History and Description of Transcendentalism

The term transcendentalism has sometimes been difficult for people to understand. Maybe you first learned about Transcendentalism, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau in high school English class, but couldnt figure out what the central idea was that held all those authors and poets and philosophers together. If youre at this page because youre having difficulty, know that youre not alone. Heres what Ive learned about this subject. Transcendentalism in Context The Transcendentalists can be understood in one sense by their context—that is, by what they were rebelling against, what they saw as the current situation, and therefore as what they were trying to be different from. One way to look at the Transcendentalists is to see them as a generation of well-educated people who lived in the decades before the American Civil War and the national division that it both reflected and helped to create. These people, mostly New Englanders, mostly around Boston, were attempting to create a uniquely American body of literature. It was already decades since the Americans had won independence from England. Now, these people believed, it was time for literary independence. And so they deliberately went about creating literature, essays, novels, philosophy, poetry, and other writing that were clearly different from anything from England, France, Germany, or any other European nation. Another way to look at the Transcendentalists is to see them as a generation of people struggling to define spirituality and religion (our words, not necessarily theirs) in a way that took into account the new understandings their age made available. The new Biblical Criticism in Germany and elsewhere had been looking at the Christian and Jewish scriptures through the eyes of literary analysis and had raised questions for some about the old assumptions of religion. The Enlightenment had come to new rational conclusions about the natural world, mostly based on experimentation and logical thinking. The pendulum was swinging, and a more Romantic way of thinking—less rational, more intuitive, more in touch with the senses—was coming into vogue. Those new rational conclusions had raised important questions but were no longer enough. German philosopher Kant raised both questions and insights into the religious and philosophical thinking about reason and religion, and how one might root ethics in human experience and reason rather than divine commands. This new generation looked at the previous generations rebellions of the early 19th century Unitarians and Universalists against traditional Trinitarianism and against Calvinist predestinationarianism. This new generation decided that the revolutions had not gone far enough, and had stayed too much in the rational mode. Corpse-cold is what Emerson called the previous generation of rational religion. The spiritual hunger of the age that also gave rise to a new evangelical Christianity gave rise, in the educated centers in New England and around Boston, to an intuitive, experiential, passionate, more-than-just-rational perspective. God gave humankind the gift of intuition, the gift of insight, the gift of inspiration. Why waste such a gift? Added to all this, the scriptures of non-Western cultures were discovered in the West, translated, and published so that they were more widely available. The Harvard-educated Emerson and others began to read Hindu and Buddhist scriptures and examine their own religious assumptions against these scriptures. In their perspective, a loving God would not have led so much of humanity astray; there must be truth in these scriptures, too. Truth, if it agreed with an individuals intuition of truth, must be indeed truth. Transcendentalisms Birth and Evolution And so Transcendentalism was born. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, We will walk on our own feet; we will work with our own hands; we will speak our own minds...A nation of men will for the first time exist, because each believes himself inspired by the Divine Soul which also inspires all men. Yes, men, but women too. Most of the Transcendentalists became involved as well in social reform movements, especially anti-slavery and womens rights. (Abolitionism was the word used for the more radical branch of anti-slavery reformism; feminism was a word that was invented deliberately in France some decades later and was not, to my knowledge, found in the time of the Transcendentalists.) Why social reform, and why these issues in particular? The Transcendentalists, despite some remaining Euro-chauvinism in thinking that people with British and German backgrounds were more suited for freedom than others (see some of Theodore Parkers writings, for instance, for this sentiment), also believed that at the level of the human soul, all people had access to divine inspiration and sought and loved freedom and knowledge and truth. Thus, those institutions of society which fostered vast differences in the ability to be educated, to be self-directed, were institutions to be reformed. Women and African-descended slaves were human beings who deserved more ability to become educated, to fulfill their human potential (in a twentieth-century phrase), to be fully human. Men like Theodore Parker and Thomas Wentworth Higginson, who identified themselves as Transcendentalists, also worked for freedom of those who were enslaved  and for womens expanded rights. And, many women were active Transcendentalists. Margaret Fuller (philosopher and writer) and Elizabeth Palmer Peabody  (activist and influential bookstore owner) were at the center of the Transcendentalist movement.  Others, including novelist Louisa May Alcott and poet Emily Dickinson, were influenced by the movement.

