American Transcendentali

sm““It was a high counsel that I once It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, heard given to a young person,

‘Always do what you are afraid to do.’” ‘Always do what you are afraid to do.’” – Ralph Waldo Emerson– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Note: I did not create this powerpoint…I wish I could give credit to who did…but all I can tell is that it came from the North Bergen New Jersey Schools…all credit to them for a job well done.

Emotion

Supernatural

Atmosphere

Nature

Individual

Subjectivity

Transcendentalism Gothic

Romanticism

TranscendentalismTranscendentalism

Proposes a belief in a higher reality than Proposes a belief in a higher reality than that found in sense experience or in a that found in sense experience or in a higher kind of knowledge than that higher kind of knowledge than that achieved by human reason.achieved by human reason.

Suggests that every individual is capable Suggests that every individual is capable of discovering this higher truth on his or of discovering this higher truth on his or her own, through her own, through intuitionintuition

DeismDeism Transcendentalism was strongly Transcendentalism was strongly

influenced by Deism, which although influenced by Deism, which although rationalist, was opposed to Calvinist rationalist, was opposed to Calvinist orthodoxy.orthodoxy.

Deists hold that a certain kind of religious Deists hold that a certain kind of religious knowledge is either knowledge is either inherent in each inherent in each personperson or accessible though the exercise or accessible though the exercise of reason.of reason.

DeismDeism Transcendentalism also involved Transcendentalism also involved

a rejection of strict Puritan a rejection of strict Puritan religious attitudes religious attitudes

Unlike the Puritans, the Unlike the Puritans, the Transcendentalists saw humans Transcendentalists saw humans and nature as possessing an and nature as possessing an innate goodness.innate goodness.

Born Bad or Good?Born Bad or Good?

PuritansPuritans

SinfulSinful

TranscendentalistsTranscendentalists

GoodGoodEnlightenmentEnlightenment

Blank SlateBlank Slate

The Influence of RomanticismThe Influence of Romanticism

The celebration of The celebration of individualismindividualism the beauty of naturethe beauty of nature the virtue of humankindthe virtue of humankind

Nature & the OversoulNature & the Oversoul Transcendentalist writers expressed Transcendentalist writers expressed

semi-religious feelings toward naturesemi-religious feelings toward nature They saw a direct connection between They saw a direct connection between

the universe & the individual soulthe universe & the individual soul Divinity permeated all objects, animate or Divinity permeated all objects, animate or

inanimateinanimate The purpose of human life was union The purpose of human life was union

with the with the “Oversoul” – a sort of “Oversoul” – a sort of convergence of the individual, God & convergence of the individual, God & NatureNature

The OversoulThe Oversoul

NatureIndividualGod

““In the faces of men and women I see God.” In the faces of men and women I see God.” – Walt Whitman– Walt Whitman

““The groves were God’s first temples”The groves were God’s first temples”– – Willam Cullen BryantWillam Cullen Bryant

Transcendental BeliefsTranscendental Beliefs

IntuitionIntuition, not reason, is the highest , not reason, is the highest human facultyhuman faculty

A rejection of materialismA rejection of materialismSimplicitySimplicity is the path to spiritual is the path to spiritual

greatnessgreatnessNatureNature is a source of truth & inspiration is a source of truth & inspirationNon-conformityNon-conformity, , individualityindividuality & & self-self-

reliancereliance

The TranscendentalistsThe Transcendentalists American Transcendentalism began with American Transcendentalism began with

the formation in 1836 of the the formation in 1836 of the Transcendental Club in Boston Transcendental Club in Boston

Magazine: Magazine: The DialThe Dial Brook Farm: communal living experimentBrook Farm: communal living experiment

Ralph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson Margaret FullerMargaret Fuller Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau Bronson AlcottBronson Alcott

Major Transcendentalist WorksMajor Transcendentalist Works

Ralph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson ““Self-Reliance” 1841Self-Reliance” 1841

Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau WaldenWalden 1854 1854 ““Civil Disobedience” Civil Disobedience”

TranscendentalismTranscendentalism

Transcendentalists believed that Transcendentalists believed that humanity was Godlike and saw the humanity was Godlike and saw the world in which only good existedworld in which only good existed

They chose to focus on the positive They chose to focus on the positive rather than evil & darknessrather than evil & darkness

““Self-Reliance”Self-Reliance”

Ralph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson

““Self-Reliance” - EmersonSelf-Reliance” - Emerson

““There is a time in every man’s There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the education when he arrives at the conviction that conviction that envy is ignorance; envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicidethat imitation is suicide…”…”

““Trust thyself…”Trust thyself…”

““Self-Reliance” - EmersonSelf-Reliance” - Emerson

““Whoso would be a man, must be a Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist.”nonconformist.”

