Essay On Transcendentalism

The transcendentalist view of the "divine universe".' The world is a temple whose walls are covered with emblems' (Emerson)

" Transcendentalism is an American literary, political, and philosophical movement of the early nineteenth century, centered around Ralph Waldo Emerson. Other important transcendentalists were Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Amos Bronson Alcott, Frederic Henry Hedge, and Theodore Parker." Transcendentalism appeared as a response against Unitarianism which is based on the theory that God is only one and the fact that people, who are the his sons, are not able to decide their life or after life. Transcendentalism also appeared as a response against the influence of John Locke, who considered the mind to be a

He set out his ideas and values in his essays when he wrote and published his First and Second Series of essays. Other works which are written by Emerson and which are representative for the movement are: "Self-Reliance", "The Over-Soul", "Circles", "The Poet and Experience". The Transcendentalist movement represented a way through which American Culture should be created. During this movement people like Emerson tried to justify and create democracy for America trying to make it different from any other nation. "The self" was a very important aspect in this context as the optimism and the confidence of Americans had to grow in order to succeed. " Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. Society is a joint-stock company, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater. The virtue in most request is conformity. Self-reliance is its aversion. It loves not realities and creators, but names and customs." He considered that society is against people and that self-reliance means respect for God which can be found in every man. It is very important to liberate the self from the society. One should consider to be the Universe, a part of the whole.