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Transcendentalism: Henry David Thoreau

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Transcendentalism Essay The ideals and structures of the society we live in today clearly contrast with the core ideals of Henry David Thoreau. We rely on seemingly everything but ourselves for information, and we have trampled upon the nature that was so valued by Thoreau. Our rapid technological advancements have improved our lives in countless ways, but many elements of our digital technology would surely garner shame from a dedicated transcendentalist like Thoreau. Furthermore, the citizens of America have allowed for an elected government that Thoreau would believe has grown too powerful and possesses excessive influence over our lives. If Thoreau lived in today’s society, he would be aghast at the abuse of the environment due to industrialization, …show more content…

He believed that the primary source of knowledge was nature itself, so he would likely wonder how we could learn at all in such an industrialized society with nature as a mere backdrop. In Walden, Thoreau stated that “Every morning was a cheerful invitation to make my life of equal simplicity… with Nature herself.” Thoreau believed that nature was positively essential for living a simple life, and that we could find endless knowledge through nature. He would likely despise our suburban neighborhoods and processed goods, as they contrast completely with the idea of simplicity and living in accordance with nature. We involve ourselves in each other’s lives, but never spend time exploring nature and searching for knowledge. As he mentioned in Walden, Thoreau truly wanted us to “resign ourselves to the influence of the earth,” yet we desire to fill every speck of land with homes and buildings. Thoreau’s vision of an existence with nature bears little resemblance to our urban society; Thoreau would surely despise our lack of respect for …show more content…

Today, the bureaucratic American government exerts widespread influence over the American people through economic policies, high tax rates, and even blatant spying. If Thoreau were a registered voter living today, I do not believe he would even want to vote for any politicians, although he would probably associate with the Libertarian movement that advocates for personal freedoms. However, Libertarians represent a miniscule portion of our overall government, which Thoreau would surely not support. Thoreau believed that citizens should revolt if the government gained too much control. If Thoreau were alive today, there is a likely chance that he would advocate strongly for civilians to speak out against the government, as he surely did not foresee a government this bloated and

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During the Transcendentalist movement, Henry David Thoreau was a leading transcendentalist whose work focused mainly on nature and adventure. Walden, or Life in the Woods is an exceptional example of a story based on adventure. In Thoreau’s account of his life at Walden pond, he first states, “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.” Through this quote Thoreau explains that he was tired of the complexity of normal life and desired to go on an adventure to live simply. Additionally, Thoreau states, “I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life…,” which again reveals his motivation for new life by adventure and simplicity.

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In the chapter titled Where I Lived, and What I Lived For from Henry David Thoreau’s novel Walden, the author utilizes rhetorical strategies such as imagery and tone to convey how the distractions that accompany a progressing civilization corrupts society. Since he is a transcendentalist, his argument encapsulates the same principles of becoming free from the binds of society and seeking harmony with nature. He emphasizes those ideals when he states that “[he] went to the woods because he wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if [he] could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when [he] came to die, discover that [he] had not lived”(276). In other words, he wanted to escape from society and live

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Thoreau is consistent when he identifies how governments overrule the conscience of the people, and in all cases suggests that the people should not support its injustices. Whether it is the State of Massachusetts’ “interest… in commerce and agriculture [over] humanity” or the “sanction which the Constitution gives to slavery,” Thoreau always urges one to fight for justice and never give injustice monetary or practical support (Thoreau 3, 6). Furthermore, Thoreau approaches every topic with a healthy amount of distrust of human sincerity and integrity. “No man with a genius for legislation has appeared in America,” and, “I think th[ese] people mean well; they are only ignorant” are examples of his approach (Thoreau 12, 10). The

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In the chapter, “The Village” Thoreau begins to explain how he occasionally goes into the nearby village ‘every day or two’ and uses imagery for the readers to view how he sees the neighbors and village along with the way they gossip. “. . . and after learning the kernels and very last sieverful of news–what had subsided, the prospects of war and peace, and whether the world was likely to hold together much longer–-I was let out through the rear avenues, and so escaped to the woods again.” (Walden pg 82). Additionally, he states that “I am convinced that if all men were to live as simply as I then did, thieving and robbery would be unknown.”

