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What is Transcendentalism? Key Emphasis: Self-Reliance

What is Transcendentalism? Key Emphasis: Self-Reliance.

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What is Transcendentalism? Key Emphasis: Self-Reliance

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  1. What is Transcendentalism?Key Emphasis: Self-Reliance • The transcendentalists originated in New England in the mid-1830’s. This group adopted some of Romanticisms’ ideals and mixed them with antipuritanism, antirationality, and mysticism and aspects of Eastern philosophies. A more optimistic offshoot of Romanticism.

  2. Transcendentalist • Central Belief in unity between nature and God, the presence of God in each individual, and the potential perfectibility of humans.

  3. Principles of Transcendentalism • Intuition, rather than reason or imagination, was regarded as the highest human faculty. • The focus was on the individual. • Looking to simplicity in one’s life as a path to spiritual greatness. • Opposed the reigning materialism and widespread conformity of American culture. • Looked to nature as a source of truth and inspiration. • Stressed non-conformity, emphasizing individuality and self-reliance.

  4. Transcendentalism Vs. Puritian Thoughts • Transcendentalism rejected the strict Puritan religious attitudes. • Puritan religion was the heritage of New England, where the movement originated. • Unlike the Puritans, the Transcendentalists saw humans and nature as possessing an innate goodness. • Transcendentalism opposes the strict ritualism and dogmatic theology of all established religious institutions.

  5. Transcendentalist Writers • Transcendentalist writers expressed • semi religious feelings toward nature • saw a direct connection between the universe and the individual soul. • Divinity permeated all objects, animate or inanimate. • Human life’s purpose was union with the so-called Oversoul. • Practiced self-examination • Celebrated individualism, and the extolling of the beauties of nature and humankind.

  6. Dialectic Journals (DJs) • Pull a meaningful quote from the text and respond to it. • Quote can be about anything, or can be an example of something (i.e. rhetorical device or rhetorical appeal) • In your DJs, each response needs to be at least 50 words.

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