Thoreau Transcendentalism

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 served as 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 through embracing nature. His naturalistic writing intertwined cataloging and observation with Transcendentalist views of nature. Through his life and

“There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil” -Ralph Waldo Emerson in Self Reliance. Ralph Waldo Emerson was a transcendentalist. Transcendentalism is a philosophical movement that originated in the 19th century and was primarily influenced by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Transcendentalists’ main beliefs are: self-reliance is essential to one’s life, nature is divine, every person should have an optimistic outlook, and humanity needs to adhere to their personal morals and beliefs. In today’s world we still see a multitude of the beliefs of transcendentalism.

Why is solitude looked down on society? It should be advised by people to start engaging in the concept of solitude. Henry David Thoreau and Chris McCandless were both transcendentalism that believes in the key fundamental idea that the human body should partake in such as solitude. Henry Thoreau was a transcendentalist that practiced the form of solitude throughout his life. He left society and moved into the woods to be removed from the confines of society. Along with Thoreau, a more modern-day transcendentalist was known as Chris McCandless. McCandless journeyed to the wilderness in Alaska to be able to experience a minimal amount of human interaction along with the solitude that comes with it. The concept of solitude should be

Instead, Thoreau built a simple but efficient cabin and furnished it with the basic necessity of a bed, table, chairs and desk. He also didn't waste his time and energy trying to keep up with the latest fashions; he wore comfortable and long lasting clothes. Thoreau explained to his readers that this simplistic way of life decreased the dreariness of every day life and left more time to explore one's meaning of life and his role in the world. Freeing oneself from the economic race, Thoreau argued, allowed for individual to be inspired by nature and focus on the genuine concerns of life.

To have simplicity in life, which is advocated by Transcendentalism, is getting more important in this complex and busy society because it helps people to focus on pursuing their own goals. Thoreau states, “In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe

Transcendentalism, or the belief that there is a direct connection between a man’s individual soul and nature, was a very avant-garde movement throughout its peak; although now, American society continues to grow increasingly distant from it. These ideals are reflected in the works of Henry David Thoreau and Jon Krakauer, as well as the life of Chris McCandless. Throughout Thoreau’s novel Walden he distinctly preaches the belief that in society, men have become more focused on work and material possessions than life’s simple pleasures and freedoms. In the same manner, Krakauer and McCandless both draw inspiration from Thoreau, and ultimately share spiritual experiences throughout their adventures, both seeking to find life’s true purpose. Although many will argue that transcendental ideas and culture are outdated and have no place in today’s humanity, transcendentalism itself, and the ideals possessed by Henry David Thoreau and Chris McCandless have played a major role in American society, in that they appeal to the spiritual side of every man, which accredits to the belief that only life’s bare necessities are required in order to live a fulfilled life. However, it is unfeasible to live a transcendental lifestyle in today’s insatiable, consumerist society.

One of Thoreau’s famous quotes is, “Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!” This means to make ones’ life as simple as possible. He thinks that the poor are the fortunate ones since they have the least to look after and worry about while the rich have so much to look after that they do not have time for themselves. Living a simple life enables one to be free of commitment and obligations. One only has to worry about one’s self.

“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds… With consistency a great soul simply has nothing to do.” (Emerson)

Transcendentalism arose in the 1830s in the eastern United States. New England is the modern day pinpoint of the rise of this movement. The philosophy of Transcendentalism is a reaction to intellectualism. Intellectualism is exercising intellect rather at the damage of emotion. While transcendentalism was a considered to be a movement that focused on transcending your spirituality to that rationality and the material world. One of the many beliefs among transcendentalist is that humans are fundamentally corrupted by society, therefore they should strive for self reliance. (Transcendentalism.). The word transcendent means to exceed the usual limits, and I believe the members of this movement were exceeding the usual limits by looking past what your “average Joe,” would see. By noticing that humans are corrupted by society, we can realize that conforming to be like a everyone else is a daily pattern. With this in mind, we can begin to see beyond the physical appearance of day-to-day life and begin to exam our lives through a microscope.

Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau are two of the most inspiring and accomplished writers to ever walk upon this Earth. They dared to question how people lived and how people should live. They were light years ahead of their time with their transcendentalist ideas. Transcendentalism can be defined by this quote, “People... have knowledge about themselves and the world around them that "transcends"... what they can see, hear, taste, touch or feel”(History). This is a perfect explanation for what a transcendentalist is and what makes them so special. There are several important transcendentalist ideas that were expressed by Emerson and Thoreau, but few are as necessary as these; nature, self-reliance, and life quality.

Transcendentalism is the American literary, political, and philosophical movement of the early nineteenth century that was rooted in the pure Romanticism of the English and the German (Goodman). Ralph Waldo Emerson is considered the father of Transcendentalism because his literature is the first to praise the notable spirituality of nature. The basic belief of the movement is to live authentically; being true to oneself (Day). The movement itself, in the years 1840-1860, is fertile in knowledge because people are now beginning to ask questions about religion. Questions about religion, at the time, would most likely consist of origin, morality, and rituals. Because of the complex level of intellect that surrounds the movement, the era of Transcendentalism is also known as the American Renaissance. To a great extent, modern society is affected by the literary works like Henry David Thoreau’s through his legacy he leaves behind, lifestyle constantly on exhibition throughout his writings, opinionated views in his manuscripts, and evidence of his values in modern today’s societies. Other venerable pioneers of this movement include: Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, Frederick Henry Hedge, and Amos Bronson Alcott.

"Transcendentalism, An American Philosophy." Ushistory.org. Ed. Independence Hall Association. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2017. .

Transcendentalist has a handful of principals from self-reliance to the thought of technology is harmful.The main tenet throughout the paper will focus on the importance of nature. Transcendentalist views nature as a gateway to the spiritual world, a way to the Omnipower. Henry David Thoreau immersed himself into nature fully “The morning wind forever blows, the poem of creation is uninterrupted; but few are the ears that hear it”(Thoreau II). Thoreau reveals how he has taken the time to observe nature to its fullest extent. He saw nature as a neighbor who was to be respected just as a man would treat another. Ralph Waldo Emerson a great transcendentalist, a mentor to Thoreau. Emerson’s point of view of nature showed how men and nature can become one to uplift themselves from the worldly shackles. Thoreau and Emerson both had a concept that nature was essentials to mankind, one sought out to respect it and the other viewed as a form of release.Nature is important to transcendentalism because it leads to spiritual connection and harmonization.

There have been numerous religious rebellions throughout history, but none quite like that of Transcendentalism. This movement embodies the idea that spiritual growth can be achieved through personal journey instead of conflicting with organized religion. By the time of the movement’s onset, newly gained religious freedom in the United States allowed for new ideas and beliefs to prosper freely. At the heart of this movement was Transcendentalism philosophy famous ambassadors, Ralph Waldo Emerson and apprentice Henry David Thoreau. These men believed nature is what forces us not to depend on other ideas but to develop our own.

The transcendentalist movement of the 1800’s was led by numerous poets, writers, and philosophers whose ideas encompassed a wide variety of concepts ranging from individualism and non-conformity to the appreciation of nature. Although the transcendentalist movement only lasted for a short period of time, the essays, poems, and novels written during this period are still applicable to our society. “Walden”, an essay by Henry David Thoreau, documenting the author’s two yearlong sojourn in the woods of New England, describes the central transcendentalist values of non-conformity and harmony with nature. This poem influenced other works over history, including the 1989 Peter Weir film, Dead Poets Society, in which Thoreau’s work and other transcendentalist