Dead Poets Society Transcendentalism Analysis

The movie Dead Poets Society is based on the philosophies of transcendentalism. Transcendentalism is “any philosophy based upon the doctrine that the principles of reality are to be discovered by the study of the processes of thought, or a philosophy emphasizing the intuitive and spiritual above the empirical” (Transcendentalism, n.d.). Mr. Keating is a new teacher at Welton, a strict all boys school conducted by the principals of Tradition, Honor, Discipline, and Excellence. Mr. Keating is an English teacher who has an interesting way of thinking that will change the students forever. Mr. Keating shows that poetry can change lives, start romances, and go beyond the ordinary way of thinking. Some of Mr. Keating 's students start a club called the Dead Poets Society without the school 's

Self-Reliance was a very important part of the Dead Poets Society 's philosophies. They believed that you should make decisions for yourself instead of being told what to do. This goes hand in hand with intuition and individuality. Self -Reliance is” relying on one’s own capabilities, judgment, and resources” (Self-Reliance, n.d.). Neil Perry is a prime example of a self-reliant person. He is willing to make a name for himself by doing it the way he sees fit. He wants to become an actor, so he auditioned for a play and got the part by himself. He used his own capabilities and natural talent to land one of the lead roles. Neil went against the will of his father and was willing to be disowned. Although his plan resulted in much fighting and ultimately Neil’s suicide, he was able to experience his dream that he achieved himself. "When you read, don 't just consider what the author thinks, consider what you think." says Mr. Keating (Weir, 1989). This quote promotes the idea of self-reliance by focusing on what each person thinks and not depending on others to carry you along. You must think and decided things for yourself instead of being told what to