Thoreau And Transcendentalism

Henry David Thoreau was a great American writer, philosopher, and naturalist of the 1800’s who’s writings have influenced many famous leaders in the 20th century, as well as in his own lifetime. Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts in 1817, where he was later educated at Harvard University. Thoreau was a transcendentalist writer, which means that he believed that intuition and the individual conscience “transcend” experience and are better guides to truth than are the senses and logical reason (Prentice Hall 1174). Thoreau is well known for writing Walden Pond, Excursions, The Maine Woods, Cape Cod, and A Yankee in Canada. In 1849 Henry David Thoreau wrote an essay

Followers of the Transcendentalist movement stressed the religious, philosophical and ideological importance of life. Henry David Thoreau was a staunch supporter of the movement. Thoreau felt that a person lived a good life by following his conscience and instincts. He also felt that materialism was a sure way to distract a person from leading a good and moral life. Thoreau proposed for the government to be involved in as little of a citizen's life as possible; he felt too much government control just complicated a person's life. Like most Transcendentalists, Thoreau believed there was a direct connection to God through nature. If a person appreciated nature he would gain a higher understanding of God. Finally, Thoreau encouraged

During this time in history, those with this level of education usually went into law, the church, business, or medicine (Britannica). None of these captured the interest of young Thoreau. What did gain his favor was teaching. He accepted a job at the Concord public school but quite a little while latter rather than having to punish a student. His response to this would later surface in another similar form in his life and led to an important writing. After he resigned, Thoreau teamed up with his older brother John, to open Concord Academy in 1838. They taught language but also brought forth some new styles of teaching. Henry wasn 't happy with how he was taught at Harvard. The brothers introduced several progressive concepts such as nature walks and visits to local shops and businesses (Britannica). The school stayed open till 1842. At which time, John passed away in Henry 's arms due to tetanus. This part of Henry 's life had to have a profound effect on him and the events together would be evident in his life and writings.

In the play, The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail by authors Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, we see Henry David Thoreau locked in jail because of his unyielding will to not conform to the government or society's expectations, when their expectations are unwholesome. During his time spent in jail we see the idea of transcendentalism develop through Henry’s belief that even though he’s is locked up he is more free than any freeman could ever hope to be. Just as it was relevant in Thoreau's lifetime, freeing yourself from society’s norms /freedom from the government, transcending yourself, and being individualistic are all still important now.

Henry David Thoreau was an American philosopher known for his interest in politics; specifically raising awareness about the injustice committed by the American government. He’s the author of prominent works like Civil Disobedience and Slavery in Massachusetts, which set the setting for the United States at the time. Both of these works follow a common theme of perseverance through difficult times and the role of the self when choosing right from wrong. Thus, he was deeply engaged in the idea of individualism, suggesting that we are “men first and subject after”. His beliefs led him to refuse to pay taxes as an act of protest against the Mexican War; he was imprisoned for a night and this sparked in him the inspiration to write Civil

Industriousness was heralded as a strong and virtuous quality in a man. 'Idle hands do the Devil's work' was a favorite saying of the hard working people at the time. Yet Thoreau saw this logic as flawed and actually an abomination of society. He stressed that one could be ascetic without being lazy. Reasonable necessity, not fashion, was the most important to Thoreau. Understanding the difference between what we want done and what must be done is a tremendous first step in Thoreau's mind. And this confronting our own

Transcendentalism is a social and ideal philosophical movement that happened in New England in 1836 to react to rationalism. Civil Disobedience is a writing about how Henry was locked up in jail because he protested about paying his taxes for slavery and the Mexican-American War. He explains how the government is controlling the people and how they should take control of themselves, netherless,open to each other. He goes on by saying that in order to be peace and tranquility, the people should take a look at the world around them and learn first how to be a better person themselves. In Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau, the elements of transcendentalism contribute to the effectiveness of his argument.

A significant philosopher of the pre-Civil War era of the United States, Henry David Thoreau appeared to be above the standard with his philosophically driven life style. He wrote detailed accounts of his life in his book titled Walden, in which he expressed his desire to escape the confining pressures of human society. His second chapter lauded the concepts of individualism and self-sufficiency, yet he never took into account the potential harm of his mentality, for it could hurt individuals as well as communities, and modern life simply cannot support his ideals.

Henry David Thoreau’s view on life was to live simply and mindfully. After graduating college at Harvard University, Thoreau got a job that would earn him just enough money to meet his most important needs; he didn’t believe in wealth

Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts. But not long after he was born his parents decided to make a move. They felt they should try something new and give their kid a chance to grow up in a more suitable environment. But that did not last long for him and his family, Thoreau started to miss his hometown and the many rivers, streams, and woodlands that were abundant in the area. Thoreau was the third child to come from his father, who was a small business man, and his obnoxious mother who tended to stay home while Thoreau and his siblings were at school. In 1828, his parents sent him to the Concord Academy where he was very successful and admired by his fellow teachers. His College future looked tip-top as he

life and instead of eating three meals per day, just one. He too wrote. In his

Thoreau is a very “hippy” person. He’s different from everyone else. He chose to live apart at Walden Pond, from the government. He was against the governments’ doings. He felt that his beliefs were being judged by the government. He got arrested because of his beliefs. He talks about the night he was in jail in his book. He stated “they forced me to become like themselves. I don’t hear of men being forced to live this

Thoreau is a hugely influential character in the history of America, helping to define American thought and continue to inspire our modern ideas and authors. “Countless contemporary nature

Henry David Thoreau's life began on July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts. At a young age he began to show an interest in writing. In 1833, at the age of sixteen, Thoreau was accepted to Harvard University. Although his parents could not afford the cost of tuition, his family offered to help with the funds, and in August he entered Harvard. In 1837 he graduated and applied for a teaching position at a public school in Concord. However, he refused to flog children as punishment. He choose instead to deliver moral lectures. The community looked down upon this, and a committee was asked to review the situation. They decided that the lectures were not ample punishment, so they ordered Thoreau to

Henry David Thoreau’s words that “disobedience is the true foundation of liberty” and that “the obedient must be slaves” is a political statement that never lost its topicality during the Romantic era. Thoreau is an important contributor to the philosophical and American literary movement known as New England Transcendentalism. Nature and the conduct of life are two central themes that are often weaved together in his essays and books that were published in the Romantic era of literature. Thoreau brought these two themes together to write on how people ought to live a simplistic life. His naturalistic writing intertwined cataloging and observation with Transcendentalist views of nature. Through his life and his work, Henry David Thoreau has contributed to American Literature since the Romantic era.