Transcendentalism
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 re
ally takes a trained mind to grasp the concept of this spiritual world that Emerson describes. Many people do not believe in things that they cannot see, hear, touch, taste, or smell, so the extremely abstract concept of transcendentalism is totally out of their reach. However, for the people that can grasp this idea, it is very fulfilling. Transcendentalism makes people feel closer to God, in tune with nature, and gives a person a sense of self-worth. 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 onese
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Approximate Word count = 644
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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