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The Pros And Cons Of Transcendentalism

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Transcendentalism allows people to undertake a new path of enlightenment to understand their life and the world around them. From seizing the day to differentiating from societal norms, transcendentalism lets some adopt a more positive process of enjoying life. On the other hand, some take transcendentalist beliefs too far and stretch them beyond their worth. These extremists overshadow the positives of this method of thinking which convinces others that transcendentalism is evil. But in reality, transcendentalism is an optimistic way to live which should not be challenged by extreme individuals. Having free thought can be very challenging at times as it is easy to let issues and imperfections ruin the day. Disputes with a friend, stress over …show more content…

The modern day world is ever changing, from industrialization to deforestation, the world and its residents are always evolving. The residents are forced to morph their opinions and thoughts to correlate with the changing world as well as their own beliefs and standards. Those very same morals are also everchanging, throughout one’s life they experience a variety of different adversities which change who they are. In turn, these changes make humans see the world differently. The mutual and dynamic relationship between human and nature is vastly complex and as humans mature they lose the bond they once had with nature. Emerson backs up this very point again in his book Nature. He exemplifies the distance between a childs imaginatory and an adults artificial viewing of nature. As humans grow older, they lose the wonder of a child, the wonder to explore and imagine. But those wonders provide for a very deep and intimate relationship with nature that is very quickly lost as most mature into adulthood. Emerson touches on this by stating “...few adults can see nature…” (CITATION) and even the ones who can “...have a very superficial seeing…” (CITATION). He then turns the table and details the relationship between nature and someone “...who has retained the spirit of infancy even into the era of manhood…” (CITATION). The few adults that retain the connection with nature keep the wonder the child carries. The very same wonder that changes the world around them allowing for brand new thoughts and ideas to always be present. Holding onto the connection with nature lets people have the freedom to see the world differently than what they are accustomed to. Sometimes the attachment with nature can be lost due to society and the changing civilization. For example, in the 1800’s America was undergoing major industrial changes

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Man and nature has always had an imbalanced relationship. Since the dawn of mankind, humans depended on the unpredictable being that is nature in order to survive. Gradually, however, the environment has been manipulated by people, to fit their needs for survival and personal satisfaction. Presently, the relationship between man and nature has been drifting further apart with a growing disconnection between the two, as shown in Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods.

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In his passage from “Last Child in the Woods,” Richard Louv uses various rhetorical strategies in order to make his audience more supportive of his argument. The passage discusses the connection, or really the separation, between people and nature. On this subject, Louv argues the necessity for people to redevelop their connection with nature. His use of tone, anecdotes, rhetorical questions, and factual examples all help develop the pathos and logos of his piece.

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The slippery slope argument is a misconception that reasons that an event will occur after a specific event has occurred; in other words, it is the idea that when an event occurs, another event will follow, thus it is necessary that the first event must be stopped. As for the event that follows, the first event will be judged and the second event that occurs will be accepted as the outcome of the first event, even though there is no evidence that the second event will occur. According to Jerry Fodor’s Where is my mind, Clark states that in order for the mind to process information, it must go through a series of causal chains. Although, according to Clark, if Otto writes his information down into a notebook, it will not be considered as the

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The key to transcendentalism is confidence in a person’s own beliefs, but one more could be

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When analyzing and reviewing Susan Curealean’s essay "Origin Moment” and Melissa Walker’s excerpt from "Rock Spring" one will find commonalities of elements that truly show the importance of our first connection with nature. The reader is able to see that one’s origin moment, “the spilt second early in life when memory takes hold in the body,” of nature specifically concludes in defining who the person is as an individual and how they view the environment around them, as well as how they take care of that particular environment. " Origin Moment” and "Rock Spring" are both able to discuss the importance of our first connections with nature due to writers, Susan Curealean and Melissa Walker reminiscing if you will, on past experiences and how those experiences have shaped each of them as the individuals they are today. Susan Curealean’s essay "Origin

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"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”- Henry David Thoreau. Transcendentalism is an American philosophy that revolves around self-reliance and independence, commonly in nature, a Transcendentalist wants to find the true meaning in life. I believe that Chris McCandless was a Transcendentalist because he was able to leave his whole life behind and take on a minimalist lifestyle while having a strong relationship with god. However, I believe that I am not a Transcendentalist, but simply an adventurer.

