Transcendentalism The Philosophy Of The Mind Essay example

Transcendentalism: The Philosophy of the Mind nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Transcendentalism is the view that the basic truth of the universe lies beyond the knowledge obtained from the senses, a knowledge that transcendentalists regard as the mere appearance of things (Adventures 162). Transcendentalists believe the mind is where ideas are formed. The transcendentalist ideas of God, man, and the universe were not all original, but were a combination of other philosophies and religions. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;One of the major questions of philosophy is quot;What is the nature of the universe?quot; Immanuel Kant was one of the major Transcendentalists of his time. One of the major questions he asked was, quot;What is†¦show more content†¦Kant also made the point that an act desired of everyone would be a good act, or if the act is performed with good intentions it is good no matter if it brings pain. He also said human life is only possible on this moral basis (Frost 95). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Is there a God? This question has been around for hundreds of years. Many transcendentalists think they have answered it. Kant said there must be a God who is wise, good, and powerful to join happiness and goodness. He thought the idea of God was necessary to serve as a foundation for moral life (Frost 132). The transcendentalists explain that when God made the world, he found it good, and when the transcendentalists assumed the Creators place, they followed his example (Santayana 121). Other transcendentalists believe the unseen part of the universe dwells in God (Halverson 429). Theodore Parker was nicknamed the Savonarola of transcendentalism, by Emerson, because he denied the necessity of biblical inspiration and miracles in life (Edwards 479). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Transcendentalists firmly believe that the mind is superior to matter. According to Kant, there are intuitions of the mind itself not based upon experience, but through which experience is acquired. Kant called these quot;transcendental formsquot;(Edwards 480). Transcendentalists believe the mind is the only source of knowledge, but Kant said there is aShow MoreRelatedEssay on Transcendentalism1619 Words   |  7 Pages Transcendentalism nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Many people have theories and philosophies about life in general. There have been hundreds of thousands of books published by many different people on the ideas of people in the past and the present. Transcendentalism falls in amongst all of these ideas. There have been articles, essays, poems, and even books written about this subject. Transcendentalism has effected many people since the philosophy was first introduced. The idea was complex andRead MoreTranscendentalism, An American Philosophy1640 Words   |  7 PagesAmerican philosophers during the early to mid-1800s embraced a new liberal movement known as transcendentalism that posed a silent threat to the current social and political institutions of the time period. Henry David Thoreau acted as the father of this new philosophy that would go on to transform the social structure of America into what it is and is still becoming today. Transcendentalism is an American philosophy that humankind has an innate sense of being and knowledge of the world around them thatRead MoreTranscendentalism Essay1177 Words   |  5 Pagesimprove their lives through living simply, making the best of what they have, and refraining from passing judgement. Transcendentalism challenges individuals to be more self-reliant, many transcendentalists had discovered that the key to being true to oneself is in living as nature does. An example of a place created for this practice specifically is Brook Farm. The goal of transcendentalism is to teach an individual the basics of finding a balance within themselves by connecting their spiritual instinctsRead MoreEarly American Transcendentalism1204 Words   |  5 PagesEarly American transcendentalism has one of the greatest influences towards American society because it is not only a philosophy, but also a religion and physical progression. During the early nineteenth century, Ralph Emerson, H enry Thoreau, and other radical individuals challenged the present day theories of values, ethics, and what it means to live life to the fullest (Timko). If early American transcendentalists were living among civilians today, would present day civilians think the earlierRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Into The Wild By Jon Krakauer1669 Words   |  7 PagesElements of Transcendentalism In the book, â€Å"Into the Wild† by Jon Krakauer, Chris McCandless is an in-the-closet transcendentalist; all of his ethics match up with those of a transcendentalist, yet he never admits he is one. McCandless agrees with all of the components of transcendentalism and follows them unremittingly as soon as he graduates from college, and he lives by those components to a fault, which ultimately led to his death. Deliberate living, nonconformity, and simplicity are three cardinalRead MoreEssay about Transcendentalism1367 Words   |  6 Pages Transcendentalism was an early philosophical, intellectual, and literary movement that thrived in New England in the nineteenth century. Transcendentalism was a collection of new ideas about literature, religion, and philosophy. It began as a squabble in the Unitarian church when intellectuals began questioning and reacting against many of the church’s orthodoxy ways regarding all of the aforementioned subjects: religion, culture, literature, social reform, and philosophy. They in turn developedRead MoreThe Philosophy of Transcendentalism Essay1292 Words   |  6 Pages Transcendentalism was a philosophy that became influential during the 1800s. It was based on the belief that knowledge is not limited to and solely derived from experience and observation but from the truths seem through reason. In the United Sates, transcendentalism became both a philosophy and a literary, religious, and social movement. Emphasis was placed mainly on oneness with nature and God while making the possibility of social change a reality. Ralph Waldo Emerson was the leading AmericanRead More`` Nature `` By Ralph Waldo Emerson920 Words   |  4 Pagesessay, Emerson emphasizes the foundation of transcendentalism, â€Å"a religious and philosophical movement that developed during the late 1820s and 30s in the Eastern region of the United States as protest against the general state of spirituality and, in particular, the state of i ntellectualism.† [2] â€Å"Transcendentalism suggests that the divine, or God, suffuses nature, and suggests that reality can be understood by studying nature.† [3] â€Å"Transcendentalism is closely related to Unitarianism, the dominantRead MoreNew Ideas from the Past959 Words   |  4 PagesNew Ideas from the Past Transcendentalism describes a school of thought which teaches that each person possesses a different set of beliefs that will ultimately lead the person to find an individual view of truth. It teaches that everyone comes into this world morally sound, and society eventually becomes responsible for each of their downfalls, because society tries to force its own outlook about what truth is and how to find truth onto the individual. Problems which plague an individual can beRead MoreEmily Dickinson And Walt Whitman1719 Words   |  7 Pagesremote settings in different time period, heroes doing the extraordinary, idealized characters, heightened, poetic language, and the plot is central (ecore Online content Unit 4). The philosophers of the Romanticism era believed unlike the Transcendentalism that people were not born with a clean state but shaped by environmental experiences. Romanticism in American Literature focused a lot on the beauty of nature and all nature has to offer. It also allowed writers and artists to use their creative