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Humans need nature to survive, and they need to stop messing around with nature. Humans have destroyed the world and nature with pollution of all kinds, literally and figuratively. Thoreau wants people to get back to their roots, and to stop fighting over stupid things and just become authentic again and realize how important nature actually is to

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He suggests that the best solution is “not at once no government, but at once a better government” (Thoreau 1). Instead of condemning government as a whole, Thoreau seeks for it to understand that “there will never be a really free and enlightened state until the state comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its own power and authority are derived” (Thoreau 4). Rather then stepping away from the affairs of the people, Thoreau simply wants the government to adapt to the power of the people. Through this, he reinstates a sense of democracy. Thoreau’s open mindset to change is proof that conditions will be better for those who are suffering, “for it matters not how small the beginning may seem to be: what is once well done is done forever” (Thoreau 7).

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For Thoreau, the individual should take action against societal problems instead of relying on the government to change them. Although it is not people’s responsibility to completely change the way society runs, they need to make their opinions known in order for change to happen. If they do not agree with an idea, they cannot just vote by “a strip of paper merely, but [their] whole influence” (Thoreau 7). People must actively work to enact change. Voting through a strip of paper will not do anything since the government will continue doing what they choose unless they are met with resistance.

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Thoreau believes “that government is best which governs least” and “that government is best which governs not at all” (Thoreau 1). Thoreau has exceptionally low expectations toward the government, he does not believe in the government because “they have persuaded the majority to alter them” ( Thoreau 1).Just like the armies also viewed as machines are programmed to function, the government has also managed to have their citizens alter them. Thoreau criticizes they way the government manages their issues because the government's remedy to issues is worst than the evil, they claim to take care of an issue but in reality they make it worst which expands to the issue that government is not capable of being equitable because it is filled with unjust individual who are brainwashed to do the task they are programmed to do. Individuals usually pursue the crowd, but Thoreau desires that one individual will wrangle to bring change to society.

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Henry David Thoreau was a philosopher, poet, and a very outspoken person about society. He discusses his opinions on how people should live in his essay “Where I Lived and What I Lived For.” Thoreau's philosophy of simplicity and individualism and self-sufficiency poses many dangers for communities as a whole. Although there are many setbacks, his philosophy is, however, still viable today. Thoreau strongly advocates self-sufficiency and individualism in this essay.

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He wrote about how technology and new lifestyles were continuously replacing what nature had established. He pointed out how nature was the window for people to find their own identity, which was fogged by the changes in society the industrial revolution had caused. Then, he continued to elaborate on how pure nature truly was by stating that all living things survive and live because of nature. Thoreau believes that society had lost itself in the tangles of its discoveries, and points to the solution of going back to

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783 Words | 4 Pages

Henry David Thoreau is one of the primary promoters of the transcendentalist movement and has been inspiring people to take on the transcendentalist lifestyle ever since the mid 1800’s. Mccandless was an admirer of Henry’s philosophy but he wasn’t as fully immersed in his work and ideals as Thoreau was to his own. His intentions were not as closely aligned to the movement as Thoreau’s and the difference between these icons are clearly visible. Self reliance is one of the most significant components of the transcendentalism movement that Henry David Thoreau contributed to in his literary career. “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.” - (taken from Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden”).

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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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In Walden, written by Henry David Thoreau, the author expresses the immense longing that we, as human beings, need to give up our connection to our ever-growing materialism in order to revert back to self-sufficient happiness. In Walden, the reader is able to infer that Thoreau feels as if we are becoming enslaved by our material possessions, as well as believes that the study of nature should replace and oppose our enslavement, and that we are to “open new channels of thought” by turning our eyes inward and studying ourselves. Thoreau feels that we are becoming enslaved by our material possessions. As stated in the chapter “In the Where I Lived, and What I Lived For”, Thoreau states that “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.” (972).

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You can’t walk in the woods and see a leaf that doesn’t quite know if it wants to fall to the ground or stay on the tree. Thoreau noticed this, and thought that if people could be decisive in the same way that nature was, then they could “live deep and suck out all the marrow of life… live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put as to put to rout all that was not life… cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner…” (Walden 771) This is something that Thoreau highly valued. He wanted to live as his own person, which was, in his mind, best accomplished by living in nature and not being involved with the government.

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Transcendentalism, a philosophical and social movement, demonstrated how divinity spreads through all nature and humanity. One of the main ideals of transcendentalism, living simply and independently, define as the principle. In matters of financial and interpersonal relations, independence projects as more valuable than neediness. Henry david Thoreau elaborates on these transcendentalist ideals when he travels into the woods and writes an essay.

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