Ralph Waldo Emerson
and
The American Transcendentalism
Where did Transcendentalism come
from?
(1830´s) Reaction against Locke´ s empiricism
Development of German Idealism (Kant):
“The Idealism of the present day acquired the name of Transcendental, from
the use of that term by Immanuel Kant […], who replied to the skeptical
philosophy of Locke, which insisted that there was nothing in the intellect
which was not previously in the experience of the senses, by showing that
there was a very important kind of ideas, or imperative forms, which did
not come through experience, but through which experience was acquired:
that these were intuitions of the mind itself; and he denominated them
Transcendental forms” (Emerson, The Transcendentalist)
The Transcendentalist Club
(1836-1860)
Main Transcendentalist ideas:
-Reason VS Understanding
Intuition
Senses
-Microcosm VS Macrocosm
Every portion of nature
making up the macrocosm
Reflection of
the Spirit
Nature (1836)
Escapism:
-Nature as offering protection
to the individual trying to
escape from the corrupt
society
-Nature as a “Heavenly world”
in contrast to the “vulgar” and corrupt society
Escapism in connection to
19th century America
The Impact of the Industrial Revolution in
America:
-Crevecoeur´s agricultural nation
VS
New urban cities
Violent social clash:
-Intense class conflict
-Working class organizations: The Workingmen´ s Party and the Equal Rights
Party
-Strikes became common since the 1830´s
-Social disorder and violence in the streets (1830´s-1860´s)
Society as corrupt = Nature idealized
How should nature be approached
to?
Nature as a spiritual fact (macrocosm), not a
material fact
The poet: a superior individual; the only
capable of perceiving nature as a spiritual fact
Childhood: state in which nature can be
aprehended
Inward sense and Outward sense
Reason
Intuition
Understanding
Senses
“I become a transparent eye-ball”
“Transparent”: As an
individual he is
“nothing”, worthless
“I am part or particle
of God”: All
individuals are equal
portions of the spirit
“master of servant, is then
a trifle” (Democratic ideals)
“Yet…”, in contrast to what he said
before…
If before he defended the union
Individual + Nature= Macrocosm (Spirit)
Now he seems to defend the supremacy of the
individual
Transcendentalism as
a philosophical movement
Two Trends:
-Emerson and Thoreou:
Social change begins with the self.
Spiritual development of the individual as the basis of social
change
-Orestes Brownson and Elizabeth Peabody:
A collective reaction would end with the evils of the world.
An example of their factual commitment: Brook Farm
Transcendentalism applied to
pedagogy
Bronson Alcott:
Viewed education as the
interplay between each
student´ s mind (conversations), and not as the
memorization and recitation of text-books in
class
Thanks for your
attention!