What is transcendentalism? Beliefs of this American movement

Definition of Transcendentalism

Transcendentalism is a movement that originated in America, particularly New England, in the early 19th century and came into full swing in the 1830s. Rather than an actual religious movement, adherents viewed it as a way of thinking. Although specific beliefs may have differed from person to person, transcendentalism can generally be defined as what GotQuestions.org calls “a philosophy of intuition as a guide to spirituality“.

Some transcendentalists have identified themselves as Christians, generally Unitarians, and others as agnostics. The beliefs can be traced to the ideas of Immanuel Kant, ancient Indian and Chinese scriptures, German and English Platonism and Romanticism. As the thought grew, it was reflected in the works of several notable American writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Transcendentalism originally referred to a system developed by philosopher Immanuel Kant that focused on analyzing the process of reasoning in order to understand the true nature of reality. However, this was extended to a worldview that encompassed personal discovery of truth through experience and intuition rather than reason.

Transcendental beliefs

There are two fundamental beliefs of Transcendentalism.

1. Everyone is basically good.

The first is that there is a divinity that permeates all of nature and humanity. In other words, everyone is fundamentally good, but may need to pursue that goodness through reflection and self-determination.

In Nature, Emerson, one of the leading thinkers of Transcendentalism, called man a “ruined god” and, in his “Divinity School Address” in 1838, described Jesus as one of many true prophets whose message was ” the greatness of man.

2. Truth can be discovered through personal experience.

Another fundamental belief is that truth can be reached through one’s own experience. Although Transcendentalists were often avid scholars, they ultimately championed American ideals of individualism and tried to discover the truth for themselves rather than through reason or adherence to someone else’s specific views. other.

Many Transcendentalists were also politically and socially active, or at least had strong opinions on social and political situations. They were known for their support for the abolition of slavery, women’s rights, educational innovation, better conditions for workers, and communal living.

Transcendentalist movement

Transcendentalism became an organized way of thinking when the “Transcendental Club” was established in 1836, housed in George Ripley’s home in Boston. Ralph Waldo Emerson was among the club’s early members. Between 1836 and 1860 he was associated with such members as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Walt Whitman, Amos Bronson Alcott (father of Louisa May Alcott), and Henry David Thoreau.

Transcendentalists participated in experimental life as part of their philosophy. Many of the aforementioned people were involved in Brook Farm, a venture to establish a utopian farming commune that ultimately failed.

Thoreau struck out on his own to try to live independently in the woods near Walden Pond, where he built a hut and attempted to live independently from society. (Supposedly; he was known to visit his friends, the Alcotts, frequently for meals.) From this experience he wrote the book Walden, NOW a classic text assigned to high school and college literature classes. Thoreau writes of his experience:

“I went into the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, to present only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it should teach… To most men it seems to me that in a strange uncertainty and… and have concluded somewhat hastily that it is man’s main object here to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” »(Walden)

In the 1850s, Transcendentalism began to fade and, after the failure of Brook Farm, ceased to be a cohesive group.

Although the Transcendental Club may no longer exist, the ideas of the Transcendentalists continue to live on through the works of writers such as Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, and Longfellow, who are NOW hailed as classics and studied by schoolchildren and scholars.

Is it biblical?

Transcendentalism may not seem to have any bearing on our lives today, but the abundance of texts by these thinkers in schools and its similarities to postmodern and new age ideas of personal truth raise questions for scholars. Christians on whether or not the ideas of transcendentalism are biblical.

Certain ideas of certain transcendental thinkers are also widely shared by Christians, such as the need for a personal relationship with God. A respect for nature also seems to be supported by the Biblewhich speaks of nature as God’s creation, highlighting its majesty and showing that God places man in his role as guardian of creation (Genesis 1:28).

Furthermore, the Transcendentalists’ emphasis on abolition, fair treatment of women, and improved conditions for workers aligns with the Bible’s instructions for them to care for the poor and oppressed and seek Justice.

However, some ideas of transcendentalism are clearly at odds with the principles of the Bible. For example, the Bible clearly states that humans are in a state of depravity (Romans 3:10-12) and even nature suffers from the effects of sin (Romans 8:22). This goes against the transcendentalist idea of ​​intrinsic goodness. Furthermore, the Bible describes nature and humanity as creations of God (Genesis 1-2), not as divine themselves, contradicting ideas of the divinity of nature and humanity or man as “ruined gods.”

Nor does the Bible teach that the Christian should discover the truth based on intuition or imagination. In reality, Proverbs 3:5 celebrates believers for not relying on one’s own understanding. After all, as it is said in Jeremiah 17:9“The (human) heart is deceitful above all things.” Instead, the Bible must be the ultimate source of truth (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

To summarize:

Transcendentalism was an early 19th century philosophical movement that emphasized personal spiritual discovery. It lives today primarily through the works of notable 19th-century writers such as Emerson and Thoreau. Although Christianity encourages a personal relationship with God, it is not compatible with the idea of ​​discovering one’s own truth. Although nature and humanity should be honored as God’s creation and made in God’s image, they are ultimately broken and in need of a savior, not divine or intrinsically good.

Sources

Goodman, Russell. “Transcendentalism,” The Stanford Philosophical Encyclopedia (Fall 2018 edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.). Accessed June 14, 2019.

“Transcendentalism. » Encyclopedia Britannicalast edited on January 3, 2019. Accessed June 14, 2019.

“What is Transcendentalism? » GotQuestions.orglast modified June 12, 2013. Accessed June 14, 2019.

“Transcendentalism, an American philosophy” USHistory.org. Accessed June 14, 2019.

History.com Publishers. “Transcendentalism.” History.com, last modified August 21, 2018. Accessed June 14, 2019.

Alyssa Roat is a literary agent at CYLand a professional writing major at Taylor University. More than a hundred of his works have appeared in various publications, ranging from The Christian Communicator has Keys for children.She has worked for various publishing houses, newspapers and literary agencies and is currently a freelance editor at Sherpa Editing Services. Learn more about her hereand on social networks @alyssawrote.

Article Cover Photo Credit: Thinkstock

Photo credit in order: Henry David Thoreau (Public domain); Ralph Waldo Emerson Miscellaneous items in high demand, PPOC, Library of Congress (Public domain); Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, There are no reviews yet written for P.Krämer here for Friedrich Bruckmann Verlag München Berlin London. (Public domain)