Transcendentalism

Bell Work – 3 mins.

• Grab the sheet of notes on the “daily handouts” table.

• Sit down and start looking over it (you will be quizzed on it after the PPT).

Target:

• Students will identify significant qualities of Transcendentalism-era authors/works.

• STANDARD: Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature

What does “transcendentalism” mean?

• There is an ideal spiritual state which “transcends” the physical and empirical.

• A loose collection of eclectic ideas about literature, philosophy, religion, social reform, and the general state of American culture.

• Transcendentalism had different meanings for each person involved in the movement.

Where did it come from?

• Ralph Waldo Emerson gave German philosopher Immanuel Kant credit for popularizing the term “transcendentalism.”

• It began as a reform movement in the Unitarian church.

• It is not a religion—more accurately, it is a philosophy or form of spirituality.

• It centered around Boston and Concord, MA. in the mid-1800’s.

• Emerson first expressed his philosophy of transcendentalism in his essay Nature.

What did Transcendentalists believe?

The intuitive faculty, instead of the rational or sensical, became the means for a conscious union of the individual psyche (known in Sanskrit as Atman) with the world psyche also known as the Oversoul, life-force, prime mover and God (known in Sanskrit as Brahma).

Basic Premise #1

An individual is the spiritual center of the universe, and in an individual can be found the clue to nature, history and, ultimately, the cosmos itself. It is not a rejection of the existence of God, but a preference to explain an individual and the world in terms of an individual.

Basic Premise #2

The structure of the universe literally duplicates the structure of the individual self—all knowledge, therefore, begins with self-knowledge. This is similar to Aristotle's dictum "know thyself."

Basic Premise #3

Transcendentalists accepted the concept of nature as a living mystery, full of signs; nature is symbolic.

Basic Premise #4

The belief that individual virtue and happiness depend upon self-realization—this depends upon the reconciliation of two universal psychological tendencies:

1. The desire to embrace the whole world—to know and become one with the world.

2. The desire to withdraw, remain unique and separate—an egotistical existence.

Who were the Transcendentalists?

•Ralph Waldo Emerson

•Henry David Thoreau

•Margaret Fuller

Ralph Waldo Emerson

• 1803-1882• Unitarian minister• Poet and essayist• Founded the

Transcendental Club• Popular lecturer• Banned from Harvard for

40 years following his Divinity School address

• Supporter of abolitionism

Henry David Thoreau

• 1817-1862• Schoolteacher, essayist,

poet• Most famous for Walden

and Civil Disobedience• Influenced environmental

movement• Supporter of abolitionism

Margaret Fuller

• 1810-1850• Journalist, critic, women’s

rights activist• First editor of The Dial, a

transcendental journal• First female journalist to

work on a major newspaper—The New York Tribune

• Taught at Alcott’s Temple School

NOW

• Put your notes away – it’s time for trashketball.

2 teamsRotate questionsRight answer = chance to shootScorekeeperWinning team =2 bonus points

Q1

• Name a writer associated with transcendentalism (need first and last name).

Q2

•Name a second writer associated with transcendentalism (need first and last name).

Q3

•Name a third writer associated with transcendentalism (need first and last name).

Q4

• To which German philosopher did Ralph Waldo Emerson give credit for popularizing the term “transcendentalism?”

A4

•Kant

Q5

• True/False?

• “Transcendentalists believed inr ationalism over intuition.”

A5

• False:

• Intuition over Rationalism

Q6

• What is the missing term?

• The intuitive faculty, instead of the rational or sensical, became the means for a conscious union of the individual psyche (known in Sanskrit as Atman) with the world psyche also known as the ________, life-force, prime mover and God (known in Sanskrit as Brahma).

A6

• What is the missing term?

• The intuitive faculty, instead of the rational or sensical, became the means for a conscious union of the individual psyche (known in Sanskrit as Atman) with the world psyche also known as the OVERSOUL, life-force, prime mover and God (known in Sanskrit as Brahma).

