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Idealism In American Romantic Times, By Horace Mann

479 Words2 Pages

The first important theme of the American Romantics is idealism. Idealism is a recurring theme throughout the American Romantic times, because the way people of this time felt it was their duty to help one another. Due to the Romantics humanitarian beliefs, many people, such as Dorothea Dix and Horace Mann, stood up for unjust and unfair rules for the betterment of society. The first romanticist to fight for a utopian society was Horace Mann. Mann fought to improve public education which at this time was a huge concern because of how the education system was religious based more than academic focused ("Political and Social Milestones"137). Mann believed that education was important for future generations, so he created six key principles to reform the school system. These principles state freedom cannot be maintained by ignorance, the public should help make education affordable, and only trained professionals should be allowed to teach (Horace Mann). Furthermore, Dorothea Dix was another romantic who …show more content…

The Romantics believed that imagination was the highest embodiment possible (Arpin 141). Amongst the Romantics it was said that imagination was able to discover truths that the rational minds could not reach(Arpin 141). They believed that being creative enough and having imagination would help solve their problems. The Romantics believed in this so much they thought the spiritual realm was real and that spirits would help find beauty and truth (Arpin 143). To the Romantics it was important that they didn't get so caught up in discovering through rational means. The Romantics thought that having a simplistic rational mind could not lead them anywhere. The Romantics, even said to themselves that imagination, individual feelings, and wild nature were of far greater value than logic and cultivation (Arpin 141). Which just goes to show that they never gave up on their

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The key claims that Horace Mann develops in Report No. 12 includes, most importantly, the idea that the single most important characteristic of any successful society is the common education of its students. Mann maintains that students need to be well educated to even the playing field between rich and poor to create a better future. He also supports the idea that education is essential to a Republican society to be prosperous. When Mann is education the reader on the importance of educating the youth, he draws on the idea that education takes in the children as “raw material” and turns them into productive members of society using education. Mann stresses that schools are the most effective of all forces in civilization, mostly because it so strongly influences all of the other forces.

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Taking a Stand for the mentally ill Thesis Dorothea Dix took a stand by recognizing the importance of establishing mental institutions. Her philosophy saved mentally unstable people from the harsh treatments they once received in jails Background The conditions that the mentally ill lived under in the mid-19th century were unfitting. Unstable individuals were imprisoned and mistreated. People who suffered from insanity were treated worse than criminals.

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