Transcendentalism as a form of social

criticism and protest

Transcend: to go beyond

What is transcendentalism?

– Philosophy that began in the 1830’s

– Mostly consisted of New Englanders (i.e. Transcendentalist club of Boston, headed by Emerson)

– Struggled with how to define spirituality and religion

– Developed as a protest to the general state of culture and society (disillusionment)

– Broadened into a literary and artistic movement as well

– Closely linked to Romanticism

Characteristics of transcendentalism

Transcendentalists believed that…

– God gave humankind the gifts of intuition, insight, and imagination

– There is inherent goodness in both man and nature

– Society and its institutions—particularly organized religion and political parties—ultimately corrupt the purity of the individual

– Man is at his best when truly "self-reliant" and independent. It is only from such real individuals that true community could be formed.

Characteristics cont.Transcendentalists also believed that…

– The soul of each individual is identical with the soul of the world and contains what the world contains (Over-Soul)

– Ultimate truth is within ourselves and within nature

– Our judgment can be clouded by outside forces (materialism)

– Social reform movements such as women’s rights and anti-slavery campaigns were worthy causes

These radical ideas of the time…

• profoundly influenced American literature, as it became more reflective and inspired by nature and experience (took on a journal-writing style)

• championed the individualism and self-reliance that America became known for

Was a reaction to…

– Rationalism

– Manifest Destiny

– Calvinism (i.e. Puritanism)

Has its roots in…

–German idealism and philosophy, specifically Immanuel Kant

Famous Transcendentalists

– Ralph Waldo Emerson – wrote essays “Nature” and “Self-Reliance”

– Henry David Thoreau – wrote book Walden and essay “Civil Disobedience”

– Louisa May Alcott – wrote Little Women

– Nathaniel Hawthorne – wrote The Scarlet Letter (although he is widely known as an anti-transcendentalist as well)

– Walt Whitman – poet

– Emily Dickinson – poet

– John Muir – founded the Sierra Club and devoted his life to the preservation of forests

– Jack London- American author who wrote The Call of the Wild and White Fang

Modern day– Although Transcendentalism was a powerful movement in the 1830’s

and 1840’s, there are still modern transcendentalists who exist.

Potential characteristics of a modern transcendentalist:

-Protective of/interested in nature

-Disdains materialism

-Rebel/rogue

-Doesn’t like societal rules or being hemmed in when it comes to education or religion

-Chris McCandless, the main character in Into the Wild (which we will study term 2), is a modern transcendentalist.

Transcendentalist Quote

– “We will work on our own feet; we will work with our own hands; we will speak our own minds. A nation of men will for the first time exist, because each believed himself inspired by the Divine soul which also inspires all men.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Seminar Questions

1. What main issues do each of the texts address? Why are they important in regard to social criticism/protest? In your opinion, how strong is each on the spectrum of social criticism/protest?

2. Describe the genre/writing style of these texts. In what ways do these genres/styles lend themselves to the topics of social criticism & protest?

3. What is the relevance today of Transcendentalism as a form of social criticism? How has it endured in your opinion? What evidence do you see of it around you?

4. Describe at least one aspect of the Transcendentalist texts that you personally related to or especially appreciated. Please be specific, noting a quote for support if applicable.