What is Transcendentalism

Transcendentalism was one of the eras in philosophy and literature that challenged general culture and societal values. What is transcendentalism all about? Transcendentalism stated that we human beings have an innate sense of knowledge about the divine power and nature. It went beyond the mind and logic. Transcendentalists believe that the divine can only be felt and it is not always possible to understand beauty of nature, or for that matter, beauty of anything, by the help of mind. It can be rather be only felt from the intuitive self.

So when you begin to understand, transcendentalism, you must know that many people and historians also call this era as the age of American Romanticism. Moreover, to differentiate the use of world 'transcendental', in numerous other contexts, transcendentalism era was also known as 'American transcendentalism. So when we discuss what is American transcendentalism', we will be referring to the same transcendentalism movement.

Transcendentalism Era: An Overview
Transcendentalism originated in the early to middle 19th century, in New England. The movement gained some significance in 1830s when Ralph Waldo Emerson, in 1836, published his essay, titled Nature. Moreover, the works of Immanuel Kant, one of the greatest German philosophers, is said to have laid the foundation stone of this philosophy. As per Kant, the true knowledge of living and of a higher spiritual self can only be gained by knowing our inner selves. The cultural movements, philosophical thoughts and even literature, all were romanticized in that era and a new sense of spirituality was evolving.

The transcendentalists opposed Church theories about life and living. What added more spark to the transcendentalist movement was the works of Romantic poets, especially the legendary William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Romantic poems that romanced with soul, nature and had a deeper instinctive meaning formed a part of this era. Many people related transcendentalism similar to 'American Romanticism' era. Since literature was the most important thing that spread transcendentalism movements all across the England, its understanding can be done by going through poetry and books of transcendentalist followers. Transcendentalists focused on nature, spirituality and a better evolved self.

Those whose are aware of the term enlightenment, will understand that the 18th century was dominated by logical and critical thinking philosophy. Rationality was the main point of existence. In the early to middle 19th century, when various transcendentalism philosophy topics had made their strong ground, though logic and rational thinking was not disowned by transcendentalists, thoughts became more intuitive. Transcendentalists observed life from a more intuitive angle.

Right from gravity to swinging of a pendulum - everything appeared to transcendentalists as beautiful manifestation of nature. Questions about the natural world were not answered through experimentation and logic only, however, these new breeds of thinkers had started finding answers to life in themselves, in nature. So if we have to give a one word answer on transcendentalism, then it would be most apt to put it as - 'spiritual hunger'. During this era, in a certain group of extremely well educated people, especially in the Boston area in England, the thought of literary independence was blooming and this was decades after America had already gained independence from England.

These educated people started writing essays, novels and poems that conceptualized a new age of intuitive thinking. To understand transcendentalism, we can also look at it from another way. Transcendentalism era was the time when transcendentalists struggled to find meaning in their own religions. To quench the thirst of spiritual hunger, many transcendentalists, like Emerson as well others, started reading Hindu and Buddhist scriptures. They started comparing their own church theories with respect to religious teachings spread across the world. Owing to their more than just rational perspective of living, transcendentalists became more involved in social reform movements related to anti-slavery and women's rights.

In response to the transcendentalist's focus on more inner self, power of nature, individual emotions, imagination etc., many philosophers came out to oppose their way of thinking. These were called anti transcendentalists. So to understand 'what is anti transcendentalism', you have to focus on why anti transcendentalists criticized transcendentalists. As per anti transcendentalists, the transcendentalists thoughts focused on emotions and intuitions, it was more depressing and often resulted in people dealing with darker side of human nature.

While transcendentalists believed in the inherent good in man, its higher spiritual self, in communicating with nature and understanding intuitive self; anti transcendentalists argued that man was evil and nature is often destructive. Anti transcendentalists believed that too much of self indulgence leads to growth of characters in society who just have self serving goals.

The above information on transcendentalism must have given you some insights on this philosophical school of thought. Some of the most famous authors like Emerson and Thoreau leaded the transcendentalism movements while Melville, Hawthorne, Crane and Poe were some of the most famous anti transcendentalists.