Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson has been hailed as the Father of Transcendentalism and the Fountain Head of American Literature. Not only did his transcendental writings inspire Henry David Thoreau to apply them to everyday life, but transcendentalism affected politics, religion, education, and every other writer of his time.
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Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism: A transcendental philosophy, character, or writing is based upon the idea that reality is discovered by a process of thought that emphasizes an individual's spiritual intuition over empirical evidence or previous experience.
So what does this mean? How does this idea affect politics, religion, education, and literature?
- Emerson was originally a Unitarian. The Unitarian Church at the time rejected belief in the trinity in favor the a belief in a Unitary God m, they rejected beliefs in Original Sin and predestination, and they believed in the basic goodness and innate free will of the individual. Emerson left his position as a Unitarian minister because he felt that Unitarianism was too restrictive. Still, Emerson took the Unitarian beliefs of the innate goodness of man and the innate free will of the individual, and those ideas were the foundation of transcendentalism.
- Transcendentalism is a philosophy of Individualism and Self-Reliance, traits that had always been treasured in the American frontier. As pioneers continued to move west, individuality, self-reliance, and intuition were extremely desirable traits for isolated farmers, miners, and trappers. The Colonies fought for their independence and the laws of the United States of American were assigned to protect and preserve individual freedoms. Emerson believed that since people where ultimately good and that they would always do the right thing if they followed their intuition.
- Transcendentalism: a belief that the transcendent (or spiritual) reality, rather than the material world, is the ultimate reality.
- This Transcendental reality cannot be known by rational or logic, it can only be known by intuition or mystical insight.
- All people are open to this higher knowledge.
- No writer of the American Classic Period escaped the influence of Transcendentalism
- “I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be on a crowded velvet cushion.” §Thoreau
- Even Hawthorne and Melville, who attacked transcendental thought, were affected by it.
So how have these written ideas affected us? Watch the video and see if you have ever come across any of these famous transcendental quotes or have ever heard any of these songs that embody transcendental beliefs.
So what does this mean? How does this idea affect politics, religion, education, and literature?
- Emerson was originally a Unitarian. The Unitarian Church at the time rejected belief in the trinity in favor the a belief in a Unitary God m, they rejected beliefs in Original Sin and predestination, and they believed in the basic goodness and innate free will of the individual. Emerson left his position as a Unitarian minister because he felt that Unitarianism was too restrictive. Still, Emerson took the Unitarian beliefs of the innate goodness of man and the innate free will of the individual, and those ideas were the foundation of transcendentalism.
- Transcendentalism is a philosophy of Individualism and Self-Reliance, traits that had always been treasured in the American frontier. As pioneers continued to move west, individuality, self-reliance, and intuition were extremely desirable traits for isolated farmers, miners, and trappers. The Colonies fought for their independence and the laws of the United States of American were assigned to protect and preserve individual freedoms. Emerson believed that since people where ultimately good and that they would always do the right thing if they followed their intuition.
- Transcendentalism: a belief that the transcendent (or spiritual) reality, rather than the material world, is the ultimate reality.
- This Transcendental reality cannot be known by rational or logic, it can only be known by intuition or mystical insight.
- All people are open to this higher knowledge.
- No writer of the American Classic Period escaped the influence of Transcendentalism
- “I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be on a crowded velvet cushion.” §Thoreau
- Even Hawthorne and Melville, who attacked transcendental thought, were affected by it.
So how have these written ideas affected us? Watch the video and see if you have ever come across any of these famous transcendental quotes or have ever heard any of these songs that embody transcendental beliefs.
Maxims:
Maxim: a short, witty statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct.
"Speak your latent conviction, and it shall be the universal sense."
"Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members."
"Nothing is sacred but the integrity of your own mind."
"My life is for itself and not for a spectacle"
"Insist on yourself, never imitate."
"Speak your latent conviction, and it shall be the universal sense."
"Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members."
"Nothing is sacred but the integrity of your own mind."
"My life is for itself and not for a spectacle"
"Insist on yourself, never imitate."
from "Self-Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson
A Nonconformist: one who chooses to follow one's intuition rather than the expectations of society
-"Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist" (208).
