The Important Role of Transcendentalism in American History
In 1830, a movement known as Transcendentalism began to gain
popularity in America. Representing an idealistic system of thought,
"strength, courage, self-confidence, and independence of mind"1 were some
basic values admired by the followers of the Transcendental movement.
Transcendentalists opposed many aspects of their government, where they
felt "many unjust laws existed."2 Therefore, they became the leaders of
many modern reform movements. Transcendentalists also had a major affect
on their society. Transcendentalism became a "powerful force for
democracy."3
Originating in the area in and around Concord, Massachusettes,
Transcendentalism was recognized as having an "underlying relationship to
the Romantic movement as a whole."4 Three of the most obvious or well
known sources or origin of Transcendentalism are neo-platonism, German
idealistic philosophy, and certain Eastern mystical writings which were
introduced into the Boston area in the early nineteenth century."5
Transcendental beliefs focused on "the importance of spirit over
matter."6 Ralph Waldo Emerson, a well known Transcendentalist, felt that
"all men aspire to the highest, and most of them spend their lives seeking
money and power only because they see nothing higher."7 Followers also
believed in a spiritual hunger, or the need to find themselves one with the
world. In addition, they believed in "an ascending hierarchy of spiritual
values rising to absolute good, truth, and beauty."8 Transcendentalists
also believed in a supreme being, the Oversoul, and felt that "if the
Oversoul is all powerful and at the same time good, then evil does not
exist."9...
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...reconciled few of them."19
It was never united by a set program. Transcendentalism was comprised of
the various interests and labors of many different personal concepts.
Therefore, there were many conflicting values which made it an unsteady
system to follow.
At the time of the Transcendentalism movement, "it preached, practiced,
an idealism that was greatly needed in a rapidly expanding economy."20
However, soon people began to find other, more comprehensible means of
dealing within society. Therefore, they began to turn away from
Transcendentalism. However, even though Transcendentalism is non-existent
as a whole today, many of its ideas, values, and morals are still present
in many of the religions and beliefs of today's society. In conclusion,
Transcendentalism will always be present in the world, it just will not
have as obvious a presence.
Throughout history, beginning when settlers first arrived in America, every event that took place became part of American history. Ideals, as described by Dr. Margolies, History Professor at Virginia Wesleyan College, are "motivating, lofty goals". Some of these ideals, which shaped American history, included life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as protected by the Constitution. Self-interest, a second influential factor in American history, is shown through the gaining of benefits for oneself. Although it is debatable which of these two influential factors was more dominant in American history, the possibility arises that they coincide with one another revealed by many documented events.
Transcendentalist writing had to do with the human sprit and its connection to nature. Transcendentalist thinkers believed that all things that occurred in nature were supposed to happen. For example, if there were forest fire that happened naturally, it would be looked at as a good thing because the ground gets nutrients. An anti-transcendentalist would see forest-fires as an act of destruction.
The United States is commonly thought to be on an inevitable march towards secularization. Scientific thought and the failure of the enlightenment to reconcile the concept of god within a scientific framework are commonly thought to have created the antithesis of religious practice in the rise of the scientific method. However, the rise of doubt and the perception that secularization is increasing over time has in actuality caused an increase in religious practice in the United States through episodic revivals. Moreover, practice of unbelief has developed into a movement based in the positive assertion in the supplantation of God by the foundations of science, or even in the outright disbelief in God. The perception of increasing secularism in the United States spurs religious revivalism which underscores the ebb and flow of religious practice in the United States and the foundation of alternative movements which combines to form the reality that the United States is not marching towards secularism but instead religious diversity.
We are always being haunted by our past sins and Misdemeanors. Even when we have been reformed, it takes a similar incident or someone appearing from the past to remind us of what we were before. I think Charlie is a strong Character. He was able to reform himself and stop drinking. This shows that he is strong. His coming back for his daughter proves that he is aware of his Civic responsibilities and he is ready to undertake them. There is a Strong bond between him and his daughter which is definitely a plus on his side.
Charlie Gaines lives with his single mother in L.A. because his father abandoned him when he was an infant. Charlie is now 12 years old. Charlie’s friends call him Brain and for a good reason to.
Charlie Sheen followed his father’s footsteps at an early stage. He became interested at the age of just nine with a part in his father’s movie, ‘The Execution of Private Slovik’. His father had another role soon after in the Philippines called ‘Apocalypse Now’. Charlie must’ve had a very difficult time though due to his father heart attack on the set that almost ended his life and career.
