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flourished in 1830s and 40s

- the individual is at the center of universe

- no institution, whether political or religious, is as powerful as individual

founded by Ralph Waldo Emerson, a young pastor who began to question his faith
after he lost his wife.
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Emerson resigned his position and traveled to

Europe.
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Transcendentalism produced two major books:

Emerson’s Nature (1836) and,

Henry David Thoreau’s Walden.

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According to Emerson, the human mind is so

powerful that it can unlock any mystery, from the
intricacies of nature to the wonder of God.
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To Emerson, “the individual is the world.”

This was a radical thought in an age that gave all authority to the organized
institutions of government, religion, and education.
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Emerson argues that every soul and all of nature is part of an “Over-Soul,” a
universal spirit to which all beings returned after death.
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Emerson argues that every soul and all of nature is part of an “Over-Soul,” a
universal spirit to which all beings returned after death.

In other words, every being is part of the mind of God.

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Emerson notes that “The Transcendentalist believes in miracle, in the

perpetual openness of the human mind to new influx of light and power; he
believes in inspiration, and in ecstasy.”
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Many found Emerson’s ideas blasphemous and denounced him as a heretic.

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Many found Emerson’s ideas blasphemous and denounced him as a heretic.

However, his supporters flocked to Concord, Massachusetts, to visit with

him: teacher and philosopher Amos Bronson Alcott, feminist author and
editor Margaret Fuller, young Harvard student Henry David Thoreau.
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In 1845, Henry David Thoreau built a rough

cottage in the woods at Walden Pond and went
there to live alone.
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Thoreau sought to experience life on a simpler

level, in harmony with nature, untied to
material things.
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Thoreau lived at Walden Pond for two years and

wrote about his experiences.
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Thoreau lived at Walden Pond for two years and

wrote about his experiences.

The result was his classic collection of essays,

Walden.
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Like other Transcendentalists, Thoreau was a fierce abolitionist.

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Like other Transcendentalists, Thoreau was a fierce abolitionist.

In protest against slavery and the Mexican War, he refused to pay taxes and
was imprisoned.
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Like other Transcendentalists, Thoreau was a fierce abolitionist.

In protest against slavery and the Mexican War, he refused to pay taxes and
was imprisoned.

Although he spent only a single night in jail, the experience gave him insights
into the relationship of individuals to government.
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The theory of nonviolent civil disobedience that he developed as a result has

had a profound effect on society, both in the United States and around the world.
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The theory of nonviolent civil disobedience that he developed as a result has

had a profound effect on society, both in the United States and around the world.

During India’s struggle for independence in the 1940s, Mahatma Gandhi

adopted Thoreau’s ideas.
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The theory of nonviolent civil disobedience that he developed as a result has

had a profound effect on society, both in the United States and around the world.

During India’s struggle for independence in the 1940s, Mahatma Gandhi

adopted Thoreau’s ideas.

In America, nonviolent civil protest served as the guiding principle for Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. during the civil rights movement.
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Transcendentalism emphasizes individuality, independence, and an appreciation

for the wonders of nature.
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Emerson writes that “Good men must not obey the laws too well.”
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• Human senses are limited; they convey knowledge of the physical world, but
deeper truths can be grasped only through intuition.
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• Human senses are limited; they convey knowledge of the physical world, but
deeper truths can be grasped only through intuition.

• The observation of nature illuminates the nature of human beings.

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• Human senses are limited; they convey knowledge of the physical world, but
deeper truths can be grasped only through intuition.

• The observation of nature illuminates the nature of human beings.

• God, nature, and humanity are united in a shared universal soul, or over-Soul.
In Nature, Emerson looks at the individual’s relationship to nature, and in “Self-
Reliance” he explores the individual’s relationship to society.
In Nature, Emerson looks at the individual’s relationship to nature, and in “Self-
Reliance” he explores the individual’s relationship to society.

In Walden, Thoreau uses the four seasons as a structural framework for the book.
In Nature, Emerson looks at the individual’s relationship to nature, and in “Self-
Reliance” he explores the individual’s relationship to society.

In Walden, Thoreau uses the four seasons as a structural framework for the book.

Walden is a unique blend of natural observation, social criticism, and philosophical

insight.