The Transcendentalist

change to “I am”. These movements are known as the Enlightenment and Transcendentalist periods. Both pose distinctive outlooks on how the American people should dwell within a society. Despite the differences in their ideology, a mutual understanding can be found when discussing the chastity of one’s mind. The Enlightenment intellectual, Thomas Paine, conveys the effect of prostituting the chastity of one’s mind, and the Transcendentalist philosopher, Henry Thoreau, stresses the importance of…

During the early to mid-nineteenth century, the Transcendentalist movement began in America. Transcendentalism was when people gained knowledge about themselves and the world around them through human insight and vision rather than from rationale or perception. Those who were part of the movement accepted ideas as a way of life and understanding, not as spiritual or religious beliefs. Ralph Waldo Emerson was credited as a leader of the movement and wrote Nature during this period of time.…

The Transcendentalist movement showed a lot of humans how to appreciate the world around them and be very symbiotic with the nature around them. Led by Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, texts and art forms displayed by the duo showed the world how to transcend past the norm of reality and exhibit characteristics not typically shown in a modern society. With this came forward the thoughts of Self-Reliance, the belief that you need no one, literally no one else to sustain economic,…

how believing in God changes their life. To begin, Transcendentalists are correct about what it means to be a human because they show how to succeed in life even when they are alone. According to Transcendentalists individualism is important. They are correct because one is a single person and must know how to live alone. Transcendentalists personal characteristics play a…

To most, Gandhi is considered to be a social nonconformist due to his unique beliefs during his time. Another group of nonconformists are Transcendentalists such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. The Transcendentalist movement took place in America in the 19th century and was led by many influential thinkers. Both Gandhi and the Transcendentalist thinkers shared common beliefs such as a person’s right to civil disobedience, the problems of social injustice, and the importance of…

Can committing suicide be justified as an action of being a Transcendentalist? Dead Poets Society is a movie about social pressure, the influence of Transcendentalism and the change of students’ perspectives towards the society. Neil Perry, one of the protagonists, is considered as the best student at Welton Academy. His father, Mr. Perry, is a strict man who willingly forces his son to go to Harvard University. Mr. Perry claims that Neil needs to be the best student in order for his family;…

Transcendentalism Being a transcendentalist in today’s modern society is a challenge to say the least. The idea of transcendentalism conjures up images of time spent in an isolated cabin or long walks in the woods, all interspersed with deep thinking and reflection. As the world continues to advance, further industrializing and introducing new technology, this picturesque idea of transcendentalism becomes more difficult to achieve. Despite this, people can still live as transcendentalist, just…

derived from intuitive sources rather than from objective experience (The American Heritage Dictionary). Anti-Transcendentalism is the belief in society, institutions, material possessions and that all humans are in some way inherently evil. Transcendentalists, more often than not, live off the grid all by themselves in light of the fact that they no longer want to be a part of society. They believe…

important in the Chris McCandless case on whether he is a transcendentalist or not for the reasoning that if you do not live the way you are supposed to, based on nature, you will ultimately die. Thoreau was considered a true transcendentalist; but when you really study him you will see how he does not match with all of the beliefs of a transcendentalist. Transcendentalists have unspecific complex beliefs and aspects that classify them. Transcendentalists are not all on a strict set of rules.…

that developed in the early 1830’s and according to scholar Lawrence Buell in his book, Literary Transcendentalism; Style and vision in the American Renaissance, emerged “as an expression of radical discontent within American Unitarianism” (4). Transcendentalists rejected the strict Unitarian ways of thinking of the time period, which promoted reason and logic. Instead, they practiced a more spiritual and individualized way of life. They emphasized individuality, self-reflection, and encouraged…