Transcendentalism

What is it?

Hold on, before we talk about transcendentalism, let’s first get our bearings here . . .

There have been some major time periods throughout history which we can generalize about what life was like and how people thought about the world:

Time Period Dates (estimate)

Ancient Rome 509 BC - AD 476

The Middle Ages500 - 1500

The Renaissance1500 - 1600

The Age of Enlightenment1700s

Romanticism (in Europe)1800 - 1860

Transcendentalism (in US) 1840 - 1860

Modernism1900 - 1970

Post-Modernism1970 - Present

Major wars, new discoveries (especially in science), or simply wanting progress can lead to people shifting their thoughts and starting new movements.

Time Period Dates (estimate)

Ancient Rome 509 BC - AD 476

The Middle Ages500 - 1500

The Renaissance1500 - 1600

The Age of Enlightenment1700s

Romanticism (in Europe)1800 - 1860

Transcendentalism (in US) 1840 - 1860

Modernism1900 - 1970

Post-Modernism1970 - Present

Each time period is a reaction against the previous time period. People look back at the previous time period and think of it as an old way of thinking.

Time Period

Ancient Rome

The Middle Ages

The Renaissance

The Age of Enlightenment

Romanticism (in Europe)

Transcendentalism (in US)

Modernism

Post-Modernism

In your life. . .

You’ve probably experienced this reaction against the “old way” when an older relative such as a grandfather or grandmother has said, “well back in my day things were different . . .”

You might think of some of the things they say or do as “old-fashioned.”

Well, it’s the same idea with time periods (let’s call them “movements”) but just on a larger scale.

For instance . . .

The Middle Ages (or Dark Ages as it’s sometimes called) was generally a time of fierce wars, major diseases that killed millions of people, and not so great living conditions (people used to just throw their trash out on the street and let animals eat the garbage!).

Well, after all this killing and disease, people decided to change their ways of thinking.

As the movement after the Middle Ages, the Renaissance marked a major shift when people in general put down their swords and engaged more in learning, art, and music.

Fast forward Now let’s look a little closer at the time period

leading up to romanticism and transcendentalism.

The Renaissance1500 - 1600

The Age of Enlightenment1700s

Romanticism (in Europe)1800 - 1860

Transcendentalism (in US) 1840 - 1860

The Age of Enlightenment During the 1700s, many new scientific discoveries were made and people began to think of the world as having order and logic to it.

This may be a stereotype, but in the interest of time, think of the 1700s in Europe as rich, aristocratic dudes in tights arguing about how people should live and conform to polite society.

The Age of Enlightenment1700s

Romanticism (in Europe)1800 - 1860

Transcendentalism (in US) 1840 - 1860

The Industrial Revolution

Towards the end of the 1700s, some people began to worry that human feelings and emotions were being replaced by “stuffy” logic, people arguing over things, and conforming to high society.

Also, the Industrial Revolution was beginning in Europe – rich people who owned the factories started to make a lot of money while poorer people worked long hours for little wages in unsafe conditions.

A Time of Revolution

In America, as we all know, people got tired of living under British rule and began the American Revolution in 1763.

France caught on and started their own French Revolution in 1789 to go against an unjust economic system.

People began to realize the power of the people to go against a society that they thought was unjust and to make changes that benefitted the individual person!

The Romantic Era (1800-1860)

The Romantic Era began in Europe around the 1800s as a revolt against the Age of Enlightenment.

This word doesn’t mean the same as “romance,” when a man brings a woman flowers or a couple goes out to a nice restaurant on a date.

But there are some similarities . . .

Characteristics of Romanticism

Romanticism (1800-1860) was a time when many people:

Believed in the power of the individual person.

Thought people should return to nature (too much pollution going on from the Industrial Revolution!).

One’s feelings, emotions, and imagination were more important than society, adhering to conventions, conforming to standards, or being a part of an organized group (including religion).

Transcendentalism (1840-1860) In America, there were a group of thinkers,

writers, and artists that began to catch on to all this Romantic stuff going on in Europe.

Transcendental = to go beyond; we must seek truth or the spiritual by going outside of our normal lives

Major transcendentalist writers include Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman.

Transcendentalism (1840-1860)

Transcendentalists believe:The individual person can find God or the

spiritual by himself or herself, rather than relying on organized religion.

People should return to nature, since society can corrupt us and inhibit our ability to find truth on our own.

People should focus inward on their emotions, feelings, and spirituality, rather than rely on society or a group.

Discuss with someone next to you how this 1866 painting by Albert Bierstadt, “Yosemite Valley,” reflects the main ideas of transcendentalism.

Transcendentalists and Native Americans

Discuss with someone next to you:

How would transcendentalists agree or disagree with the main ideals we saw in the Native American stories?

Transcendentalists and Native Americans

They would agree that nature has a spiritual dimension.

They would agree that groups can be dangerous that force thinking upon the individual.

They would agree that people and nature should live in harmony, because industrialization can destroy the earth.

They would agree to shun materialism because it won’t lead to spiritual fulfillment and will deplete the earth.

They may disagree in their idea of God (many transcendentalists still believe in a Christian God).

Transcendentalists and Puritans

Discuss with someone next to you:

How would transcendentalists agree or disagree with the main ideals of the Puritans?

Transcendentalists and Puritans

They would disagree that a person must adhere to strict religious principles and rules.

They would disagree about where to find God (the Puritans held you must go to church, but the transcendentalists said go out in nature).

They would favor personal emotions and feelings over strict rules and conforming to the group.

They would agree that living simply and avoiding material possessions will lead to greater spiritual fulfillment.

Today’s World

The ideas of Romanticism and Transcendentalism are still very much with us today.

Let’s take a look . . .

America is considered the “land of the free,” and Americans cherish their freedom and individuality.

We hold a high regard for individual self-expression:

Rock stars and rappers – sing their own songs.

Youtube – allows anyone to express himself or herself and become “famous.”

Facebook – allows people to celebrate themselves and share their personal stories, feelings, and ideas with others.

National parks – millions of people visit national parks every year to get closer to nature and take a break from society.

Religion – the number of people belonging to organized religions continues to decline every year.