The Transcendentalist
By the mid-1800s, Americans were taking a new pride in their emerging culture. A group of New England writers began practicing transcendentalism - a philosophical and literary movement that emphasized living a simple life and celebrating the truth found in nature an din personal emotion and imagination. Exalting the dignity of the individual, the transcendentalist stressed American ideas of optimism, freedom, and self-reliance.
The term transcendentalism came from Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher who wrote of “transcendent forms” of knowledge that exist beyond reason and experience. Ralph Waldo Emerson gave this philosophy a peculiarly American spin: he said that every individual is capable of discovering this higher truth on his or her own, through intuition. The transcendentalists believed that people are inherently good and should follow their own beliefs, however different these beliefs may be from the norm. Both Emerson’s essay “Self-Reliance” and Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” address this faith in the integrity of the individual.
Literary Analysis:
Ralph Waldo Emerson’s motto was “Trust thyself.” This principle lies at the heart of transcendentalism, an intellectual movement that emphasized the dignity of the individual and advocated a simple, mindful life. The transcendentalists, led by Emerson himself, wanted to transcend—or go beyond—the limitations of the senses and everyday experience. Key tenets of transcendentalism include
• a theory that “transcendent forms” of truth exist beyond reason and experience; every individual is capable of discovering this truth on his or her own, through intuition
• a conviction that people are inherently good and should follow their own beliefs, however controversial they may be
• a belief that humankind, nature, and God are all interconnected
As you read, consider how Emerson’s writing articulates his belief in the importance of the individual as well as his ideas about humankind’s relationship to the natural world.
Reading Skill:
Identify aphorisms
An aphorism is a brief statement, usually one sentence long, that expresses a general principle or truth about life. Benjamin Franklin’s famous declaration “Honesty is the best policy” is one example of an aphorism. As you read, use a chart to record aphorisms that stand out to you. Think about how these statements reflect Emerson’s transcendentalist ideals.
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century
Born: May 25, 1803, Boston, MA
Died: April 27, 1882, Concord, MA
Henry David Thoreau was an American essayist, poet, and philosopher. A leading transcendentalist, he is best known for his book Walden, a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and his essay "Civil Disobedience", an argument for disobedience to an unjust state.
Born: July 12, 1817, Concord, MA
Died: May 6, 1862, Concord, MA
Thoreau Essays