Examples Of Transcendentalism In Nature

Transcendentalism Perspective from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Nature”
The idea of transcendentalism is among the ideas that have existed over time, which attempt to explain life itself and the relationship that is present between nature and humanity. The question of existence has been one that has both fascinated and agonized humanity in equal measure. Wilson says free will exists “if not in the ultimate reality, then at least in the operational sense necessary for sanity and thereby for the perpetuation of the human species” (p. 170). This is evident from the attempts made by the great thinkers and philosophers of each successive generation that has been documented. The works by these thinkers and philosophers, beyond aiming at finding the truth

Ralph Emerson makes references to the sky and stars when referring to nature; this reference notes that nature can be seen from the cosmological point of view, as being the entire universe. Through this description of nature, Emerson provides insight into a relationship where the position of humans, though significant, is small. This understanding of nature relates to the generalization, not on the level of earth, but rather on the level of the universe. The universe outside earth is made up of things that are not made by humans, hence they are equally part of nature. Nature is given the vastness characteristic of the universe, which then makes humans a small part of the universe and should then submit to the forces of

Waldo also talks of the rails and trains created by humans but notes that it is nature from which humans have taken the raw materials to make the rails and the trains. This represents the commodification of nature, where humans have benefitted from nature for all their needs. All aspects of human life presently have been a product of human utilization of the resources that nature has to offer (Ruuska, Heikkurinen and Wilén). This creates a dependency relationship between humans and nature. In much recent definitions, commodification of nature involves its privatization and marketization (Smessaert, Missemer and Levrel). Humans depend on an element of existence that is all providing, nature; which has the ability to provide everything that humans can require. Ralph in depicting this dependency relationship shows that nature is a universal provider for human existence.
The devotee and deity relationship represented by Waldo Emerson also shows the position of humans in existence. “Nature” provides arguments on nature being equal to spirituality, an embodiment of the supernatural. This places humans as devotees of nature - as an embodiment of their spirituality. As a devotee of nature, it is noted that humans are a much smaller part of what is the vastness of nature; a position that then places the nature-humanity relationship