-"Your goodness must have some edge to it - else it is none" (208).
-"I shun father and mother and wife and brother when my genius calls me" (208).
Traveling:
-"It is the want of self-culture that the superstition of Traveling, whose idols are Italy, England, Egypt, retains its fascination for all educated Americans. They who made England, Italy, or Greece venerable in the imagination, did so by sticking fast where they were, like an axis of the earth" (208-9).
-"The soul is no traveler; the wise man stays at home, and when his necessities, his duties, on any occasion call him from his house, or into foreign lands, he is at home still and shall make men sensible by expression of his countenance that he goes, the missionary of wisdom and virtue, and visits cites and men like a sovereign and not like an interloper or valet" (209).
-"Traveling is a fool's paradise" (209).
Reliance on Property:
-"And so the reliance on Property, including the reliance on governments which protect it, is the want of self-reliance' (209).
-"Men have looked away from themselves an at things so long that they have come to esteem the religious, learned, and civil institutions as guards of property, and they deprecate assaults on these, be cause they feel them to be assaults on property" (209).
-"It is only as man puts off all foreign support and stands alone that I see him to be strong and to prevail" (210).
-"He who knows that power is inborn, that he is weak because he has looked for good out of hi and elsewhere, and, so perceiving, throws himself unhesitatingly on his thought, instantly rights himself, stands in the erect position, commands his limbs, works miracles; just as a man who stands on his feet is stronger than a man who stands on his head" (210).
Discussion Questions:
1. How do these quotes demonstrate Emerson's transcendental ideas?
2. What does it mean to be a nonconformist?
3. How could an individual live out these ideas?
4. What would a society look like if it was founded on transcendental ideals?
5. When a nonconformist rebels against society, that individual will succumb to one of the three following outcomes: the nonconformist is destroyed by society, the nonconformist flees society, or society is changed by the nonconformist. If you lived by Emerson's ideals, what would the result be?
-"Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist" (208).
-"Your goodness must have some edge to it - else it is none" (208).
-"I shun father and mother and wife and brother when my genius calls me" (208).
Traveling:
-"It is the want of self-culture that the superstition of Traveling, whose idols are Italy, England, Egypt, retains its fascination for all educated Americans. They who made England, Italy, or Greece venerable in the imagination, did so by sticking fast where they were, like an axis of the earth" (208-9).
-"The soul is no traveler; the wise man stays at home, and when his necessities, his duties, on any occasion call him from his house, or into foreign lands, he is at home still and shall make men sensible by expression of his countenance that he goes, the missionary of wisdom and virtue, and visits cites and men like a sovereign and not like an interloper or valet" (209).
-"Traveling is a fool's paradise" (209).
Reliance on Property:
-"And so the reliance on Property, including the reliance on governments which protect it, is the want of self-reliance' (209).
-"Men have looked away from themselves an at things so long that they have come to esteem the religious, learned, and civil institutions as guards of property, and they deprecate assaults on these, be cause they feel them to be assaults on property" (209).
-"It is only as man puts off all foreign support and stands alone that I see him to be strong and to prevail" (210).
-"He who knows that power is inborn, that he is weak because he has looked for good out of hi and elsewhere, and, so perceiving, throws himself unhesitatingly on his thought, instantly rights himself, stands in the erect position, commands his limbs, works miracles; just as a man who stands on his feet is stronger than a man who stands on his head" (210).
Discussion Questions:
1. How do these quotes demonstrate Emerson's transcendental ideas?
2. What does it mean to be a nonconformist?
3. How could an individual live out these ideas?
4. What would a society look like if it was founded on transcendental ideals?
5. When a nonconformist rebels against society, that individual will succumb to one of the three following outcomes: the nonconformist is destroyed by society, the nonconformist flees society, or society is changed by the nonconformist. If you lived by Emerson's ideals, what would the result be?
from "The American Scholar" by Ralph Waldo Emerson
How can you be an individual? If society is a machine churning out cookie cutter humans, how does and individual break the mold?
- "The state of society is one in which the members have suffered amputation from the trunk, and strut about so many walking monsters - a good finger, a neck a stomach, an elbow, but never a man" (211).
