" Transcendentalism "

Hello viewers...😊☘️🍂

I am Maya Batiya, A student of Department of English , MKBU.

∆∆ Thinking activity ∆∆

 "Transcendentalism"

                   _assigned by vaidehi ma'am.

∆∆ What is "Transcendentalism" : 

       Transcendentalism was an American literary and philosophical movement that lasted from the 1830s to the 1850s. The key beliefs of the movement were: The 'Eternal One': Every individual carries the universe within himself and is entitled to his own personal relationship with spirituality.

   

  During the 19th century, a new movement known as Transcendentalism emerged that greatly impacted world philosophy and literature. Transcendentalism is made up of many different, yet connected concepts, such as individualism, nonconformity, and the divinity of nature. Transcendentalists believed in the inherent goodness of humanity and nature and argued that people reach their full potential when free of society's corrupt institutions. Believers of the movement emphasized the idea that a person can improve himself through nature and “transcend” his knowledge of the world by following his intuition.The founder of Transcendentalism was Ralph Waldo Emerson, whose work started the movement and created a new period of US literature. He provided a positive view of religion and argued that nature was the place where God could be found. This went beyond what was taught in church and was against the more “conservative” beliefs of the Unitarian Church because it held the sanctity of nature on the same level of God. This idea that nature allows man to be one with God and is more powerful than civilization was attractive to many.

Q. 1) 

Transcendentalists talk about the Individual’s relation with Nature. What is Nature for you? Share your views.

Ans : Nature, to me, is the intricate tapestry of the world around us—the interconnected web of living and non-living elements. It encompasses not only the physical environment but also the essence of life, evolution, and the delicate balance that sustains our planet. Nature serves as a source of inspiration, reminding us of our place within a vast and awe-inspiring cosmos.

According to Emerson, an individual has to improve himself through nature, but at the same time, he emphasized that he needs to interact with his society to be a “whole man”. In other words, not only nature but also society is both significant for an individual “each fit reproduces the other”. According to the philosophy that Emerson founded immersion in the nature is necessary for the improvement of individual, while engagement with the society is indispensable. In other words, only through focusing on both can we live a complete life and make a better society to live in. Thoreau and Emerson emphasized on the transcendentalist idea of human harmony with nature. They believed that nature can help us improve spiritually and help us connect to the rest of the world. According to Transcendental ideas, everything is connected, everything is one. This article tries to delve more deeply into the nature from the view point of American Transcendentalism.

Transcendentalism Today Though there are many basic premises of transcendentalism, being close to nature seems to be the most practiced still today, yet people never notice the amount of influence of this particular principle. Everyone has a little transcendentalism in him or her, but even those people are wondering how that is even possible. Look at the movies children watch, songs people listen to, and stories that are read. Transcendentalists are so much more influential than they ever could have thought possible. “Nature is a setting that fits equally well a comic or a mourning piece” (Emerson 1). These are the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson. 

Emerson had a huge influence on his time and gained many followers, among them was Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau’s and Emerson’s work focused on self discovery and they urged their readers to look towards nature for individual growth and a better quality of life. They believed that everything is connected and by living in harmony with nature, it can become a refuge for the soul. Emerson and Thoreau, along with other modern environmentalist authors, argue that nature is sacred because it offers a connection to the divine to those who embrace it. (Thesis)In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s first essay, “Nature”, he argues the sanctity of nature by describing it as the closest thing to the presence of God and a tool to reach the divine. He believes nature is on the same level as God and suggests that mankind can reach this level by embracing it. Emerson credits his harmonious relationship with nature for his connection with a higher spirit:In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life,-no disgrace, no calamity, (leaving me my eyes,) which nature cannot repair.

Standing on the bare ground - my head bathed by the blithe air, and uplifted into infinite space,- all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eye-ball; I am nothing; I see allIn this passage, Emerson praises the natural world and its ability to fix all things. He believes that when people are in nature, they “return to reason and faith”. As a result, nature becomes a spiritual escape and an opportunity to connect with a higher spirit. Regarding Emerson’s personal experience, when he immerses himself in nature and truly feels it, he realizes how insignificant his problems are: “Standing on the bare ground - my head bathed by the blithe air, and uplifted into infinite space,- all mean egotism vanishes.” By letting himself “bathe” in the “blithe air”, Emerson merges with nature and finds the divine feeling he had been searching for. His emphasis on the sensory feelings felt from the wind makes the readers feel the same vividness of nature that Emerson felt. This use of imagery gives the readers a reason to appreciate nature and makes them see the full sanctity of nature because it is described in such a positive light. It is evident that Emerson found this spiritual state because he described the feeling as being “uplifted into infinite space”, indicating that he had reached God’s level.

