Emerson: The Father of Transcendentalism
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In 1836, Emerson published his
first “little book, ” Nature (now
considered to be one of his
most important works), in
which describes how humans
find God within nature:
“In the woods is perpetual
youth… In the woods we
return to reason and
faith.”
Emerson had become a
transcendentalist.
What is Transcendentalism?
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Transcendentalism was a
literary movement that
flourished during the
middle 19th Century
Like Gothicism, it
branched off from
Romanticism.
It began as a rebellion
against traditionally held
beliefs by the English
Church that God
superseded the
individual.
Core Beliefs of Transcendentalism
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Finding its root in the
word “transcend,”
Transcendentalists
believed individuals
could transcend to a
higher plane of existence
in nature.
They believed that God is
located in the soul of
each individual and that,
therefore, humanity’s
potential is limitless.
They valued experience
over scholarship.
Basic Principles
A. Transcendentalism is an idealistic reaction against
traditions and conventionalism in every walk of life.
B. It is a rejection of the past, which only teaches
conformity.
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To be “real men,” Transcendentalists (and Emerson in
particular) argued, we must be and act as individuals.
C. It asserts the supremacy of mind over matter and argues
for intuition as a guide to universal truth.
• It is in nature that Emerson says humans become
one with God, who is all-loving and all-pervading
D. Transcendentalism is essentially Romanticism
converted to a form of spirituality.
The Individual As The Spiritual Center Of
The Universe
• The transcendentalists believed that clues to
nature, history, and the cosmos found are
within
• They saw this not as a rejection of God, but
rather a way to view the world in terms of the
individual
• All knowledge begins with self-knowledge;
Aristotle’s dictums “know thyself” and “the
unexamined life is not worth living”
The Oversoul
• One “transcends” or rises above the lower
animalistic impulses of life and moves from the
rational to a spiritual realm
• The human soul is part of the Oversoul, or
universal spirit, to which it and other souls return
at death
• Every individual is to be respected because
everyone has a portion of that Oversoul (God)
• The Oversoul, or Life Force, or God, can be found
everywhere; travel to “holy” places is unnecessary
Nature
A. Loving nature is the key to the
transcendental experience; it’s the catalyst
through which humans achieve union with
God.
1. To achieve this union, people need to remove
their egos, learning, and prejudices so that
nothing remains of the self but what is
experienced at the moment.
2. To love nature, people must retain the spirit
of infancy even into adulthood.
Belief In Human Goodness
A. If people believe in the inherent freedom of the
individual and the fundamental goodness of
humans, they will see the wisdom of
transcendentalism.
B. If, on the other hand, people regard humans as
inherently weak, wicked, and needful of the
constant discipline of authority, they will
probably find Emerson to be a foolish, romantic
dreamers.
Influence
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Both during his lifetime and since his death, Emerson’s
influence on America has been huge.
Throughout his life, his work generated mixed reactions —
sometimes entirely positive or negative, but more often a
combination of the two.
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Many found aspects of his approach radical and unsettling, even
when they were moved by his optimism about man's place in the
universe.
Emerson’s work represents the beginning of an
authentically American voice in writing and thought.
America is the key to Emerson’s thought and works, but
the America that makes its mark on his thought is not the
Puritan inheritance or any other.