A Brief History
On August 9, 1854, Henry David Thoreau published his book, Walden; or, Life in the Woods, a book about his life with nature and self-reliance, a reflective story of his own philosophy of Transcendentalism.
Digging Deeper
A leading proponent of Transcendentalism was Ralph Waldo Emerson, who along with Thoreau and other Americans decried the then current state of society in what they saw as senseless conformity and instead urged people to find their own individual way in the universe. The Transcendentalists also developed an aversion to the institution of slavery.
Emerson praised Plato, Moses, Jesus, Luther, Copernicus, and Napoleon for their self-reliance, independence and unique natures. The Transcendentalists believe in “the goodness of humans and nature.”
Yet empirical observation of human beings shows us war, assault, rape, theft, hate and any number of mean, evil, or negative human traits. Many believe humans are basically bad. The debate about human nature continues, waiting for your opinion!
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: Which side of the debate are you on?
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Frothingham, Octavius Brooks. Transcendentalism in New England: A History – Long Road Classics Collection. Independently published, 2022.
Thoreau, Emerson, et al. Transcendentalism Collection: Thoreau’s Walden, Walking & Civil Disobedience, Emerson’s Self-Reliance, Nature & The American Scholar, Bryant’s Thanatopsis, & Hawthorne’s Artist of the Beautiful. Independently published, 2020.
