Transcendentalism

tran·scen·den·tal·ism

ˌtran(t)ˌsenˈden(t)lˌizəm/

noun

• • • • 1. an idealistic philosophical and social movement that developed in New England around 1836 in reaction to rationalism. Influenced by romanticism, Platonism, and Kantian philosophy, it taught that divinity pervades all nature and humanity, and its members held progressive views on feminism and communal living. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were central figures.

        2. a system developed by Immanuel Kant, based on the idea that, in order to understand the nature of reality, one must first examine and analyze the reasoning process that governs the nature of experience.

Watch this video on the life and ideas of Ralph Waldo Emerson. As you watch, make notes about 1. Emerson's legacy, 2. his early life, 3. his trip to Europe, 4. his ideas about American originality 5. his philosophy. Explain "pantheism". Explain the "transparent eyeball".