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Through the use of imagery, Richard Wagamese highlights the need to mend one's connections to oneself, others, and the natural environment in his writing. Images of the natural world, especially those of forests and rivers, highlight how everything is connected and how important it is to live sustainably. It symbolizes the process of reestablishing a connection to nature, which is necessary for building resilience on an individual level. Reestablishing a connection with nature is crucial for fostering resilience in people. Modern culture often neglects our relationship with nature, even though it is essential to our health.

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Transcendentalism was the era of the rebellious and different, it was the age of exploring everything outside of what was considered to be normal, the age of going beyond the physical world. Transcendentalism celebrates simplicity, non-conformity, and nature, emotion is also a significant part of this movement. It was believed that if one was not led to make decisions based on their own emotions, then what would lead them? Ralph Waldo Emerson is one of the first transcendentalists lay the foundational beliefs that many transcendentalists would follow. These beliefs were reflected through his writing in pieces like “Self-Reliance” and “Nature”.

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Catherine Davis Ms. Gregory AP English 3 7 March 2023 Into the Wild Essay The rejection of society, also known as modern-day transcendentalism, holds a tight grip on dreamers and individualists. Over the course of the last few decades, it has proven to be a stealthy and brutal killer. Young men and women such as Chris McCandless have fallen prey to the entrancing ideologies of transcendentalism, including the rejection of society, a desire to connect with nature, and individualism. While such qualities are tantalizing and freeing, recent transcendentalism secludes its partakers from human life, encourages dangerous and risky behavior, ultimately creating a delusional sense of modern society and nature.

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(20-21) and refutes that “now even that visual connection is optional” (21-22). His concession and refutation further proves that even though the time spent by most of society may be limited, it is still valuable because of the apparent disengagement of man from nature. Consequently, the separation of man from nature has resulted in the loss or reduction of any connection with nature. The mutual relationship between man and nature has evolved from a contract to a sad reality.

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We should value nature and its animals much more (Becker, 1971). In today’s world we have what Becker calls a “power-saw mentality” (Becker, 1971, p. 114). Instead we’re greedy with what nature has to offer us. “Man takes what nature offers us, but usually only what he needs” (Becker, 1971, p. 114). There is a psychological difference in today’s world of what we enjoy out of nature (Becker, 1971).

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Transcendentalism is the belief that man is inherently good, is an independent thinker, and goes out into nature to get in touch with himself. Generally, man has good intentions and intends no harm unto others. In addition, man does not need society to give him and develop his thoughts, as he already has them within. To help bring out these already installed beliefs, man has the desire to go out into nature to get in touch with himself and find deeper notions within. In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s writings “Self Reliance” and “American Scholar”, he writes about how being a true individual means that one must have his own beliefs, and not copy someone else’s ideas.

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Nature is easily projected onto, as it allows for a sense of peacefulness and escapism. Due to its ability to evoke an emotional reaction from the masses, many writers have glorified it through various methods, including describing its endless beauty and utilizing it as a symbol for spirituality. Along with authors, artists also show great respect and admiration for nature through paintings of grandiose landscapes. These tributes disseminate a fixed interpretation of the natural world, one full of meaning and other worldly connections. In “Against Nature,” Joyce Carol Oates strips away this guise given to the environment and replaces it with a harsher reality.

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Nature is one of the most powerful and mysterious forces of the universe that influences man greatly. Philosophically considered, the universe is composed of nature and soul. It controls all the living, non-living, human, non-human, organic, inorganic and visible, invisible things. It rules over the universe like a monarch and man can’t escape from the influence of nature; he is influenced by both nature and culture. To man nature is the pure and original source of happiness.

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