Transcript Transcendentalism

Transcendentalism
Literature Unit 5
The Transcendentalists
 They
were a loose-knit group of writers,
artists, and reformers
 Active for only about 10 years
 Their central tenet (main focus) was the
belief that the individual was at the
center of the universe, more powerful
than any institution, whether political or
religious.
The Industrial Revolution
 Institutions
downplayed the
importance of the
individual
 Industrialism had
shown that machines
could actually
replace people, that
individuals did not
matter
Inspired by Strife
 Ralph
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Waldo Emerson
Pastor in Boston during the
early 1830’s
mourning the death of his
young wife
Began to question his beliefs
Emerson
 Resigned
from the church
 Traveled to Europe to visit with some of
the great philosophers of the day
 Became a radical thinker
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“the individual is the world”
“the Human Mind is so powerful it can
unlock any mystery, from the intricacies of
nature to the wonder of God”
The “Over-Soul”
 Emerson
proposed that every soul and all
of nature was part of the “Over-Soul”
 It is a universal spirit to which all beings
return after death
 Every being is part of God’s mind
More Emerson
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Main principles used to develop
transcendentalism included:
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One of the most quoted writers in American
Literature
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Individuality
Independence
An appreciation for the wonders of nature
Every line is a sound bite
Worked as a pastor, writer, lecturer, and poet
What does it mean?
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Transcendentalism is an intellectual
movement founded by Emerson
3 main beliefs
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Human senses are limited; they convey
knowledge of the physical world, but deeper
truths can be grasped only through intuition.
The observation of nature illuminates the nature
of human beings.
God, nature, and humanity are united in a
shared universal soul, or Over-Soul
What is he talking about?
 “I
am a transparent eyeball…the currents
of the Universal Being circulate through
me; I am part and parcel of God”
 He is part of nature, part of every living
thing, part of God.
 He is a total hippie.
 “Nature
is a setting that fits equally well in
a comic or mourning piece”
 Nature reflects our moods
 Our perceptions shape the world around
us.
 “Trust
thyself; every heart vibrates to that
iron string.”
 Rely on yourself.
 “Society everywhere is in conspiracy
against the manhood of every one of its
members”
 Conformists pressure non-conformists to
give up their individuality and become
like everyone else.
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“A foolish
consistency is the
hobgoblin of little
minds”
If we keep doing
things the way we
have always done
them and never ask
why, we lose an
opportunity to think
for ourselves.
 “Speak
what you think now is hard words,
and speak what tomorrow thinks in hard
words again, even though it contradicts
everything you said today.”
 Be willing to change your mind and admit
it.
 “It
(society) loves not realities and
creators, but names and customs.”
 Conformists prefer to do things the
traditional way. They do not appreciate
innovation.