Transcendentalists Hippies a century too soon
Transcendentalism is the belief that matters of ultimate reality transcend, or go beyond, human experience. Transcendentalist thinking began during the American Renaissance with writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. However transcendental thinking did not begin with Thoreau and Emerson, but as Emerson called it, "it is the very oldest of thoughts cast into the mold of these new times." Transcendentalism is based on the ancient philosophy of Idealism, which originates with Plato, a well-known philosopher from ancient Greece. Transcendentalism is an appropriate way of thinking for the period known as the American Renaissance because it puts one into a state of mind that is more conducive to creative writing and thought. Transcendentalism is a lot to swallow, especially for many people of that time. Herman Melville totally captured the common man's reaction to the whole concept when he said, "what stuff all this is." It real
The transcendentalist movement can and often is compared to another famous movement in American history, the "hippie" movement of the sixties. In many ways the "hippies'" movement paralleled the transcendentalists', and the "hippies" even form their own little communities, like Brook Farm, called communes. Both of these movements were important to help shape thinking, writing, and social ideals. The transcendentalist movement brings to the table an increased awareness of the world around oneself, with and a commitment to the spiritual aspects therein, and the "hippie" movement in the sixties gives Americans an increased awareness of their fellow man, with and emphasis on freedom and love. The transcendentalist movement has many good aspects to it that if applied today, could still teach everyone a few things about themselves and their lives. Plato, Emerson, Thoreau, and many others really did have a level of intelligence that transcended their
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Approximate Word count = 644
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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