, she edited The Dial,
a Transcendental magazine. She also
wrote the great Women in the
Nineteenth Century.

Finally, she often spoke at Brook
Farm, a Transcendental commune.
izquotes.com
americanliteraryblog.blogspot.com
Fuller notoriously had an affair
with an Italian nobleman, bore a
son, and then died one year later
Essential Questions
www.quotecartoon.com

How do people express their
personalities?

How do different philosophies
influence our society?

How does Transcendentalism
influence us today?
quotepixel.com
Works Cited
"Immanuel Kant." SparkNotes. SparkNotes LLC, 2013. Web. 2 Sept. 2013.
<http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/kant/themes.html>.
"Ralph Waldo Emerson Biography." Biography.com. A+E Television Networks,
2013. Web. 2 Sept. 2013. <http://www.biography.com/people/ralph-
waldo-emerson-9287153>.
Reuben, Paul P. "Chapter 4: American Transcendentalism: A Brief
Introduction." PAL: Perspectives in American Literature. Paul P
Reuben, 24 Oct. 2011. Web. 27 Aug. 2013.
<http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap4/4intro.html>.
Silva, Freda. "Transcendentalism2." English 11. GroveSite, 28 Oct. 2008.
Web. 27 Aug. 2013. <http://grovesite.com/page.asp?pid=322012>.