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Transcendentalism and individualism
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Transcendentalism is the system of philosophy emphasizing the intuitive and spiritual above the empirical and material. Through my experimentation I have found that the two most important principles of Transcendentalism are self-reliance and anti-materialism. While I experimented being completely self-reliant I made my own meals and did everything myself so I did not have to wait or rely on anyone. Another experiment I conducted was anti-materialism, during which I did not use any items of technology that were not completely necessary, and instead focused my attention on important things like making music and doing well on my schoolwork. My experimentation supported the beliefs expressed in the principles of Transcendentalism because I could almost immediately see how personifying those beliefs could benefit me by learning to care for myself and not having my possessions take control of me.
Emerson demonstrated self-reliance best when he wrote “though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through the toil bestowed on that plot of ground...
Transcendentalism is an idealistic philosophical and social movement that developed in New England around 1836 in reaction to rationalism and romanticism. This philosophy taught that all people have knowledge about themselves and the world around them that "transcends" or goes beyond what they can see, hear, taste, touch or feel. To achieve this one must transcend and go beyond everyday human experiences in the physical world. Transcendentalism dwells on the importance of emotion, individualism, and nature, and these beliefs are still used today in pop culture. In the Disney Pixar movie Finding Nemo, aspects of transcendentalism are depicted.
What is transcendentalism? Webster says transcendentalism is a philosophy that says that thought and spiritual things are more real than ordinary human experience and material things. The more simplified definition of it is the idea that our spirits have deep connection with. We are more "in tune" with nature and our mood is depicted by nature. So people can come to the conclusion that the “going green” movement and being “eco-friendly” is all a part of transcendentalism, and people who support these movements are transcendentalists. Leonardo DiCaprio, a multi millionaire, lives his life eco-friendly, and donates millions of dollars to protect our environment. By doing this, he is showing that he values the environment and nature more than he values material items, which is part of being a transcendentalist. DiCaprio is also an advocate for the gay rights movement. The other part of being a transcendentalist is the independence of the individual; and in today’s society the gay rights movement has become a great deal and the supporters of gay rights can be considered transcendentalists because homosexuality is interlinked with independence of the individual, which is stressed by transcendentalism.
Transcendentalism to some is may just be a long, lengthy word coined two hundred years ago that is not used today, but to other people, people like Chris McCandless, it is a way of life. They use these qualities to shape their life and strive hard to follow them. Chris McCandless was so focused on embodying the qualities of transcendentalism that he failed to see how much danger he was putting himself in. He had little to no common sense as shown by Westerberg. “But there were gaps in his thinking. I remember once I went over to the house, walked into the kitchen, and noticed a god-awful stink. I mean it smelled nasty in there. I opened the microwave, and the bottom of it was filled with rancid grease. Alex had been using it to cook chicken, and it never occurred to him that the grease had to drain somewhere. It wasn’t that he was too lazy to clean it up- Alex always kept things real neat and orderly- it was just that he hadn’t noticed the grease” (Krakauer 45). McCandless embodied the values of transcendentalism by believing in living closer to nature, believing in the dignity of manual labor, and being self reliant.
Transcendentalist believe in the natural man. One who is self-reliant, uncorrupted and one with nature. God is in everything but nothing in particular. "...that great nature in which we rest ... that Unity, that Over-Soul, within which every man's particular being is contained and made one with all other. . . . We live in succession, in division, in parts, in particles. Meantime within man is the soul of the whole; the wise silence; the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related; the eternal ONE." (Emerson, "The Over-Soul"). Becoming unified with nature and God. To not let the wrong doings of people in society affect you and live as if you are good and just. Always being aware of what is going on around you. Being as in tune with God and nature, as if you were listening to two teenage girls gossip. "Among democratic nations each generation is a new people."(Alexis de Tocqueville). Transcendentalism has survived because of close relationships with those around you and the teachings of ancestors who may or may not have been extremists. As children grow to be adults they have a tendency to learn and use the teachings/concepts they were raised by, implementing them into their children's lives."The order of nature contains supreme principles, either divine or intrinsic, and we will be wise to learn about them and find the means to conform to them." (Rawls, "Theory of Justice"). Seek to gain a knowledge an...
Transcendentalism is based on the belief that institutions in the society corrupt an individual’s purity. Transcendentalists believe that people are at their best when they are truly independent and self-reliant. They also believe that from independence and self-reliance, a true community is formed. Even though Transcendentalism is not recognized, it still exists in the modern society. Though not clearly outspoken as in Emerson and Thoreau’s times, many people in today’s society still have transcendental beliefs. Transcendental ideals are found in songs, films, books and other works such as media and advertisements. One example is the song “Get up, Stand up,” by Bob Marley, it is found to be influenced and has inspiration of transcendental elements such as Solitude (individuality), self-reliance, non-conformism (anti-institution), anti-materialism, nature and spirituality.