Ultimately, Emerson was able to reach this level because he approached nature from an unbiased viewpoint and new outlook on life. He advocates for the importance of looking at the world in a new way and explains that his connection with the divine is thanks to his new perspective: “I become a transparent eye-ball; I am nothing; I see all...” The transparent eye-ball is a metaphor for Emerson’s new perspective on nature that is absorbent rather than reflective. This inferred that Emerson wanted to take in all nature had to offer and as a result, he was able to discard all feelings of selfishness and see the full sanctity of nature because he realized his insignificance in front of something so great and beautiful. When he says “I am nothing; I see all”, Emerson acknowledges that his physical body is “nothing” when he embraces nature, but at the same time he can also see all. This is a paradox and by using it, Emerson shows how he reached the divine while persuading his readers to become one with nature. Using the eye-ball as a tool, Emerson got to experience nature’s divinity and see its true value.

Q. 2)

Transcendentalism is an American Philosophy that influenced American Literature at length. Can you find any Indian/Regional literature or Philosophy that came up with such similar thoughts?

Ans : 

In Indian philosophy, concepts from Vedanta share some similarities with Transcendentalism. Vedanta emphasizes the interconnectedness of the individual soul (Atman) with the universal soul (Brahman), fostering a sense of oneness with nature and a transcendent reality. Philosophers like Swami Vivekananda furthered these ideas, promoting self-realization and harmony with the cosmos, akin to Transcendentalist principles.

Transcendentalism, 19th-century movement of writers and philosophers in New England who were loosely bound together by adherence to an idealistic system of thought based on a belief in the essential unity of all creation, the innate goodness of humanity, and the supremacy of insight over logic and experience for the revelation of the deepest truths. German transcendentalism (especially as it was refracted by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Thomas Carlyle), Platonism and Neoplatonism, the Indian and Chinese scriptures, and the writings of such mystics as Emanuel Swedenborg and Jakob Böhme were sources to which the New England Transcendentalists turned in their search for a liberating philosophy.

Eclectic and cosmopolitan in its sources and part of the Romantic movement, New England Transcendentalism originated in the area around Concord, Massachusetts, and from 1830 to 1855 represented a battle between the younger and older generations and the emergence of a new national culture based on native materials. It attracted such diverse and highly individualistic figures as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Orestes Brownson, Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, and James Freeman Clarke, as well as George Ripley, Bronson Alcott, the younger W.E. Channing, and W.H. Channing. In 1840 Emerson and Margaret Fuller founded The Dial (1840–44), the prototypal “little magazine” wherein some of the best writings by minor Transcendentalists appeared. The writings of the Transcendentalists and those of contemporaries such as Walt Whitman, Herman Melville, and Nathaniel Hawthorne, for whom they prepared the ground, represent the first flowering of the American artistic genius and introduced the American Renaissance in literature. 

In their religious quest, the Transcendentalists rejected the conventions of 18th-century thought, and what began in a dissatisfaction with Unitarianism developed into a repudiation of the whole established order. They were leaders in experimental schemes for living (Thoreau at Walden Pond, Alcott at Fruitlands, Ripley at Brook Farm); women’s suffrage; better conditions for workers; temperance for all; modifications of dress and diet; the rise of free religion; educational innovation; and other humanitarian causes.

Heavily indebted to the Transcendentalists’ organic philosophy, aesthetics, and democratic aspirations were the pragmatism of William James and John Dewey, the environmental planning of Benton MacKaye and Lewis Mumford, the architecture (and writings) of Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, and the American “modernism” in the arts promoted by Alfred Stieglitz.

Q. 3).

Write in short about your understanding of the following essays according to the topics given:

Ans : 

At the start of “The Great Lawsuit,” Fuller wonders if humans will ever reach an enlightened state that allows them to have a closer relationship with the divine. She compares humankind’s current state to slumber. As people’s eyes remain shut, selfishness runs rampant, keeping them from achieving a higher form of existence.

"The Great Lawsuit" by Margaret Fuller explores themes of gender inequality and advocates for women's rights. Fuller discusses the limitations imposed on women in 19th-century society, calling for their intellectual and spiritual liberation. She argues that women should have the opportunity for self-discovery and fulfillment, challenging traditional gender roles and promoting equality. The essay is a significant early feminist work that addresses societal expectations and advocates for a more inclusive and enlightened society.

"The Great Lawsuit" by Margaret Fuller addresses gender inequality, advocating for women's rights and intellectual emancipation. Fuller critiques societal expectations, urging women to pursue self-discovery and equality in education. The essay envisions a harmonious society where both genders coexist as equals, contributing to a more enlightened world.

Words : 1526

Images: 5

Thanking you for visit... 😇🍁🍂