Transcendentalists vs. Society

A detailed Summary of Transcendentalists vs. Society

Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the most important transcendentalist authors of early nineteenth-century New England, advocates higher individualism, obeying instinct, the hope and belief of miracles, and the great importance of self-reliance. In the transcendentalism-based essay, "Self-Reliance", Emerson says that individualism, independence, and inconsistency are how a man should live. However, the rest of society sees the transcendentalist - who stay away and alone, who don't participate in public events, abolition of slavery or even voting - as self-centered, lazy, insulting and uncivil (TT 201). Emerson, whose beliefs are often considered the core of Transcendentalism, argues that they are not unsocial, melancholy or sour, but joyous and affectionate (200). Society does not understand the transcendentalists and therefore shun them. In "Self-Reliance", Emerson brilliantly explains the role of being completely separate from society. Anti-transcendentalists and the general public view self-reliance - which is the transcendentalist manifesto - as self-centeredness. Emerson says that "conforming... blurs the impression of your character..." but that your genuine actions will reveal your genuine character (SR 23). Transcendental

The people of the general society disagree with transcendentalists' defiance of external authority and their disregard of tradition and religion, and they believe that their idealistic philosophy of intuition and their attitude toward the rest of society is loutish (TT 200). Emerson refers to the non-transcendentalists as "materialists". He disputes that they are too worried about the world, about money, and what everybody else is doing. And because they conform, they disguise their true personality. Therefore, self-sufficiency is how transcendentalists believe everyone should be. Society sees the transcendentalists as being overly confident in themselves and instead of founding their thoughts on experience, facts and history, they trust the power of thought and will. They do not understand the idealists and so they therefore shun them. The transcendentalists wish to be understood, though. Emerson explains that every man knows that faith is due to his involuntary perceptions and that people who contradict these perceptions and ignore that they could be magnificent ideas are thoughtless (SR 28). On the other hand, the rest of society sees Emerson's concepts as only an attempt to cast of discipline and obedience to authorities and ignore morality, and they see it as hopelessly irrational and disorderly (Larson 48). The world eludes and shuns the transcendentalists beca

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Approximate Word count = 931
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: People