- "In the right state he is Man Thinking. In the degenerate state, when the victim of society, he tends to become a mere tinker, or still worse, the parrot of other men's thinking" (211).
- "And, finally, is not the true scholar the only true master?" (211).
Discussion Questions:
1. What is the fable that Emerson is referring to?
2. What does Emerson say about a person's profession?
3. Explain the metaphor Emerson makes between a cut up tree and individuals in society.
4. How should a scholar learn in the right state? How does that differ from the degenerate state?
5. How does Man Thinking differ from a mere thinker?
- "The state of society is one in which the members have suffered amputation from the trunk, and strut about so many walking monsters - a good finger, a neck a stomach, an elbow, but never a man" (211).
- "In the right state he is Man Thinking. In the degenerate state, when the victim of society, he tends to become a mere tinker, or still worse, the parrot of other men's thinking" (211).
- "And, finally, is not the true scholar the only true master?" (211).
Discussion Questions:
1. What is the fable that Emerson is referring to?
2. What does Emerson say about a person's profession?
3. Explain the metaphor Emerson makes between a cut up tree and individuals in society.
4. How should a scholar learn in the right state? How does that differ from the degenerate state?
5. How does Man Thinking differ from a mere thinker?
Be a Nonconformist! Here are some nonconformist fables written by Juniors:
"The Nathans"
by: Kyle Schaller
The Nathans were a family of four, there was Mr. Nathan, Mrs. Nathan, Oscar, Frank, and the new baby Watson. The Nathans were pros at hot dog eating contests across the country. Mr. Nathan has been champion 5 times, Oscar a 3 time champion, Frank had won last year, and Mrs. Nathan cooked all the hot dogs for the family. The new baby Watson was one year old when the family started feeling him hot dogs to get him ready for his pro career at eating hot dogs. Watson was a small boy who over the many years grew into a big boy ready from his career in professional eating.
At the age of 18, Watson had been getting prepared for his first contest which was two months away. Watson’s family drove him to get ready for the contest; and they would always say, “You think 30 hot dogs in five minutes will get the world champion hot dog belt….. Don’t you want to win a championship?” Watson would always say “yes.” But inside Watson didn’t want to be a pro at eating food, he actually hated hot dogs.
Watson wanted to be a gym trainer so he could get people like his family into shape. Watson never told his family what he really wanted to do. On July 4, the hot dog contest had arrived and Watson wished this day never came. Watson’s whole family was there for the contest in the stands. Watson walked onto the stage and the first person he saw was his dad in the stands. He thought what should he do? Should he tell his father or just do it? Watson had no time to think. The starting bell rang and his instincts took over, he started sliding the hot dogs down and smashing the bun down his throat.
After five minutes, Watson had eaten 35 hot dogs but the hate for hot dogs was building up inside of him. He could not hold the hate any more he threw down his half eaten dog and screamed “I hate hot dogs!” Watson’s dad stood in shock and said “What?” Watson said back “I hate hot dogs! I don’t even want to be a professional eater. I hate it, I have my own dreams I want to follow.” Watson ran off the stage and drove away.
One year later Watson was the owner of Watson’s Iron a Gym were people got in shape, and it also had a food plan people could follow. The food plan was run by the Mr. and Mrs. Nathan, who quit there pro eating and began to eat healthy and work out. Two of the many trainers were Watson’s two brothers Oscar and Frank. The whole Nathan family became healthy and helped start Watson’s successful business.
