Transcendentalism Definition

We all have our own interpretation of life. Past and present life has many different theories, philosophies and ideas. Transcendentalism arose within all of these ideas. The idea of transcendentalism was baffling and highly complex and is not simple to define. Transcendentalism is a philosophy, a powerful literary movement and a way of knowing. The root word of transcendentalism is transcend, meaning to go beyond. Transcendentalist “is a person who accepts these ideas not as religious beliefs but as a way of understanding life relationships” (Spiritual). Transcendentalists believed that simply because we cannot be aware of or be conscious of something, does not mean it does not really exist. The soul exists, but cannot be defined. The soul
For example, you must believe in and respect your intuitions. Emerson says that “fear always springs from ignorance”. In other words, Emerson is trying to make the point that people are afraid of situations they know nothing about. Being ignorant means you have a strong reliance on the past and transcendentalists do not encourage this practice. Another characteristic is self-reliance. Relying on the past knowledge to educate yourself, instead of putting forth effort in discovering something new, is not the way to better yourself. After all the people that do not have a strong self-reliance, are “forgetful that Ciero, Locke, and Bacon were only young men in libraries when they wrote these books” (American). Personal vision is key and one who is loyal to self-reliance will become a more idealistic individual. The ability to repel influences is another aspect of transcendentalism. Transcendentalists think, “that a man shall not for the sake of wider activity sacrifice any opinion to the popular judgments”(CliffNotes). When one can see through the pomposity of the world, and reject any outside force, it will become his. Repelling influence is one of the most important aspects of transcendentalism; individuals should follow the truth, as they perceive it even when their opinion of the truth contradicts societies laws and customs. They encourage that you travel the direction that has no path, and create your own trail. One of the greatest accomplishments an individual can gain is being “yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else” (Daniel). In addition to repelling the opinions of others, the pursuit of a solitary lifestyle is claimed to be helpful. It is too elementary to adapt to society and live after the opinion of the world. When you confine yourself to solitude, it is simple to adapt after your own. What you are comes to you, and “the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd