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.