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2021

American transcendentalism
Transcendentalism
Transcendentalists – similar to romantic writers, very specific group mostly living in New
England, (experiment about creating a community in Concord, Brook Farm)
 Henry David Thoreau, Essay on Civil Disobedience
1. What is Thoreau’s opinion on American Government? What is the ideal of the
government?
“That government is best which governs least” -> “That government is best which governs not at all”;
“The practical reason why, when the power is once in the hands of the people, a majority are
permitted, and for a long period continue, to rule, is not because they are most likely to be in the right,
nor because this seems fairest to the minority, but because they are physically the strongest.”
Government’s power is to serve people. Government should not impose their will on people, but serve
them. The government does not educate, does not serve, it does not fulfil the basic obligation. It’s not
just to rule. “It does not keep the country free. It does not settle the West. It does not educate.”
It’s not effective, not functioning properly, it’s just for show. According to him the government should
follow some moral values, and therefore everyone should be respected. Every citizen should be treated
with respect, no matter if he agrees or disagrees with him.
When we chose the government, we chose it by majority. It is just physically stronger. We should
follow our conscious and then follow the government.

2. Several groups which can be distinguished in the society and what the characteristics
dividing them are
Three groups:
- people who serve the government with their body (“In most cases there is no free 7
exercise whatever of the judgment or of the moral sense; but they put themselves on a
level with wood and earth and stones”);
- people who serve with their mind – likely to serve the devil or God (“…as they rarely
make any moral distinctions, they are as likely to serve the devil, without intending it,
as God”);
- only few people who serve the state with their conscience and are often perceived as
the enemies of the state (“and so necessarily resist it for the most part”)
You are allowed to disobey the government if you do not agree with it.
3. Importance of acting and action
People have the tendency to wait for other people to act, to change something, and because of
that nothing changes – “What is the price-current of an honest man and patriot to-day? They
hesitate, and they regret, and sometimes they petition; but they do nothing in earnest and with
effect. They will wait, well disposed, for others to remedy the evil, that they may no longer
have it to regret.”
We have to act, not only think if we disagree.
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“Action from principle — the perception and the performance of right — changes things and
relations; it is essentially revolutionary, and does not consist wholly with anything which
was.”
“Shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavour to amend them, and obey them until
we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once?”
“I know this well, that if one thousand, if one hundred, if ten men whom I could name — if
ten honest men only — ay, if one HONEST man, in this State of Massachusetts, ceasing to
hold slaves, were actually to withdraw from this co-partnership, and be locked up in the
county jail therefor, it would be the abolition of slavery in America.” – only true actions can
change the situation, not only declarations
4. What people mentioned by him have in common?
“Why does it always crucify Christ, and excommunicate Copernicus and Luther, and pronounce
Washington and Franklin rebels? Why does it always crucify Christ, and excommunicate Copernicus
and Luther, and pronounce Washington and Franklin rebels?” – he presents them as rebels, those who
do not follow the mainstream, they were against the establishment for a good cause. They were
perceived as the enemies of the state, but they succeeded in their fight.

