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Transcendentalism

Transcendentalism was a philosophical movement in the United States during the 19th century.

Its emphasis on intuition and spirituality characterized it. Transcendentalists believed that all

humans have the innate ability to reason and think for themselves and that they all retain a voice

of reason if they search deep within. Transcendentalists were influenced by eastern religions

concentrated on spirituality, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, and Taoism. The

most remarkable thing about the transcendentalists was their belief in equality and their support

of social reform, such as the abolition of slavery and women’s rights. Transcendentalists

believed that each individual can discover the truth and that everyone has an innate ability to

discover it. Moral reasoning exists within all people, regardless of race or gender, and it is not

unique to any one group.

Emerson, an influential American author and poet, greatly influenced American literature and

culture. In his book, Self-Reliance, Emerson believed that man could think rationally. Thus, God

endowed every human being with the ability to think, reason, and act; it is up to humankind to

use these gifts wisely. Emerson argued against the idea that following one’s mind is a form of

liberation. It allows one to make judgments rather than blindly following others, and that

individuality is, above all, an essential quality. “To believe your thought, to believe that what is

true for you in your private heart is true for all men, that is genius” (Emerson 236). This is an
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important concept, especially in this day and age when media and social media platforms

influence our thinking. Rather than thinking independently, people blindly follow and feed into

the ideas they do not even have an aptitude to analyze. In other words, the modern world has left

us devoid of any coherent sense of who we are.

Individuals thinking for themselves is an important aspect of a progressive society. It is through

individuals thinking for themselves that change occurs. Humans possess an inner power that

allows them to distinguish between good and evil, and if they listen to their conscience, there

will be no hatred, and they will all live in harmony. In a democracy, this is mainly important

because it helps contribute and bring different perspectives to the table. In his book “Resistance

to civil government,” Thoreau argued that a man is efficient in governing himself. We all

recognize the necessity for a revolution when injustice exists in our society. Thoreau was an

anarchist. However, he believed that everyone had a responsibility to pay their taxes. "I have

never declined to pay the highway tax because I am as desirous of being a good neighbor as I am

of being a bad subject; and, as for supporting schools, I am doing my part to educate my fellow-

countrymen now"(Thoreau 965). This expounds the transcendentalist objective that the truth

justifies its existence by reason and emotion as an individual. Conscience is also one of the main

tenets of Transcendentalism. It believes that God (the Oversoul) is the source of everything, and

everyone is connected to Him directly through conscience. When conscience speaks to you, it is

telling you the truth. Furthermore, our knowledge of good versus evil is innate, which we

naturally recognize intuitively. Socrates first used this theory of truth to encourage people to find

their truths and the inherently good self within themselves. It is an expression of individualism

and democracy, which is the central idea of liberalism.


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Work cited

Ralph Waldo Emerson. “Self-Reliance”. The Norton Anthology of American Literature,


Levine, Robert S. 9th ed., Vol. 1, W.W. Norton, 2017, pp. 178-81; 237-53.
Thoreau, Henry D “Resistance to Civil Government” The Norton Anthology of American
Literature, Levine, Robert S. 9th ed., Vol. 1, W.W. Norton, 2017, pp. 950-969.

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