Transcendentalism was started as a literary “sub-movement” of Romanticism, the nineteenth-century reactionary movement which stressed nature and emotions over science and logic. As well as the influence from the large Romantic movement, Transcendentalism also had much influence from eastern religions of Plato and Kant. As the Romantic movement began to change to a more modern movement, Transcendentalism died out as well, though there still are authors and other people even today who could be considered, or consider themselves, to be “transcendental. Derived from the root word “transcend” (to go above), followers of this movement would go beyond what logic would tell them and search for a deeper truth by observing nature and trying to connect to it because they believed nature to be higher than humanity. They believed that the observations and connections made could be universally applied to all of humanity because of everyone’s connection to each other. A Transcendentalist is very unlikely to follow and rules or traditions if morals and understanding were not present because, to them, following something blindly is a bad thing to do. Advocates of change, followers of Transcendentalism also advocated a simple life and simplicity in life to be better than a life full of chaos. They believed this because a simple life would keep distractions from the “truth” out of life and it would be more easy to see and focus on this “truth,” which may or may not be religiously connected. One of the main truths that most transcendentalists believed was the simple phrase: believe in yourself
Click here to read a real definition of “TRANSCENDENTALISM,” courtesy of Merriam-Webster.
| Authors of the Transcendental Period (click to read a little about them in relation to transcendentalism) | |
|---|---|
| Ralph Waldo Emmerson | Henry David Thoreau |
| Walter Whitman | Emily Dickenson |
Just a couple more things…
*~Click here~* to read a personal connection/reflection on a semi-transcendental experience
~*Click here*~ to be directed to a form so YOU can relate to me a reflection of a (semi-)transcendental experience.
Page created and last updated November 11, 2001