Transcendentalism was born between the 18th and the early 20th century. It's a philosophy of individualism and self-reliance. Transcendentalists strongly believed in the power of the individual. Their beliefs are intently linked with those of the romantics but varied by an endeavor to embrace or to not abjure the factual science. Additionally, they believed that society and its institution primarily manipulated the integrity of the individual.
Before I started cheering, both of my parents never knew how much goes into being a cheerleader. Though soccer was the sport I grew up playing, I ended up quitting to try out for cheerleading in seventh grade. I made the squad that year and I immediately became attached to cheerleading, though my parents did not know how to react exactly. Of course they were happy for me since it was something that I wanted to do, but it was not soccer. My dad did not consider cheerleading to be a sport in the beginning, claiming that “there is no team quality to cheering.” It was safe to say that he did not necessarily like that I quit soccer to take up cheering since he did not consider cheerleading to be a real sport. I have learned that going against tradition and conformity is difficult, but is worth it in the end.
Transcendentalism is a movement that practiced morals that were seen as unorthodox. Two of the major premises that shaped the life of a Transcendentalist were the presence of God in nature and empowering individualism. Both of these tenants proved their importance by continuing to influence modern society, life, and thought. These influences have demonstrated to provide a positive impact. They have led to both advancements and reform unto which have improved our way of life. Without these valuable principles, this modern era would not be where it is at today.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "Self-Reliance." World of Ideas 8e I-claim. Boston: Bedford/st Martins, 2009. 256-67. Print.
Many people have theories and philosophies about life in general. There have been hundreds of thousands of books published by many different people on the ideas of people in the past and the present. Transcendentalism falls in amongst all of these ideas. There have been articles, essays, poems, and even books written about this subject. Transcendentalism has effected many people since the philosophy was first introduced. The idea was complex and hard to grasp for many commoners and therefore it was understood by few people, and some would think that the idea was not understood at all and that was part of the idea. Henry David Thoreau once stated about himself, “I should have told them at once that I was a transcendentalist. That would have been the shortest way of telling them that they would not understand my explanations” (Reuben 1).
The movement of transcendentalism was a powerful movement that began to emerge in American in the nineteenth century. These powerful movements made readers question, challenge, and examine what they were accustomed too. Transcendentalism was the belief that what the person can see, touch, feel, taste, or comprehend goes beyond those senses. People were to knowledge their thoughts through instinct and imagination not through logic or the senses; they were to trust themselves to be their own authority on what is right. When people were able to receive these ideas not as a religious beliefs, but as a way of understanding life then they were consider a transcendentalist. Transcendentalism was one of the many literary writing styles used during
Transcendentalism was a religious movement that started in the late 1820s and 1830s. The main focus of transcendentalism was the perfection and goodness of a human being, nature, and the universe; it was also thought independence brought about the best in people. It was presumed that society was the cause of the corruption of purity in a person. Anti- Transcendentalism was a more realistic view of the world. They thought man was capable of evil as well as easily being deceived and their proneness to sin and self-destruction. Anti- Transcendentalists believed that making decisions solely on logic will create a negative effect in actions and thoughts.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. The American Scholar ; Self-reliance ; Compensation. N.p.: American Book, 1893. Print.
Transcendentalism was a movement that began in the 1830s through the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. It has to do with self reliance, nature and the connection between man, God, and nature. It tells you to listen to oneself and go by one's own choices instead of what society tells one to do. It shows the beauty in nature and all of what can come out of it. People today often don't think that way anymore and have argued that Transcendentalism has died out over the years. However, one may need to take into account modern conception of individuality and the beauty of nature. Transcendentalism has not died out and is still thriving in American culture through music of Twisted Sisters, Nirvana, kendrick Lamar, and The Beatles
Transcendentalism is where people feel empowered and their surroundings surpass their five senses. Where intuition and imagination overpower logic and reason. There are five tenets that go along with transcendentalism: non conformity, self-reliance, free thought, confidence, and importance of nature. Non conformity is failure or refusal to conform to a prevailing rule or practice. Self-reliance is reliance on one's own powers and resources rather than those of others. Free thought is anything you think and express unaffected by other people's views. Confidence is the state of feeling certain about the truth of something. The importance of nature is where people need nature to relieve their feelings and connect to their home. Qualities of transcendentalism