"Fable"
by: Katie Myers
Once upon a time, in a forest in China, there was a panda named Lin, who lived with hundreds of other pandas. All the pandas looked the same on the outside and honestly they acted the same personality wise. All they wanted to do was lie around and eat pounds and pounds of bamboo all day. Lin on the other hand loved to explore the forest with her friend May, a wild bird who loved to talk. They would spend time in the trees together and Lin would eagerly listen to May’s stories of other lands and what lived out there. She especially loved to hear about pandas that were like her, but they weren’t black and white, rather they were brown, white, or black with a white patch on their chests. Theses animals lived the life that Lin wanted, but she had to stay with her family, for going off on her own would be to dangerous for a single panda alone. She decided to become like theses different color pandas and change her look. She ran into the forest to decide what she should become and told May her plan. May looked her over and decided that it would be to hard to become all white, since she would have to scrub he face very hard. May thought that a brown color could cover her white and maybe even her black color. Lin agreed and looked around to spy a large mud puddle by the pond. She ran to the puddle and slid in on her belly; giving he stomach a slick brown streak. Then she began to role around in the mud, rubbing it on her arms and coating her head with layers of mud. Once her fur had been evenly coated in mud she slowly moved out of the puddle and walked over to the pool of water. May landed on her shoulder as she peeked into the pool at her own reflection and she gasped. She didn't have her white and black fur anymore, rather it looked like she had laid in the sun to long and got burnt to a crisp. The drying mud started to flake, but Lin didn’t notice as she ran to show her family her new look. As she ran, mud flew off behind her leaving a trail at her feet. She made it back to her home and called her family and friends to see her; what a difference there is.
“No one will recognize me,” Lin thought as the pandas gather around her staring. The crowd began to murmur and some panda proclaimed, “who is that!?” Lin paused as the crowd questioned who this new creature was and why she was here. Lin called out for her parents and they came to her. Her Mother titled her head,
“Why do you sound so much like my daughter? You sound exactly like her, but can’t be her because she is a panda with black and white fur.”
Lin started to tear up. She began to claim that she was Lin, but the rest of the pandas just shrugged and the crowd began to disperse. May landed on her shoulder as Lin let her tears roll down her dirty cheeks.
“What happened? You wanted to be different and now nobody will talk to you.” said May.
Lin looked down at her mud covered paws and she sat down. She began to scrape away the mud from her paws with her coated claws, but it simply clumped on her claws.
“It won’t come off...” Lin shook her paws and shook her head causing May to fly above her. Some pieces of mud flew and landed in front of her as she saw the trial of mud leading back to the woods. Lin got up and began to run. Clumps of mud flew off her fur as May tried to fly behind her, dodging the mud. The pond came into view and Lin jumped as highly as pandally possible, as she tucked her legs into her body, making a cannonball. She landed in the pool with a huge splash, getting the surrounding plant life wet and the pool started to turn brown. Bubbles came to the face of the pond and Lin burst out of the water,as she panted heavily. She shook her fur from her face and looked down to see a black and white blur that starred back at her. May landed on her shoulder and clipped a bit of remaining dirt from her fur with her beak.
“Being black and white isn’t so bad, now is it?” said May.
Lin climbed out of the pond, shook her fur from head to toe and moved slowly to a pile of leaves near by. She sat down on the pile and leaned back to reach a shoot of bamboo, that she chomped down on. Lin looked back at May and gave a sigh,
“Better than being brown.”
by: Kyle Schaller
The Nathans were a family of four, there was Mr. Nathan, Mrs. Nathan, Oscar, Frank, and the new baby Watson. The Nathans were pros at hot dog eating contests across the country. Mr. Nathan has been champion 5 times, Oscar a 3 time champion, Frank had won last year, and Mrs. Nathan cooked all the hot dogs for the family. The new baby Watson was one year old when the family started feeling him hot dogs to get him ready for his pro career at eating hot dogs. Watson was a small boy who over the many years grew into a big boy ready from his career in professional eating.
At the age of 18, Watson had been getting prepared for his first contest which was two months away. Watson’s family drove him to get ready for the contest; and they would always say, “You think 30 hot dogs in five minutes will get the world champion hot dog belt….. Don’t you want to win a championship?” Watson would always say “yes.” But inside Watson didn’t want to be a pro at eating food, he actually hated hot dogs.
Watson wanted to be a gym trainer so he could get people like his family into shape. Watson never told his family what he really wanted to do. On July 4, the hot dog contest had arrived and Watson wished this day never came. Watson’s whole family was there for the contest in the stands. Watson walked onto the stage and the first person he saw was his dad in the stands. He thought what should he do? Should he tell his father or just do it? Watson had no time to think. The starting bell rang and his instincts took over, he started sliding the hot dogs down and smashing the bun down his throat.
