<p>Im trying to look past the definition.</p>
<p>We’ve been discussing this in class for quite sometime and it irks me that I still cannot fully grasp its true meaning.</p>
<p>[Transcendentalism</a> - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcendentalism]Transcendentalism”>Transcendentalism - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>Read the article, it’s quite thorough. You would really have to read its literature to fully understand it.</p>
<p>I do not understand that article. Does transcendentalism relate with appreciating minor things and etc? Like being yourself and not being a conformist?</p>
<p>I read an article from Emerson and he basically says the beauty of living simple in nature or something like that. It’s hard to grasp.</p>
<p>You seriously need to read some Emerson or Thoreau to truly understand transcendental thought. Their works are available online.</p>
<p>you have a link?</p>
<p>Transcendentalism is basically a protest against the abysmal state of society and culture. </p>
<p>Think living in the woods by yourself, living off the land and meditating every day.</p>
<p>Really? Wikipedia? Honestly, that is probably the worst possible source to use.</p>
<p>From a rough draft of one of my English essays:</p>
<p>“Transcendentalism was a movement, associated with romanticism, which became popular in the early 1800s. The primary belief on which it was based was that there is an ultimate truth that transcends all, which everyone can find in their own way. This idealism and sense of higher purpose is highly reminiscent of the Greeks, and evokes a strong undercurrent of individualism, giving everyone the freedom to march to the beat of their own drummer. Ralph Waldo Emerson established the transcendental movement, and explains its basic ideas very well is his essay, “The Over-Soul.””</p>
<p>Essentially, it is the belief that we must each throughouly understand our own personal truth, if we are ever going to grasp the over-arching truth of the universe. In some ways, really, it is a cross between existentialism and greek philosophies (granted, that’s an odd description, as they’re polar opposites), in that it emphasizes everyone making meaning of the world in their own way, but still suggests that there is a high truth that transcends all. This also has a lot of similarities to some Buddihst beleifs on the power of usuing personal understanding to comprehend the world around you.</p>
<p>Did that make sense? Or was it just more confusing?</p>
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<p>Maybe for reports, but for everyday casual browsing it’s a goldmine.</p>
<p>The primary belief on which it was based was that there is an ultimate truth that transcends all, which everyone can find in their own way.</p>
<p>You probably shouldn’t use the word you’re defining in your explanation of the word. The part of your post that you didn’t quote better explained it imo.</p>
<p>Six Aspects of Transcendentalism:
- Belief in Oversoul (i.e., the common spark of divinity in all things)
- Closeness to Nature
- Individualism
- Self-Reliance
…I don’t remember the other two (we did this two years ago), but that’s the general idea.</p>
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<p>uhhh… the definition above pretty much matches my lit text book (w/ transcend in it)</p>
<p>I second that you should read some Transcendentalist works (at least excerpts)-- try Emerson’s “Self-Reliance” or Thoreau’s “Walden”</p>
<p>ill read those</p>