Why was transcendentalism created

African Americans in the Early Republic. The society of the South in the early republic. Practice: Culture and reform in the early nineteenth century. In the s, the philosophy of Transcendentalism arose in New England. Some of its most famous adherents, including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, are still regarded as leading American thinkers today.

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Some of the transcendentalist beliefs are: Humans are inherently good Society and its institutions such as organized religion and politics are corrupting. Individualism Perhaps the most important transcendentalist value was the importance of the individual.

Idealism The focus on idealism comes from Romanticism, a slightly earlier movement. Origins While people had begun discussing ideas related to transcendentalism since the early s, the movement itself has its origins in s New England, specifically Massachusetts. Decline By the end of the s, many key transcendentalists had begun to move onto other pursuits, and the movement declined.

Key Figures in the Transcendentalist Movement At its height, many people supported the beliefs of transcendentalism, and numerous well-known names from the 19th century have been associated with the movement.

Ralph Waldo Emerson Emerson is the key figure in transcendentalism. Criticisms of Transcendentalism From its start, transcendentalism attracted numerous critics for its nontraditional, and sometimes outright alien, ideas. Spirituality Over Organized Religion For most people, the most shocking aspect of transcendentalism was that it promoted individual spirituality over churches and other aspects of organized religion. Abstract Values Have a hard time understanding what transcendentalists really wanted?

Major Transcendentalist Works Many transcendentalists were prolific writers, and examples abound of transcendentalism quotes, essays, books, and more. What's Next? Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Christine Sarikas. About the Author. Search the Blog Search. Find Out How. Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Reacting to the government in effective ways is very relevant today amidst the political unrest that regularly occurs. Like Trump, James K. Polk was a forceful, aggressive, political outsider intent on strengthening America and asserting its dominance over other world powers. Within a year of his inauguration he declared war on Mexico because of conflicts over the Texan border. Although he was a very popular president for his gung-ho mentality there were many that intensely disliked him.

Sounds eerily familiar. These opponents included Henry David Thoreau who used his anger and passion to write Civil Disobedience which describes what an honest citizen should do about a president they wholeheartedly oppose. As there are many people today that oppose Trump and what he stands for there is a need for the people to react and respond to the government and deal with this election and what has come after.

There have been peaceful protests, walkouts, strikes, marches, and people chaining themselves to bridges or setting up camp in a park for days all in an effort for people to get their voices heard. Civil Disobedience has helped many movements such as the Black Power movement in the 60s and 70s and it could help people today who feel confused and lost as to what to do when the President of their country does not represent their own ideas and opinions follow their own conscience rather than blindly following and accepting the administration.

The Transcendental movement was started as a way to create American Independence through literature. At the time, the majority of intellectual thought originated first in Britain before it came to America. The Transcendentalists wanted their own identity and thought specific to America. Ralph Waldo Emerson paved the way for this to occur and with his original essays he was able to change the way America saw its cultural and artistic possibilities and enable a separation from transatlantic traditions.

This idea of individuality, independence and self-reliance that the movement was founded on is a theme throughout almost all of the major works of Transcendentalism,. Self Reliance would help to address the groupthink mentality that the majority of the population has adopted. Emerson encourages individuality. Instead one should follow his or her own thoughts and feelings. This is a concept that everyone would benefit from adopting. By being self-reliant not only do we benefit as individuals but our relationships also benefit as we are not depending on other people and making our own happiness their responsibility.

This is a mistake many people make in romantic relationships and the relationships nearly always suffer because of it. It is very important to be an independent person. All we really have is ourselves and if we are dependent upon another person and they leave then it is extremely hard to deal with. Being true to oneself is also important for the functioning and success of a society.

If everyone were the same and tried to fit in a mold there would be no innovation or development. Society also suffers politically when people are unable to think for themselves. In this election the masses were fed their own beliefs choosing only one news program to watch and conforming to its opinions and the opinions of those around them.

Transcendentalist thinking emphasizes the value of the individual over society and over institution and the importance of intuition. These teachings would benefit society today because America depends on all of us doing what we can with the life that we have The more we can do with that individual life the more america and society as a whole evolves, the more it benefits. But everyone has a conscience. If we focus more on strengthening our connection to it there could likely be less crime and pain and suffering in the world.