After five minutes, Watson had eaten 35 hot dogs but the hate for hot dogs was building up inside of him. He could not hold the hate any more he threw down his half eaten dog and screamed “I hate hot dogs!” Watson’s dad stood in shock and said “What?” Watson said back “I hate hot dogs! I don’t even want to be a professional eater. I hate it, I have my own dreams I want to follow.” Watson ran off the stage and drove away.
One year later Watson was the owner of Watson’s Iron a Gym were people got in shape, and it also had a food plan people could follow. The food plan was run by the Mr. and Mrs. Nathan, who quit there pro eating and began to eat healthy and work out. Two of the many trainers were Watson’s two brothers Oscar and Frank. The whole Nathan family became healthy and helped start Watson’s successful business.
"Fable"
by: Katie Myers
Once upon a time, in a forest in China, there was a panda named Lin, who lived with hundreds of other pandas. All the pandas looked the same on the outside and honestly they acted the same personality wise. All they wanted to do was lie around and eat pounds and pounds of bamboo all day. Lin on the other hand loved to explore the forest with her friend May, a wild bird who loved to talk. They would spend time in the trees together and Lin would eagerly listen to May’s stories of other lands and what lived out there. She especially loved to hear about pandas that were like her, but they weren’t black and white, rather they were brown, white, or black with a white patch on their chests. Theses animals lived the life that Lin wanted, but she had to stay with her family, for going off on her own would be to dangerous for a single panda alone. She decided to become like theses different color pandas and change her look. She ran into the forest to decide what she should become and told May her plan. May looked her over and decided that it would be to hard to become all white, since she would have to scrub he face very hard. May thought that a brown color could cover her white and maybe even her black color. Lin agreed and looked around to spy a large mud puddle by the pond. She ran to the puddle and slid in on her belly; giving he stomach a slick brown streak. Then she began to role around in the mud, rubbing it on her arms and coating her head with layers of mud. Once her fur had been evenly coated in mud she slowly moved out of the puddle and walked over to the pool of water. May landed on her shoulder as she peeked into the pool at her own reflection and she gasped. She didn't have her white and black fur anymore, rather it looked like she had laid in the sun to long and got burnt to a crisp. The drying mud started to flake, but Lin didn’t notice as she ran to show her family her new look. As she ran, mud flew off behind her leaving a trail at her feet. She made it back to her home and called her family and friends to see her; what a difference there is.
“No one will recognize me,” Lin thought as the pandas gather around her staring. The crowd began to murmur and some panda proclaimed, “who is that!?” Lin paused as the crowd questioned who this new creature was and why she was here. Lin called out for her parents and they came to her. Her Mother titled her head,
“Why do you sound so much like my daughter? You sound exactly like her, but can’t be her because she is a panda with black and white fur.”
Lin started to tear up. She began to claim that she was Lin, but the rest of the pandas just shrugged and the crowd began to disperse. May landed on her shoulder as Lin let her tears roll down her dirty cheeks.
“What happened? You wanted to be different and now nobody will talk to you.” said May.
Lin looked down at her mud covered paws and she sat down. She began to scrape away the mud from her paws with her coated claws, but it simply clumped on her claws.
“It won’t come off...” Lin shook her paws and shook her head causing May to fly above her. Some pieces of mud flew and landed in front of her as she saw the trial of mud leading back to the woods. Lin got up and began to run. Clumps of mud flew off her fur as May tried to fly behind her, dodging the mud. The pond came into view and Lin jumped as highly as pandally possible, as she tucked her legs into her body, making a cannonball. She landed in the pool with a huge splash, getting the surrounding plant life wet and the pool started to turn brown. Bubbles came to the face of the pond and Lin burst out of the water,as she panted heavily. She shook her fur from her face and looked down to see a black and white blur that starred back at her. May landed on her shoulder and clipped a bit of remaining dirt from her fur with her beak.
“Being black and white isn’t so bad, now is it?” said May.
Lin climbed out of the pond, shook her fur from head to toe and moved slowly to a pile of leaves near by. She sat down on the pile and leaned back to reach a shoot of bamboo, that she chomped down on. Lin looked back at May and gave a sigh,
“Better than being brown.”