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1836-1860

Transcendentalism was an idealistic philosophical and social movement, it taught that divinity pervades all nature and humanity. It originated in the 1800's in Masuchusetts amongst a small group of intellectuals who were reacting against the practice of Calvinism and the rationalism of the Unitarian Church, developing instead their own faith. They were training for the ministry, but rejected the belief that man's

knowledge came primarily through the senses. Opposingly, they believed in internal, spiritual principles as the basis for man’s comprehension of the world. Transcendentalism celebrated the divine equality and individuality of each soul. When it first flourished though in the 19th century, there was little cultural impact. The biggest impact at the time probably was more in the area of advancing Abolitionism than transcendentalism.

Henry David Thoreau

Why was Henry David important?

Henry David Thoreau was not a professional philosopher, but is recognized as an important contributor to American Transcendentalism. His essays, books, and poems bring together two central themes over the course of his intellectual career: nature and the conduct of life.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Why was Emerson important?

Waldo Emerson is considered to be the center of the transcendental movement, he created most of its ideas in his book, Nature, published in 1836, that showed ten years of intense study in philosophy. Which is characterized by its reliance on intuition as the only way to comprehend reality.

Transcendentalist

Movement

Importance of Transcendentalism.

What makes transcendentalism so unique?

Transcendentalism was a search for truth through spirituality. Transcendentalism stresses individual introspection and finds society as a whole to be a destructive force towards personal freedom. They believe that God can be found in Nature as well as inside ones self. It pushed towards self reliance. "Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." -Emerson

References.

It emphasized the importance of intuition and self reliance while focusing on nature and spirituality. The transcendentalist movement was unique to the United States because in an effort to escape its ties with Europe and form its own identity, the transcendentalist movement was formed. Transcendentalism also focused on individualist identity and social reform which would lead to self reliance and educational reform. They wanted equal education opportunities for women and minorities of all education levels, and they wanted individuality to be respected and encouraged. As for literary devices, antithesis, allusions, chiasmus, figurative language, and hyperbole were commonly used in the writing.

  • http://www.ushistory.org/us/26f.asp
  • http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/transcendentalism/
  • http://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/amtrans.htm
  • http://www.online-literature.com/periods/transcendentalism.php
  • http://transcendentalism-legacy.tamu.edu/authors/emerson/
  • http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED191018
  • http://reformmovements1800s.weebly.com/transcendentalists.html
  • http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/t/thoreau-emerson-and-

transcendentalism/emersons-nature/major-themes

  • http://www.enotes.com/topics/transcendentalism
  • http://universalcritique.blogspot.com/2012/07/view-into-transcendentalism.html
  • http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/first-age-reform/essays/transcendentalism-and-social-reform#_ftn2

By: Monica Alegria &

Juvensky Balthazar

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