Similarities Between Civil Disobedience And Transcendentalism

An influential literary movement in the nineteenth century, transcendentalism placed an emphasis on the wonder of nature and its deep connection to the divine. As the two most prominent figures in the transcendentalist movement, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau whole-heartedly embraced these principles. In their essays “Self-Reliance” and “Civil Disobedience”, Emerson and Thoreau, respectively, argue for individuality and personal expression in different manners. In “Self-Reliance”, Emerson calls for individuals to speak their minds and resist societal conformity, while in “Civil Disobedience” Thoreau urged Americans to publicly state their opinions in order to improve their own government.

Thoreau believed that individual integrity had the ability to triumph the government. Thoreau went to jail because he refused to pay his poll taxes for the past six years. Also, he protested against the Mexican war, and slavery, which also contributed to him going to jail and his views on the government. During his short period in jail he clarified that he did not dread it, and portrayed it as “Traveling into a far country” (964).

Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson were neighbors and shared a strong bond of friendship. It was Emerson’s interest and support that encouraged Thoreau to become an aspiring writer to achieve greatness. Both Emerson and Thoreau were Transcendentalists. The most important belief of Transcendentalists was the idea that people should act upon their own conscious without giving away to what society thinks of their actions. Thoreau is usually referred as the disciple of Emerson, who’s known as the father of Transcendentalism but critics have argued about the similarities and differences in their work. The main focus of this paper is to compare the works of two writers, Emerson’s essay On Self-Reliance and Thoreau’s Walden, and show the influence of Emerson on Thoreau’s literature.

Transcendentalism was what Emerson and Thoreau touched most with their writings. They took their words, and created something new that many people would later follow. Transcendentalism is the nature of being one with yourself, and learning to better yourself through nature, and self knowledge. The quote from above is an example of what the two figures preached. Emerson believed that consistency of thought was foolished, and he highlighted the fact that having a consistent mind was mindless. He believed people should have an open mind, and be able to look at things in different perspectives.

some soul searching to really practice it to its true effect. It promotes the idea that a man should

Transcendentalism was a cultural movement during the early 1800’s that swept across America through the works of authors such as Emerson and Thoreau. The movement placed value upon the spirituality of nature, individuality and breaking away from the moral shortcomings of society and government as seen in Emerson’s essays “Nature” and “Self Reliance” and in Thoreau's Essay “Civil Disobedience”. In today’s world, to be a transcendentalist one does not need to adhere to every tenet postulated by the leaders of the movement, but one does have to listen to his/her own moral code and attempt to live simply and frugally. In this sense, Christopher McCandless is a modern day transcendentalist evident through his actions and philosophy captured in the

The transcendentalist movement shaped America in the 1860s by inspiring citizens to be free thinkers and hardworking individuals who would lead their lives to the fullest. The movement was led by three revolutionary writers named Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Walt Whitman, three icons who challenged Americans to be individuals. Through his works “Self Reliance” and “Nature”, Ralph Waldo Emerson preached of nonconformity and creating a personal destiny. Henry David Thoreau emphasized simplicity and making the most of life by seizing every opportunity presented, in his work “Walden”. Walt Whitman encourages real life experience and the value of hard work throughout his various poems. The principles preached by the

Introduction Thoreau and Emerson were two of the most influential men from the transcendentalism era, they are even known as the Fathers of Transcendentalism. Two of their most famous quotes Quotes: “I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward. It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right. The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right” -(Thoreau, “Civil Disobedience”)

     From the onset of man fighting for freedom or his beliefs, the question has always been whether one person can make a difference using words rather than wars. Philosophically, the concept of civil disobedience would appear to be an ineffective weapon against political injustice; history however has proven it to repeatedly be one of the most powerful weapons of the common man. Martin Luther King Jr. looked at the way African Americans were treated in the United States and saw an inequality. By refusing to pay his taxes and subsequently being imprisoned for a night, Henry David Thoreau demonstrated his intolerance for the American

In transcendental essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau and the plot developments in “Dead Poets Society” demonstrate how it is necessary at times to rebel against society in order to achieve social justice. Transcendentalism was a political and literary movement. Intellectuals and scholars really enjoyed transcendentalism reading from the early 1840s up until the civil war. Spiritual over moral is what transcendentalism emphasized. Also determining the ultimate reality with god, the universe, and self. “Civil Disobedience” written by Thoreau shows his attitude about the government. “Walden” also written by Thoreau shows how he goes about life and feels toward

Transcendentalism was a very influential and important movement of its time. It allowed for free thinking and a simpler life. Authors Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were the main voices of the movement, and they wrote about pressing problems of the time. The literary pieces, " from Nature" by Ralph Waldo Emerson and "from Civil Disobedience" as well as "Slavery in Massachusetts" by Henry David Thoreau, exemplify the society that they lived in, its government's questionable decisions and why you should resist them, and the need to be alone in the modern day. Ralph Waldo Emerson teaches us that to be alone, and experience nature to its true potential is incredibly important in becoming a better and more independent person overall.

Henry David Thoreau, perfected the philosophy of transcendentalism, furthermore he is the most well known example of transcendentalism . Thoreau was not the founder of transcendentalism, the credit for that goes to Ralph Waldo Emerson. Transcendentalism had its beginnings, as a protest against the general state of culture. The main themes of transcendentalism are: individuality1 , practicing non-conformity2 , carpe-diem3 , love of nature, and utopia4 . Here is a quote from Thoreau that encompasses the two beliefs of individuality and nonconformity.

Transcendentalism, primarily attributed to two authors Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, is the embodiment of 19th century idealism. Thoreau, in his essay Where I Lived and What I Lived For described independent thought as being taken away starkly by society. `Emerson described independent thought in his text Self Reliance as being slightly taken away by society. Both Thoreau and Emerson believe that society mainputalies individuals, leading them to conform with expectation and lose independent thought; however, Thoreau more effectively demonstrates his idea due to his use of diction and tone.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Jon Krakauer, and Michael Donovan all share transcendental beliefs. One mutual theme displayed by the four authors is self-reliance. Self-reliance is a theme central to the heart of the transcendentalist movement. Whether it be Self-Reliance by Emerson, Civil Disobedience by Thoreau, Into the Wild by Krakauer, or “It’s All-On-Me” by Donovan the theme of self-reliance is abundant throughout the text and is evident in the foundation of their beliefs.

Why follow societal views? Ralph Waldo Emerson's, “Self Reliance”, and Henry David Thoreau’s, “Where I Lived and What I Lived For”, are both texts that influence the idea of transcendentalism which influences the way people think about society's actions and how self-reliance. Emerson’s text goes in-depth about relying on oneself instead of the use of inventions that rid of bodily functions. While Thoreau’s text also goes in-depth about one's life and how time should be determined by the individual and not the clock of society. Being away and being different from society, individualism, are explained by Emerson and Thoreau through their use of description; however, Thoreau in addition to description uses compare and contrast and problem and solution all to show that individuality is a part of life that is missing from modern day society.