5. What is his attitude to property, money, taxes?

He once withdrew from the society, lived for two years in a small house in the woods,
reducing the properties.
Money and property are sth that symbolically makes us
“If there were one who lived wholly without the use of money, the State itself would hesitate
to demand it of him. But the rich man — not to make any invidious comparison — is always
sold to the institution which makes him rich. Absolutely speaking, the more money, the less
virtue; for money comes between a man and his objects, and obtains them for him; and it was
certainly no great virtue to obtain it.” – if we have less, it is harder to manipulate us, since we
have nothing to lose
People lose their conscious and soul when they work for an institution, earn money in order to
become rich. It makes us dependent on the institution, it takes our freedom, also freedom of
opinion. You have to sacrifice it, to function in society. The problem are not the money, but
individual freedom.
He believes that the government should not collect taxes, people should have the choice if
they want to pay them or not. He refused to pay them and was imprisoned, but he did not
perceive it as something wrong.
You are capable of changing things if you want to. People should continue to rebel if they
want to see some differences.
6. Last paragraph – declares war with the state – what does it mean, how and why?
He is refusing everything that is connected to the government. He believes that if one person
rebels and declares the war, people will follow him. Having your own ideas, having your own
conscious also means the war with the government. He calls it peaceable revolution. It’s not
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out of his personal desires, it’s just to improve people’s situation, life in America. He would
like to conform if they were right, but they are wrong.
“If a thousand men were not to pay their tax-bills this year, that would not be a violent and
bloody measure, as it would be to pay them, and enable the State to commit violence and shed
innocent blood. This is, in fact, the definition of a peaceable revolution, if any such is
possible”
“There will never be a really free and enlightened State until the State comes to recognize the
individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its own power and authority are
derived, and treats him accordingly” – slight reversal of what was at the beginning,
community is still important, but what becomes more significant are the individual’s needs =
he demands justice to all men, treating the individual with respect
Slaves and Mexicans should be given their freedom and respect.
 Emerson, Self-Reliance
Do what you think is right…
1. What does Emerson mean by saying that imitation is suicide?
An educated person by imitating others will lose themselves. Suicide here means a death of
our soul. By imitating others, we lose the ability to make out own choices. We should do
things that come from the inside, and not the outside. When we follow other people’s ideas
and convictions, we no longer have our own point of view.
2. Society is a joint-stock company
Society is not build on individuals. If you function within society you get bread, people’s
help, but on the other hand you have to give up some of your liberty. You have to conform to
the laws to get sth in return - > Emerson says that we should not rely on the society, conform
to the society and laws.
Follow your intuition, not your senses or reason. Individualism can be seen in many
transcendentalist texts - act separately, do what you think is right, nonconformism.
“To be great is to be misunderstood” – don’t be afraid to be different from other people, our
nature is given us by God and we cannot fight it
3. What’s the difference between intuition and tuition
Tuition - implies the second hand knowledge, the rational thinking, it’s informative, it’s
secondary – reflective of intuition, the outside of us
Intuition - prime importance in relation to tuition, we are born with intuition, we can recall it
from contemplating nature, we should listen to it firstly, it’s the inside of us
Isolation from society is more important than society itself. Going alone is crucial because we
start to relay on ourselves. It’s about spiritual and not physical isolation. It’s also about
toleration of other people, being true about oneself.
4. Society never advances – what he means by that?
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5. False prayer and

God is everywhere, there is no need for institutions. Transcendentalists did not accept
Churches and clergy.
If you are self-reliant it causes revolution in education, religion… it changes your whole life.
You have to be self-reliant towards God. Asking for commodity is vicious, it’s theft – we
should contemplate the world around us.
Our regrets are again false prayers.
 America Scholar
1. Who is man thinking?
2. What are the tasks of the American Scholar?
3. “Know thyself, study nature” – explain
4. What does Emerson of the influence of books on man thinking?
Reading can have both negative and positive impact – it can kill man’s creativity and
individuality, it might be dangerous for new ideas / reading is connected with pleasure,
inspirations, we do not have to follow what the books state – as far as books are a string of
creativity, ideas, they are good
We must not follow the ideas of others
5. The American Scholar – The Intellectual Declaration of Independence – why? (last
page)
Not only history, but also American literature is influenced by Europe. It causes Americans to
forget about their own literature. Americans tend to memorize European books, writers and so
not learn anything new. By studying nature scholars can find new ideas which would not be
influenced by Europe. The new front and wilderness had a great impact on literature. America
has separated itself from Europe, but somehow is still dependent on European thought.
Americans are still borrowing ideas from Europe and Emerson states that is should be enough.
Concentration on nature was really important for writers.
Thoreau live independently, free-spirit, followed his own ideas with actions / Emerson was
respected speaker, dependent, had family, work, some property – similar convictions, ideas,
but different personalities