Puritans, Revolutionaries, &
Transcendentalists
Theists – A person who believes in an all powerful God as a creator and ruler
Deists – A person who believes in a God, based on reason, who created the universe, but has assumed no control over life, exerted no influence on nature, and given no supernatural revelation
Pantheists – A person who believes in the worship of all gods, identifies gods with nature
Came to America to escape persecutiono However, believed that their way of life was
absolutely righto This lead to persecution of otherso No person could remain in the community without
being a member in good standing of the Church Doctrine of the Elect
o Only God could grant the gift of Salvationo If not chosen, could not enter Heaveno Arbitrary – no amount of good work, righteous living
or moral behavior could help anyone become Elect
Theocracyo Government totally controlled by the Churcho A person must be a member of the Church to voteo Without Church membership, loss of property was possible
Basic Beliefso As sinners, all must be punished – All humans are inherently
evilo God decided the fate of all people before they were born –
Nothing they did could change destinyo Each person, regardless of fate, was responsible for own
behavioro All Puritans had to carefully watch their own behavior & that of
their neighborso God required everyone to be busy & work hardo Bible is the supreme authority on earth
View of God: God is omnipotent and wrathful (Theists)
View of Man: Man is basically Evil without Godo Work and Worldly success are the paths to God’s grace
View of Society: Emphasis on success of society and authority
View of Truth: Faith and religion Values: morality, religion, Bible, & God MISC:
o Education was religiouso Pessimistic view of life
Believed in God -- Did not believe God controlled lifeo God is benevolento God judges, but doesn’t control
Reason and logic was an integral part of life
Optimistic about life – saw the goodness in man
Individual rights and liberty were supreme Success can be achieved through work
View of God: Believed in a higher power who was benevolent (Deists)
View of Man: Man is perfectible and basically goodo All men can achieve success through work
View of Society: Emphasis on the individual View of Truth: Science and reason Values: usefulness, success, reason MISC:
o God judges but doesn’t controlo Importance of libertyo Education is practical and vocationalo Optimistic view of life
“To go beyond” To go above reason and beyond the material world Ralph Waldo Emerson lionized as the great thinker of
the time Emerson’s optimism was tailored to the era Social Reform Movement
o Anti-Slaveryo For Women’s Rightso Use intelligence to rescue mankind from poverty, ignorance,
and social injusticeo When inconsistencies were pointed out, Emerson accused
critics of not being morally capable of understanding
Generation of well educated that struggled to define spirituality and religion
Individuals had it within themselves to be perfect – the capacity to be happy
Self-reliance and self-discipline Pantheism- belief that nature is divinity – nature over
civilization Based on feelings rather than reason, Personality over
laws Universe ruled by all-pervasive intelligence known as
the Over-Soulo As an intelligent being man was divine – salvation from withino Man in the process of realizing own divinityo God gave humankind the gifts of intuition, insight, & inspiration
– Why waste such a gift?
View of God: Believed in many gods (Pantheists) View of Man: Man is divine and shares divinity with
all lifeo Success is measured by man’s correct relationship to his
work View of Society: Emphasis on the individual as
superior to society View of Truth: Intuition and instinct Values: Nature and instinct MISC:
o Self Knowledge was importanto Education aimed at self-knowledgeo Idealistic view of life
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