““Nothing is at last sacred but the Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.”integrity of your own mind.”

““No law can be sacred to me but that No law can be sacred to me but that of my own nature. Good and bad are of my own nature. Good and bad are but names very readily transferable but names very readily transferable to that or this; the only right is what to that or this; the only right is what

is after my constitution; the only is after my constitution; the only wrong what is against it…”wrong what is against it…”

““What I must do is all that concerns What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This me, not what the people think. This

rule…may serve for the whole rule…may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and distinction between greatness and meanness. It is easy in the world to meanness. It is easy in the world to

live after the world’s opinion; it is live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; easy in solitude to live after our own;

but the great man is he who in the but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with midst of the crowd keeps with

perfect sweetness the independence perfect sweetness the independence of solitude…”of solitude…”

““For nonconformity the world whips you For nonconformity the world whips you with its displeasure.”with its displeasure.”

““The other terror that scares us from The other terror that scares us from self-trust is our consistency; a self-trust is our consistency; a reverence for our past act or word reverence for our past act or word because the eyes of others have no because the eyes of others have no other data for computing our orbit than other data for computing our orbit than our past acts, and we are loathe to our past acts, and we are loathe to disappoint them…”disappoint them…”

““A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little mindsof little minds…”…”

““Speak what you think now in hard words Speak what you think now in hard words and tomorrow speak what tomorrow and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it thinks in hard words again, though it

contradict every thing you said today. – contradict every thing you said today. – ‘Ah, so you shall be sure to be ‘Ah, so you shall be sure to be

misunderstood.” – Is it so bad then to be misunderstood.” – Is it so bad then to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood? Pythagoras was

misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo,

and Newton, and every pure and wise and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is To be great is

to be misunderstoodto be misunderstood.”.”

Other Emerson QuotationsOther Emerson Quotations ““I hate quotations. Tell me what I hate quotations. Tell me what

you know.”you know.” ““All life is an experiment. The more All life is an experiment. The more

experiments you make the better.”experiments you make the better.” ““The only way to have a friend is to The only way to have a friend is to

be one.be one.”” "To finish the moment, to find the journey's "To finish the moment, to find the journey's

end in every step of the road, to live the end in every step of the road, to live the greatest number of good hours, is greatest number of good hours, is wisdom."   wisdom."   

Other Emerson QuotationsOther Emerson Quotations ““The reward of a thing well done, is The reward of a thing well done, is

to have done it.” to have done it.” ““What lies behind us and what lies What lies behind us and what lies

before us are small matters before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.” compared to what lies within us.”

““Make yourself necessary to Make yourself necessary to someone.someone.””

Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau

Walden, orWalden, orLife in the WoodsLife in the Woods

Thoreau criticized the direction in which civilization was Thoreau criticized the direction in which civilization was going, particularly commercialization:going, particularly commercialization:

"To have done anything just for money is to "To have done anything just for money is to have been truly idle.“have been truly idle.“

"Most of the luxuries and many of the so-"Most of the luxuries and many of the so-called comforts of life are not only not called comforts of life are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind. " - elevation of mankind. " - WaldenWalden

"Rather than love, than money, than fame, "Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth." - give me truth." - WaldenWalden

Thoreau criticized the direction in which civilization was Thoreau criticized the direction in which civilization was going, particularly commercialization:going, particularly commercialization:

"Thank God men cannot as yet fly and lay "Thank God men cannot as yet fly and lay waste the sky as well as the earth!" waste the sky as well as the earth!"

"If a man walks in the woods for love of "If a man walks in the woods for love of them half of each day, he is in danger of them half of each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer. But if he being regarded as a loafer. But if he spends his days as a speculator, shearing spends his days as a speculator, shearing off those woods and making the earth bald off those woods and making the earth bald before her time, he is deemed an before her time, he is deemed an industrious and enterprising citizen."industrious and enterprising citizen."