Q7

• Which rule breaker transcendentalist was banned from Harvard for 40 years following her/his Divinity school address?

• Thoreau

• Emerson

• Fuller

A7

• Which rule breaker transcendentalist was banned from Harvard for 40 years following her/his Divinity school address?

• Thoreau

• EMERSON• Fuller

Q8

• Which transcendentalist was most famous for Walden & Civil Disobedience?

• Thoreau

• Emerson

• Fuller

A8

• Which transcendentalist was most famous for Walden & Civil Disobedience?

• Thoreau• Emerson

• Fuller

Q9

• Which transcendentalist founded the Transcendental club?

• Thoreau

• Emerson

• Fuller

A9

• Which transcendentalist founded the Transcendental club?

• Thoreau

• Emerson• Fuller

Q10

Which premise was this? The belief that individual virtue and happiness depend upon self-realization—this depends upon the reconciliation of two universal psychological tendencies: 1.The desire to embrace the whole world—to know and become one with the world. 2.The desire to withdraw, remain unique and separate—an egotistical existence.

A10 - #4

Which premise was this? The belief that individual virtue and happiness depend upon self-realization—this depends upon the reconciliation of two universal psychological tendencies: 1.The desire to embrace the whole world—to know and become one with the world. 2.The desire to withdraw, remain unique and separate—an egotistical existence.

Q11

Which premise was this? The structure of the universe literally duplicates the structure of the individual self—all knowledge, therefore, begins with self-knowledge. This is similar to Aristotle's dictum "know thyself.”

A11 - #2

Which premise was this? The structure of the universe literally duplicates the structure of the individual self—all knowledge, therefore, begins with self-knowledge. This is similar to Aristotle's dictum "know thyself.”

Q12

Fill in the blank:

Transcendentalists accepted the concept of nature as a living _______________, full of signs; nature is symbolic.

A12

Fill in the blank:

Transcendentalists accepted the concept of nature as a living MYSTERY, full of signs; nature is symbolic.

Q13

Fill in the blank: •[Transcendentalism] is not a _____________—more accurately, it is a philosophy or form of spirituality.

A13

Fill in the blank: •[Transcendentalism] is not a RELIGION—more accurately, it is a philosophy or form of spirituality.

Q14

Fill in the blank:

•[Transcendentalism] is an ideal spiritual state which “_____________________” the physical and empirical.

A14

Fill in the blank:

•[Transcendentalism] is an ideal spiritual state which “TRANSCENDS” the physical and empirical.

Q15

Fill in the blank: 1.The desire to withdraw, remain unique and separate—an ______________________existence.

A15

Fill in the blank: 1.The desire to withdraw, remain unique and separate—an EGOTISTICAL existence.

Q16

Fill in the blanks:

An ________is the spiritual center of the universe, and in an ________can be found the clue to nature, history and, ultimately, the cosmos itself.

A16

Fill in the blanks:

An “individual” is the spiritual center of the universe, and in an “individual” can be found the clue to nature, history and, ultimately, the cosmos itself.

Q17

True or false:

Transcendentalism had different meanings for those involved in the movement.

A17

TRUE or false:

Transcendentalism had different meanings for those involved in the movement.

Q18

Transcendentalism began in the mid-

a.1400’s b. 1500’s

c. 1600’s d. 1700’s

e. 1800’s f. 1900’s

A18

Transcendentalism began in the mid-

a.1400’s b. 1500’s

c. 1600’s d. 1700’s

e. 1800’s f. 1900’s

Q19

Name this transcendentalist:

Editor of The Dial, a transcendetal journal…also worked on the New York Tribune (need first & last name)

A19

Name this transcendentalist:

Editor of The Dial, a transcendetal journal…also worked on the New York Tribune (A: Margaret Fuller)

Q20

What was so historic about Margaret Fuller’s position on the New York Tribune?

A20

What was so historic about Margaret Fuller’s position on the New York Tribune?

A: She was the first female journalist to work on a major newspaper.

Scorekeeper

•Write down the winning team’s names.

HOMEWORK: