Systems of Philosphy: Transcendentalism

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Transcendentalism Essay
Transcendentalism is the system of philosophy that leads to reality. William Bryant, Henry Thoreau, and Ralph Emerson illustrate the ideas of transcendentalism through their works. Although transcendentalism is an opinionated subject, there are still universal judgments about the philosophy. An argument presented in Thanatopsis (Bryant’s work) is that constantly worrying about death is pointless because it’s a perpetual fact of life. There is no stopping it. Bryant, Thoreau, and Emerson employs paradox, pathos, and logos to illustrate their believes on individualism, death, and self-reliance.
Henry Thoreau’s Walden elucidates the belief of individualism. “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts on life,” (1-4). In this excerpt, Thoreau believes people shall learn to choose their paths of life independently and purposely. The “essential facts of life” are often time only accepted as material necessities. Although materials are essential, human existence triumphs it. “When I came to die, discover that I had not lived,” (7-9). Thoreau utilizes paradox to explain that is it evident no person shall die without living life first. Life is not just physical appearance, but also self-fulfillment. Being lonely in solitude is also a paradoxical idea Thoreau illustrates to achieve individualism. The idea shows that being in solitude does not automatically cause loneliness. One can be lonelier with a room full of people, and be at self-peace in an empty room. Thoreau reflects and captures the concept of individualism in Walden through his uses of paradox.
William Bryant elaborates on the elements of death through his uses of pathos in Thanatopsis. “To him who in the ...

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Transcendentalism is the system of philosophy that leads to reality. Author’s Ralph Emerson, William Bryant, and Henry Thoreau display transcendentalism in their works. They utilize pathos, logos, and paradox to do so. Self-Reliance is a story of logic. Emerson states that individuals have to understand that they live their lived for themselves, and if they allow some else to live for them their uniqueness is tarnished. Thanatopsis illustrates the elements of death. The main argument that poem is that worrying about death is pointless because it’s destined to come. Walden is a work that employs individualism. Thoreau assures the audience that being alone in a vacant room could bring an individual to self-peace better than being accompanied by thousands of people. Through the rhetorical devices used these author’s fantastically relate to transcendentalism.

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