Transcendentalism Comparison Essay
In the late 1820s and the 1830s, there was an intellectual movement called transcendentalism, the forerunner of this school of thought was Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Throughout his writings and multiple essays, he explained it as a way of life in which all knowledge is derived from within and from nature. It focuses on intuitiveness, self-reliance, honoring the uniqueness of your individual person, being free-thinking, and the fact that spiritual understanding is obtained from inside you, arguing that you are not separate from God, but “a particle of God.”
A parallel philosophy of Transcendentalism that has permeated into our modern society, is New Age practices and theories. Like the New Age idea, that spiritual …show more content…
Who tells her through song, “Listen with your heart, you will understand.” Both the Pocahontas’s individualism and great reverence for nature and the Willow’s guidance allude to Transcendental philosophy.
Jon Krakauer’s novel, “Into The Wild”, also provides an example of transcendentalism.
The film is based off a true account that occurred in 1995, of a student named Christopher
McCandless, portrayed by Emile Hirsch. In the novel/film, McCandless finishes University and decides to leave his family and everything he knows to journey across the United States, in search of spiritual truth through his experiences, self-awareness and through nature. Along the way, he meets different people, who he imparts his knowledge on, and makes it to the Alaskan wilderness in hopes of finally escaping the pressures and influences of society, and his familial problems whilst obtaining enlightenment being alone in the wild.
To continue, Ralph Waldo Emerson once said on self- reliance that “Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.” This I believe, describes being in solitude as McCandless sought to …show more content…
Knowledge is always shape-shifting through time, as is the individual. Knowledge is discovered, tried and tested, experienced, discussed, sifted through, and built upon as others come across it and add their own tokens along the way. That is the essence of evolution, learning and implementing things from one another, from life, and sharing to have humanity continue forward.
Although I may not see eye to eye with all transcendental beliefs, I do agree with some.
Such as the fact that we as people should catch a breath once in awhile and be in nature and take it in with all its beauty and as a guide to reflect upon ourselves. Also, that there is value in our own beliefs and that our own intrinsic knowledge is important. On another hand, however, I do believe that the exchange of knowledge between us, is what makes us grow. While our knowledge is valuable, others’ are just as important. Learning from others, and sharing our thoughts with one another, helps us gain more insight. And remembering to have an open mind to other perspectives, is the key because, in the end, we are just one mind out of
In the late 1820s and the 1830s, there was an intellectual movement called transcendentalism, the forerunner of this school of thought was Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Throughout his writings and multiple essays, he explained it as a way of life in which all knowledge is derived from within and from nature. It focuses on intuitiveness, self-reliance, honoring the uniqueness of your individual person, being free-thinking, and the fact that spiritual understanding is obtained from inside you, arguing that you are not separate from God, but “a particle of God.”
A parallel philosophy of Transcendentalism that has permeated into our modern society, is New Age practices and theories. Like the New Age idea, that spiritual …show more content…
Who tells her through song, “Listen with your heart, you will understand.” Both the Pocahontas’s individualism and great reverence for nature and the Willow’s guidance allude to Transcendental philosophy.
Jon Krakauer’s novel, “Into The Wild”, also provides an example of transcendentalism.
The film is based off a true account that occurred in 1995, of a student named Christopher
McCandless, portrayed by Emile Hirsch. In the novel/film, McCandless finishes University and decides to leave his family and everything he knows to journey across the United States, in search of spiritual truth through his experiences, self-awareness and through nature. Along the way, he meets different people, who he imparts his knowledge on, and makes it to the Alaskan wilderness in hopes of finally escaping the pressures and influences of society, and his familial problems whilst obtaining enlightenment being alone in the wild.
To continue, Ralph Waldo Emerson once said on self- reliance that “Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.” This I believe, describes being in solitude as McCandless sought to …show more content…
Knowledge is always shape-shifting through time, as is the individual. Knowledge is discovered, tried and tested, experienced, discussed, sifted through, and built upon as others come across it and add their own tokens along the way. That is the essence of evolution, learning and implementing things from one another, from life, and sharing to have humanity continue forward.
Although I may not see eye to eye with all transcendental beliefs, I do agree with some.
Such as the fact that we as people should catch a breath once in awhile and be in nature and take it in with all its beauty and as a guide to reflect upon ourselves. Also, that there is value in our own beliefs and that our own intrinsic knowledge is important. On another hand, however, I do believe that the exchange of knowledge between us, is what makes us grow. While our knowledge is valuable, others’ are just as important. Learning from others, and sharing our thoughts with one another, helps us gain more insight. And remembering to have an open mind to other perspectives, is the key because, in the end, we are just one mind out of