TRANSCENDENTALISM

(19th century) Massachusetts, U.S.A.

“The spiritual over the material”

 PHILOSOPHICAL,
POLITICAL,
LITERARY
AND RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT

Principles:

Inherent goodness of human beings: Genius, intuition, spirituality.

Glories of nature: Solitude, simplicity, care of nature, living the now.

Free individual experience: Non-conformity, authenticity, self-reliance,

individuality.
 TWO MAIN FIGURES
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Born in 1803 in Concord, Massachusetts.

Notable works:
- Nature
- Self-reliance

Born in 1817 in Concord,

Massachusetts.

Notable works:
- Walden
- Civil disobedience

Henry David Thoreau

 EMERSON
The father of Transcendentalism.
 Nature is part of us
 We are one with nature
 EMERSON
The father of Transcendentalism.
 Nature is part of us
 We are one with nature
 Ordinary man can be extraordinary
 EMERSON
The father of Transcendentalism.
 Nature is part of us
 We are one with nature
 Ordinary man can be extraordinary
 Originality and simplicity
 EMERSON
The father of Transcendentalism.
 Nature is part of us
 We are one with nature
 Ordinary man can be extraordinary
 Originality and simplicity
 The importance of the here and now
 Believe in oneself
 EMERSON
The father of Transcendentalism.
 Nature is part of us
 We are one with nature
 Ordinary man can be extraordinary
 Originality and simplicity
 The importance of the here and now
 Believe in oneself
 Burdens: the past, religions and social norms
 EMERSON
The father of Transcendentalism.
 Nature is part of us
 We are one with nature
 Ordinary man can be extraordinary
 Originality and simplicity
 The importance of the here and now
 Believe in oneself
 Burdens: the past, religions and social norms
 The integrity of our mind
 EMERSON
The father of Transcendentalism.
 Nature is part of us
 We are one with nature
 Ordinary man can be extraordinary
 Originality and simplicity
 The importance of the here and now
 Believe in oneself
 Burdens: the past, religions and social norms
 The integrity of our mind
 Pantheist: God exists in every part of creation
THOREAU
Emerson influence.
 THOREAU
Emerson influence.
 Simplicity – authenticity – Disobedience
 THOREAU
Emerson influence.
 Simplicity – authenticity – Disobedience
 Look back to nature
 THOREAU
Emerson influence.
 Simplicity – authenticity – Disobedience
 Look back to nature
 Walden pond
 THOREAU
Emerson influence.
 Simplicity – authenticity – Disobedience
 Look back to nature
 Walden pond
 Self-Discovery and introspection
 THOREAU
Emerson influence.
 Simplicity – authenticity – Disobedience
 Look back to nature
 Walden pond
 Self-Discovery and introspection
 Rejection to the material
 A good companion for oneself
 THOREAU
Emerson influence.
 Simplicity – authenticity – Disobedience
 Look back to nature
 Walden pond
 Self-Discovery and introspection
 Rejection to the material
 A good companion for oneself
 Individual contemplation
 Personal authenticity
 THOREAU
Emerson influence.
 Political conclusión
 Peaceful resistance
 THOREAU
Emerson influence.
 Political conclusión
 Peaceful resistance
 Time in jail
 THOREAU
Emerson influence.
 Political conclusión
 Peaceful resistance
 Time in jail
 Civil disobedience
 OUTSTANDING WORKS
EMERSON
SELF-RELIANCE
 The importance of self-reliance
 Self-reliance and the individual
 Self-reliance and society
NATURE
 Accesibility of Universal Understanding
 Unity of God, Man and Nature
 Reason and Understanding
 Relationship of Man and Nature
 Matter and Spirit
THOREAU
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
 Civil Government and Higher Law
 Government and the Individual
 Materialism and the Simple Life
WALDEN OR THE LIVE IN THE
WOODS
 The Spiritual Journey
 Duality of Man and of Nature
 Growth, Change and Renewal
 The Individual – Centrality and
Independence
 The Simple Life
 INFLUENCE

EMERSON
Literature and Poetry
Herman Melville (Moby Dick)
Emily Dickinson (I Heard a Fly Buzz – when I died (591))
 INFLUENCE

EMERSON
Literature and Poetry

THOREAU
Political theory