The Importance Of Healthy Physical And Motor Growth Essay

I do not agree with what Jamie and Paul have planned for their baby, however, it is important for a child’s physical growth development to be acknowledged, acted upon, and approached in a safe manner. There are many ways that healthy physical and motor growth, and athletic skill can be promoted for a child throughout development, from birth and on to adolescence, and during late childhood, children’s physical skills become more coordinated every day. According to childtime.com, most of them need parental involvement. Children need a specific place within or outside of the home where they have plenty of space to play physical games or do activities, that require the child to exercise their balance and reaction sills, and use plenty of mental energy, such as basketball or baseball. Parents should find ways to challenge the child, such as using elbows or other body parts to play the sport/activity they are playing, and making sure that they stretch properly before hand. Do ing so can improve the child’s ability to perform alternatives through out the game, and their resilience to bounce back afterwards. According to Life-Span Development, increased myelination of the central nervous system improves children’s fine motor skills, and it has also been proven that a higher level of physical activity is linked to a lower level of metabolic disease, which is why it is so important for families to go on activities that require physical movement, such as going to the pool and swimming,Show MoreRelatedEssay on Developments in Middle Childhood1584 Words   |  7 Pagesdevelopment of previous stages has decreased and the physical changes within this period are slower and more defined.   The refinement of gross and fine motor skills is a critical aspect of this stage as the delayed or retarded development can have significant impact on the areas of cognitive, social and emotional development.   In order to ensure children are equipped with the correct knowledge and understanding of health, well being and healthy eating, the period of middle childhood is one in whichRead MoreThe Effects Of Occupational Therapy On Early Childhood Grades Essay1656 Words   |  7 PagesThis paper focuses on the importance of occupational therapy in early childhood grades. 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Antigone Moral Law vs Civil Law free essay sample

When it comes to morality, what is right and wrong based on a person’s personal beliefs, the story of Antigone is a great literary reference towards the internal struggles of an individual’s morality. Antigone chose to attribute herself with moral law instead of Creon’s rash and destructive civil law. Antigone felt that no one had the right to decide another’s fate, let alone the fate of someone else’s deceased body. Antigone believed that her brother deserved a proper burial, although he fought against Thebes he still fought for what he believed in and thought was morally just. Many individuals make decisions depending on their moral standings. No one can say what is morally just or unjust besides the individual themselves that ultimately make the final decisions. The reader quickly discovers that the moral beliefs of Antigone and Creon will clash into an epic battle of courage and moral beliefs. We will write a custom essay sample on Antigone: Moral Law vs Civil Law or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Antigone devised her own agenda based on her personal standings that she felt was right. She formed a plan of action and she followed through all the way to the end. She was fully aware of the consequences and faced them with courage and passion. Antigone felt that there was injustice in the law and she could not allow her own brother to be punished in such a grotesque way. Many citizens followed behind her beliefs and motives. Even though she knew her death was inevitable she strived to achieve what she thought was just. Creon sets the standards for civil law within the story of Antigone. Creon’s decision to make it unlawful to bury the deceased body of Polynices was based solely on the fact that Polynices fought against the Thebans. In the eyes of Creon, Polynices was a traitor although Polynices was only doing what he believed was just. Polynices knew what challenges he would face and gave his life for his own moral beliefs. Each character in the story choses their own morality and each proves that what they truly believe is what is most important. Although Teiresias thoroughly informed Creon of the consequences of his actions Creon refused to listen. Creon overstepped the moral boundaries of others and suffered for his unjust actions, â€Å"you have to repay a corpse of your own†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"One body you have locked in a tomb†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Another†¦ you have forcibly retained here on earth. † It is noted that the â€Å"Furies† will pay back Creon with his â€Å"own coin†, or life. A grand example of mortality occurred in early 300 BC when Alexander the Great overthrew the entire Persian Empire. The Persian Empire was ruled  by King Darius III. When Alexander discovered the murdered body of Darius he still provided Darius’s body with an appropriate burial. The difference between Alexander and Creon is that Alexander understands the difference between what is just and unjust. It makes it more despicable when it is made obvious that Polynices was Creon’s nephew and Creon still denied his body a proper and respectable burial as he should have received. Alexander understands morality to a great extent unlike Creon who suffers greatly for his morally unjust actions.

Speak No Evil Essays - Arbiter, Censorship, Mister Sinister

Speak No Evil Freedom of expression, and open access to media, are as fundamental to the survival of Progress as the sun and rain are to the survival of planet Earth. Yet censorship remains a traditional response of any group that finds itself offended at another's message or creative indulgence. The argument that because they serve the public interest, media should willingly accept a moral arbiter to decide what will and what will not be disseminated is both uninformed and dangerous. The biggest problem is that nobody will have the opportunity to vote for the people charged with determining what information is left on the cutting room floor. Worse yet, certain lower life forms with an eye on world domination will always find ways to apply this primitive form of babysitting to their own sinister ends. Because the new communications paradigm calls only for media to get bigger-not better-access to media is more costly. As corporate interests pool their