““I went to the woods because I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential to front only the essential

facts of life, and see if I facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I to teach, and not, when I

came to die, discover that I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”had not lived.”

““Simplicity, simplicity, Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, affairs be as two or three,

and not a hundred or a and not a hundred or a thousand.”thousand.”

WaldenWalden(continued)(continued)

““It is remarkable how easily and It is remarkable how easily and insensibly we fall into a insensibly we fall into a

particular route, and make a particular route, and make a beaten track for ourselves. I had beaten track for ourselves. I had not lived there a week before my not lived there a week before my feet wore a path from my door to feet wore a path from my door to the pond-side; and though it is the pond-side; and though it is

five or six years since I trod it, it five or six years since I trod it, it is still quite distinct.”is still quite distinct.”

“ “It is true, I fear that others may have fallen into It is true, I fear that others may have fallen into it, and so helped to keep it open. The surface of it, and so helped to keep it open. The surface of the earth is soft and impressible by the feet of the earth is soft and impressible by the feet of men; and so with the paths which the mind men; and so with the paths which the mind

travels. How worn and dusty, then, must be the travels. How worn and dusty, then, must be the highways of the world, how deep the ruts of highways of the world, how deep the ruts of

tradition and conformity.”tradition and conformity.”

““Superfluous wealth can Superfluous wealth can buy superfluities only. buy superfluities only.

Money is not required to Money is not required to buy one necessary of the buy one necessary of the

soul.”soul.”

““Civil Disobedience”Civil Disobedience”Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau

““Civil Disobedience”Civil Disobedience”

Thoreau’s essay urging Thoreau’s essay urging passive, nonviolent resistance passive, nonviolent resistance to governmental policies to to governmental policies to which an individual is morally which an individual is morally opposedopposed

Civil DisobedienceCivil Disobedience

Written after Thoreau spent a night Written after Thoreau spent a night in jail after refusing to pay a poll tax.in jail after refusing to pay a poll tax.

Thoreau refused to pay the $1.50 Thoreau refused to pay the $1.50 tax because the revenues went to tax because the revenues went to the government which was allowing the government which was allowing slavery to continue and which was slavery to continue and which was waging an unjust war against waging an unjust war against Mexico.Mexico.

““Civil Disobedience”Civil Disobedience”

Influenced individuals such as Influenced individuals such as Ghandi, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ghandi, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. & Cesar Chavez& Cesar Chavez

Click on photo for info about each

person

““That government is best which governs That government is best which governs least…That government is best which least…That government is best which governs not at all.”governs not at all.”

““I ask for, not at once no government, but I ask for, not at once no government, but at onceat once a better government.” a better government.”

““I cannot for an instant recognize that I cannot for an instant recognize that political organization as political organization as mymy government government which is the which is the slave’sslave’s government also.” government also.”

““Civil Disobedience”Civil Disobedience”

““Under a government Under a government which imprisons any which imprisons any

unjustly, the true place unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a for a just man is also a prison…It is there that prison…It is there that the fugitive slave, and the fugitive slave, and

the Mexican prisoner on the Mexican prisoner on parole, and the Indian parole, and the Indian

come to plead the come to plead the wrongs of the race wrongs of the race should find them..”should find them..”

““If a thousand men were not to pay their If a thousand men were not to pay their tax-bills this year, that would not be a tax-bills this year, that would not be a

violent and bloody measure, as it would violent and bloody measure, as it would be to pay them, and enable the State to be to pay them, and enable the State to

commit violence and shed innocent commit violence and shed innocent blood. This is, in fact, the definition of a blood. This is, in fact, the definition of a

peaceable revolution…”peaceable revolution…”

Other Thoreau QuotationsOther Thoreau Quotations

““Things do not change; we change.”Things do not change; we change.” ““The only danger in Friendship is that it The only danger in Friendship is that it

will end.” will end.” ““The best way to correct a mistake is to The best way to correct a mistake is to

make it right.”make it right.” ““When I When I hearhear music I fear no danger, I music I fear no danger, I

am invulnerable, I see no foe. I am am invulnerable, I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times and to the related to the earliest times and to the latest.”latest.”