Religion in the New World exploded into the land with the colonization of thousands of immigrants. It played an important role in the development of thought in the West. Religion was one of the first concepts to spark the desires of people from other countries to emigrate to the new lands. While many religions blossomed on the American shores of the Atlantic, a basic structure held for most of them, being predominantly derived from Puritanism. Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement, showed the link the new settlers had to God when Sir Thomas Dale said the following in 1610:
not know is that his aunt molested him when he was little. Charlie does not realize this till his
Capitalism as an economic system has not been around for a very long time. Stanford indicates that this economic system began in the mid-1700s in Europe . For a considerably young system, it almost seems impossible to imagine a different way of living. Capitalism has become deeply embedded in our social structures; it is naturalized as a way of doing day to day things. If this is the case, then we as humans have a long way to go if we are to achieve social and economic justice. The question I aim to explore is whether capitalism is capable of achieving socio-economic justice. I am arguing that it cannot achieve justice because there is too much focus on profit rather than people and it dislocates the consumers from the modes of production which indirectly promotes social inequality. Our current economic system which I will be interchangeably using as capitalism throughout the paper will examine why the focus on profit is detrimental to the social well-being of people and explain how capitalism is divisive and why this can pose negative outcomes for individuals and communities. It is with these arguments that outline the need for a fundamental change to how our economy is structured and managed.
...ed to an optimistic emphasis on individualism, self-reliance, and rejection of traditional authority” (American 1). The major players in the transcendentalist movement are Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. They shared ideas such as self-reliance, and ideas about how there is a divine being that controls every person. They influenced many other writers and they even had an effect on the American society, then and now. Transcendentalism was a philosophy and a way of life. It will continue to be this as long as we have access to the great minds of the transcendental movement.
“The Transcendentalist adopts the whole connection of spiritual doctrine. He believes in miracle, in the perpetual openness of the human mind to new influx of light and power; he believes in inspiration, and in ecstasy.”(Emerson 196). These two lines written by Ralph Waldo Emerson exemplify the whole movement of transcendentalist writers and what they believed in. Though to the writers, transcendentalism was a fight for a belief, unknown to them they could have been fighting for the betterment of human health. The transcendentalist writings of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson have directly affected the health of modern society through the idea of transcendental meditation. Through modern science, scientists have linked increases in health among individuals through the use of transcendental meditation.
By the late eighteenth century, the Enlightenment, or the Age of Reason as it was called had begun to rapidly spread across Europe. People began believing in the ideals of popular government, the centrality of economics to politics, secularism, and progress. This cultural movement was sparked by intellectuals and commonwealth thinkers such as the influential writer John Locke and the famous scientist Isaac Newton, both who emphasized the fact that man, by the use of reason, would be able to solve all of his problems-whether it be problems with the government, morals or the society. However, these ideals weren’t just limited to the European nations where they had first begun. On the other side of the world, off in the United States, American intellectuals began to reason with these ideas as well. As a result, the influence on the profound of modern economic and political thought had a huge impact on the United States, resulting in one of the most important documents in known in American history; the Constitution.
In the film Into the Wild directed by Sean Penn, viewers may have gathered enough evidence to back up their thoughts on Christopher McCandless being a transcendentalist or a non-transcendentalist. Chris portrayed the effort of being a transcendentalist just as Ralph Waldo Emerson and David Thoreau did. He abandoned his nice life to hitchhike all over North America and he was happy about it. McCandless unfortunately died in the wilderness of Alaska after he had eaten moldy seeds. Sooner or later, that mistake was enough to end his life. He shows behavior of being a Transcendentalist by the ways that he despised society, burned his money after he abandoned his car, and went out to Alaska on his own.
Capitalism is the economic system in which production, distribution and, exchange of goods takes place for profit by people's own interest. In capitalism, private owners control over industry or market with none or very low interference by government. Capitalism provides right to express their freedom by making decision about their goods and labor. It gives right or freedom to choose what to produce, how to produce and, price of that product. Producer will decide that for how much he or she wants to sell his or her product. These, exchange of goods, all mainly depend on the laws of supply and demandl If there is no demand for a specific product, that producer won't be able to sell his/her product with profit. In contrast, on high' demand of a product, producer can sell and make a lot of profit. The main principle of the capitalism is to give freedom to the individual for their ability to produce something based on consumer demand and, interest in exchange of goods by means of profit and need. In sHort, people get freedom to run the market based on their ability and interest. In an ideal world, it supposed to benefit everyone, producers and consumers, because producer wilf produce and make profit from what people want and consumer will pay what they think the product is worth for. In Capitalism, private owner's make profit over labor. In-real world, labor get less money for their work on which owner make profit. Capitalism provides us freedom of individual, but it neglects the stability of the society.
Charlie Chaplin was considered one of the greatest actors of all time. Even more impressive was that he did it without the use of verbal communication. Instead, he communicated to his audiences with his actions and emotions, which he acted out so well. His films show, through the Little Tramp's positive outlook on life in a world full of chaos, that the human spirit has and always will remain the same (“Biography for Charles Chaplin”).