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TranscendentalismHenry David ThoreauRalph Waldo Emerson
TranscendentalismHenry David ThoreauRalph Waldo Emerson
Transcendentalism
• Henry David Thoreau
• Ralph Waldo Emerson
Transcendentalism
• Early 1800’s movement in 3 areas:
• Literature
• Philosophy
• Spirituality
• Centers on a belief that we can only reach our truest potential when we “rise above” the limitations that society places on us.
Transcendentalism
• Henry David Thoreau
• Ralph Waldo Emerson
Inspiration/Background
• This was part of America’s Romantic Period.
• The Romantics were poets/artists rebelling AGAINST the Enlightenment (a.k.a.: The Age of Reason).
Transcendentalism• Henry David Thoreau
• Ralph Waldo Emerson
• 1700’s • 1800’sENLIGHTENMENT ROMANTICISM
• Like cities • Like nature• Thought • Emotion
• Reason • Imagination
• Logic • Intuition
• Complex • Simple
• Rational • Mysterious
• Experiments/facts • Opinions/Personal truth
• Society: norms & systems • Nature: wild & untamed
• Change • Tradition
• Strength of Society • Spirit of Individual
• Standardized religion • Personal religion; supernatural
vs.
Transcendentalism
• Henry David Thoreau
• Ralph Waldo Emerson
Transcendental Beliefs
Transcendentalists believe in a balance of both Enlightenment & Romanticism.
• Don’t want to discredit the genius of many Enlightenment thinkers.
• But being born out of Romanticism, it has undeniable biases towards it.
Transcendentalism
• Henry David Thoreau
• Ralph Waldo Emerson
CARPE DIEM
• Live your life now so that you don’t regret or fear death.
• Death is mysterious, and that’s the way it should be.
Transcendentalism
• Henry David Thoreau
• Ralph Waldo Emerson
INTERCONNECTEDNESS
• Everything in the Universe comes from the same source.
• Everything shares the same energy.
• We are all a part of everything.
Transcendentalism
• Henry David Thoreau
• Ralph Waldo Emerson
INTERCONNECTEDNESS
• They believe that …
• God
• The Universe
• Nature (not nature)
• The Great Spirit
• The Force
...are all the same thing.
Transcendentalism
• Henry David Thoreau
• Ralph Waldo Emerson
INTERCONNECTEDNESS
• Religiously, they are pantheists (pantheism).
• Pan = all, Theos = God
• God is in all things
• or that God is all things.
• (Don’t confuse with Polytheism - many gods)
Transcendentalism
• Henry David Thoreau
• Ralph Waldo Emerson
INTERCONNECTEDNESS
• They believe in miracles.
• Not everything needs to have an explanation.
Transcendentalism
• Henry David Thoreau
• Ralph Waldo Emerson
NONCONFORMITY
• Don’t follow the crowd.
• Believe in yourself.
• But there is a catch….
• What happens when you declare yourself a nonconformist?
• You are conforming to all the other nonconformists.
Transcendentalism
• Henry David Thoreau
• Ralph Waldo Emerson
Transcendentalism
• Henry David Thoreau
• Ralph Waldo Emerson
POLARITY
• They understand the balance of opposing forces in the world.
• Can’t have one without the other
• How do you know what light is without having experienced darkness?
• Good/evil, male/female, up/down, etc.
Transcendentalism
• Henry David Thoreau
• Ralph Waldo Emerson
LESS IS MORE
• Emphasized a “back to basics” attitude
• Simplify your life
• Learn to love what you already have
• With less “clutter” in your life, you have more time to truly enjoy it.
• Things add stress to your life.
Personal Choice 40%
External Factors 10%
Genes 50%
Transcendentalism
• Henry David Thoreau
• Ralph Waldo Emerson
TRUE HAPPINESS ONLY COMES FROM WITHIN
• Do not place your emotional well-being in the hands of anyone or anything else than yourself.
• YOU are the only reliable constant in your life.
• Relationships end, things break, but YOU will never leave.
• Be proud of who you are.
• Learn to love yourself.