Transcendentalism

is the belief that man should reject the material world and concentrate on the simple
things in life. expresses the idea that man should be his own person. The basic principles of
are individualism and self-reliance. also inspired a back to nature movement to
find God. The fathers of were Ralph Waldo Emerson and his student, Henry David Thoreau.
Emerson and Thoreau sought permanent spiritual reality that lay beyond physical appearances. They also believed
that man could be perfected. The time period in which took place was the mid-1800's.
Some important ideas of are self-reliance and individualism. Self-reliance means that man
is responsible for his own course in life, and ...

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drummer” (Thoreau). Thoreau is
saying that just because a man does not conform to society, it does not mean he is weird; he is an individual.
Transcendentalism emphasizes the fact that man should be his own individual and rely only on himself. Emerson
states, “Society every where is in conspiracy against the manhood of everyone of its members” (Emerson). This
maxim means that society tries to conform man, taking away his ability to be his own individual and to think for
himself.
One other essential element of Transcendentalism is getting back to nature. Emerson and Thoreau firmly
believed that man should go back to nature to find his true self. In Walden Pond, Thoreau goes back to nature to get
back to the simple things in life. When man goes back to nature he does not have to worry about the hustle and
bustle of everyday life. Emerson also wrote about nature. In Nature, Emerson states, “To go into solitude, a man
needs to retire as much from his chamber as from ...

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Transcendentalism. (2006, January 18). Retrieved July 21, 2017, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Transcendentalism/39801

"Transcendentalism." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 18 Jan. 2006. Web. 21 Jul. 2017. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Transcendentalism/39801>

"Transcendentalism." Essayworld.com. January 18, 2006. Accessed July 21, 2017. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Transcendentalism/39801.

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Added: 1/18/2006 01:51:35 AM
Category: Miscellaneous
Words: 725
Pages: 3

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