Principles of Transcendentalis

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Transcendentalism Religious and philosophical

doctrines that emphasize the importance of individual inspiration;

mind-search – belief in things without proof;

divinity can be found through nature

Transcendentalism

1. Importance of nature2. Self-Reliance – depend

on yourself; non-conformity

3. Importance of the individual

Transcendentalism

4. Belief in intuition – look for truth in yourself and in nature; transcend the senses.

Transcendentalism

5. Oversoul – direct relationship with God; a personal matter to be established by individual rather than through church/priest intervention. Spiritual life is very important.

The individual communes with

nature and through intuition

reaches the oversoul.

Emerson says …

Envy is ignorance

Emerson says …

Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string

Emerson says …

Nothing can bring you peace but yourself

Emerson says … This time, like

all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.

Emerson says …

Insist on yourself; never imitate.

Emerson says …

What is the hardest task in the world?

To think.

Emerson says …

Be an opener of doors for such as come after thee.

Emerson says …

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

Emerson says … A friend is a

person with whom I may be sincere. Before him, I may think aloud.

Emerson says …

The reward of a thing well done is to have done it.

Thoreau’s Trancendentalist Principles

God as Nature Look inside

yourself for divine guidance in learning to understand the nature of God.

Contemplation of Divine Nature and Nature

Live life close to nature for there a person can most successfully contemplate his reason for being.

Search for Meaning A person should

devote himself to the search for the meaning of oneself and other living things, not in the accumulation of material goods.

Physical and Mental Work A person should

be both physically and intellectually active throughout life.

Know Thyself Thoreau believed

the best way to “know oneself” was to beome a person of principle and then to live life by these principles.

Know Thyself These principles

can be found through contemplating self and through working close to nature.

Know Thyself Having developed a

personal code, a person should abide by it, even if such action puts the person in conflict with the majority of society.

Know Thyself Follow the

dictates of your own conscience.

Time and Personal Growth

A person should work for money only such time as is necessary to fulfill his basic needs.

Time and Personal Growth

Give time priority to personal growth rather than working for money.

Least Government Best A person should

have the courage to practice some form of non-violent law-breaking if he believes the law to be in violation of his principles.

Least Government Best Of course, he also

has to be willing to take the consequences that the government might invoke.

Determine Truth for Yourself A person should

accept only those traditions which appear to be true and should reject the rest.

Determine Truth for Yourself This principle

therefore requires “living today for today” since yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never come.

Be Yourself This ninth

principle, in a sense, is a summation of the rest.

Be Yourself Thoreau believed that if a

person will exercise the self-discipline necessary for the study of himself in relation to nature and mankind as oulined by the first eight principles, he will have a rich, rewarding life.

Be Yourself Consequently, the

last principle is to be yourself by exercising the self-discipline necessary to live by the first eight principles.