Gönderi
Individual men and women can be their own authority on knowledge through the use of their own
intuition and conscience. There was also a distrust of societal and govermental institutions and their
corrupting effects on the individual. Because of the beliefs in self-reliance and individualism,
transcendentalists became huge propenents of progressive reforms. They wished to help individuals
to find their own voices and achieve to their fullest potential. Margaret Fuller, one of the leading
transcendentalists, argued for women’s right. She argues that all sexes were equal and should be
treated as such.
In addiction, transcendentalists argues for the abolition of enslavement. In fact, there was a
crossover between women’s right and the abolitionist movement. Other progressive movements
that they exposed included the rights of those in prison, help for the poor, and better treatment of
those who were in mental institutions.
As philosophy, Transcendentalism is deeply rooted in faith and spirituality. Transcendentalists
believed in the possibility of personal communication with God leading to an ultimate understand of
reality. Leaders of the movement were influenced by the elements of mysticism, found in Hindu,
Buddhist, and Islamic religions as well as the American Puritan and Quaker faiths. The
Transcendentalists equated their beliefs in a universal reality to The Quaker’s belief in a divine inner
light as a gift of God’s Grace.
Transcendentalism was greatly influenced by the doctrine of the Unitarian Church as taught at
Harvard Divinity School during the early 1800s. While Unitarians stressed a rather calm and rational
relationship with god, transcendentalists sought to a more personal and intense spiritual experience.
As expressed by Thoreau, transcendentalists found and communed with God in gentle breezes and
other creations of nature. While transcendentalism never evolved into its own organized religion,
many of its followers remained in the Unitarian Church.
Transcendentalism influence a number of important American writers, who helped created a
national literary identity. Three at these man were Herman Melville,Nathaniel Hawthorne, and
American artist from the Hudson River School, who focused on the American landscape and the
importance of communing with nature.
The transcendentalists believed in the union of god and the world that everything in the world
results from God, and God can be found in everything. This includes the soul of every human being in
which divinity is present. Because of the belief in their own divine soul the Transcendentalists
developed a strong self-reliance and individualism beyong external authority, tradition and logical
demonstration which resulted in the absolute optimism of the movement.
Emerson published some important Works fort e movement such as the essays “Nature” (1836) and
‘Self-reliance’ (1841) and the poem ‘Concord Hymn’. Emerson was a very optimistic man and did not
believe that anything evil existed in the world.
“When a man lives with God, his voice shall be as sweet as the murmur of the brook and the rustle of the corn.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Essay, Self-Reliance (Page 12)
·
62 views
Yorum yapabilmeniz için giriş yapmanız gerekmektedir.