1 / 12

Introduction to Transcendentalism

Delve into the spiritual and literary movement of Transcendentalism, originating in 1830s Concord, Massachusetts. Discover key principles like self-reliance, connection to nature, civil disobedience, and the darker aspects through the American Gothic movement. Explore the beliefs of individualism, intuition, and the divine within nature through works of Emerson, Thoreau, Poe, and Irving.

theodorek
Download Presentation

Introduction to Transcendentalism

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Introduction to Transcendentalism

  2. What is Transcendentalism? • Transcendentalism: • Is a spiritual belief system • Was a philosophical movement • Was a literary movement • Began in the 1830s in Concord, Massachusetts • Is considered the first truly “American” philosophical and literary movement

  3. The Basic Premises of Transcendentalism • Belief that an individual is the spiritual center of the universe • So… within each individual lie the clues to nature and history • All knowledge begins with self-knowledge. • Nature is a living mystery full of signs • Nature is symbolic and spiritual • One must have faith in intuition, for no church or traditional creed can communicate truth.

  4. Four Categories • We will focus on and study Transcendentalist principles that fall in four categories: • To Thine Own Self Be True • Au Natural • “Fight” for Your Rights • Welcome to the Dark Side

  5. To Thine Own Self Be True… • Text: “Self-Reliance” • Author: Ralph Waldo Emerson • Philosopher, poet, preacher, and essayist • Known for his use of aphorisms in his writing

  6. To Thine Own Self Be True:“Self-Reliance” Principles • Determine Truth for Yourself- Only accept those traditions which appear to be true; reject the rest. • Know Thyself- Become a person of principle and then live by those principles, even if the majority of society doesn’t agree. • Be Yourself- Exercise the self-discipline necessary to study oneself in relation to nature.

  7. Au Natural • Text: “Walden” • Author: Henry David Thoreau • Essayist & teacher • He lived in isolation on Walden Pond for two years to learn from Nature…

  8. Au Natural: “Walden” Principles • God as Nature- God is in man and in all living things. • Contemplation of Divine Nature and Nature- It is best to live as close to nature as possible, for there a person can most successfully contemplate his/her reason for being. • Time and Personal Growth- Work (for money) only enough to fulfill basic needs. Dedicate the rest of your time to personal growth. • Physical and Mental Work- People should be both physically and intellectually active throughout life.

  9. “Fight” For Your Rights… • Text: “Civil Disobedience” • Author: Henry David Thoreau • Wrote this essay while in jail for refusing to pay taxes that funded a war that he didn’t believe in.

  10. “Fight” For Your Rights:“Civil Disobedience” Principles • Least Government Best- Have to courage to practice some form of non-violent protest if a law violates your principles, even if you must suffer the consequences. • Four Tenants of Civil Disobedience- • You must know the law • You must appeal to a higher law (morality, God…) • You must know the consequences for violating the law • You must choose to suffer the consequences

  11. Welcome to the Dark Side…American Gothic Movement • Text: “The Masque of the Red Death” • Author: Edgar Allan Poe • Text: “The Devil and Tom Walker” • Author: Washington Irving

  12. Welcome to the Dark Side… American Gothic Principles • Romantic and Transcendental writers opened the door to imagination and intuition, abandoning all allegiance to reason. • For many people, this freedom was represented by ideas that were dark or supernatural, representing the insane. • Transcendentalism celebrates the individual as a source of hope, beauty, and greater knowledge… • …instead of focusing on the beauty of nature and the individual, Gothic writers focused on the dark, evil possibilities (both in nature and in human behavior)

More Related