Boston transcendentalism school h. D. Thoreau and r. W. Emerson

BOSTON TRANSCENDENTALISM SCHOOL"H.D.THOREAU AND R.W. EMERSON

Contents

Introduction 3
1.1Ethics 4
1.2Origins of Transcendentalism 7
1.3Transcendentalist Movement and its Members 9
1.4Henry David Thoreau 12
1.5Economy 20
1.6Higher Laws 26
1.7Solitary Life in Nature 29
1.8Spring 32
2Message of Transcendentalism and Henry David Thoreau 34
3Conclusion 41
4Bibliography 42

Introduction

The work Ethics and Philosophy according to H. D. Thoreau focuses on the first purely American movement which introduced a, so-called, “new thought” to American society in the first half of 19^th century. The Transcendentalist movement came into being as product of the situation in society at that time. American society underwent significant change, primarily in terms of modernization, which strongly influenced society’s values. People started to pay attention more to material possessions rather than on a cultivation of their inner self. Therefore, the meaning of life changed, which Transcendentalists were opposed to. These so-called Transcendentalists, a group of intellectuals and philosophers, used their literary work to show people the rapid changes taking place in their society.
Transcendentalism is well known for its belief in the strong power of the individual and the concept of “self-reliance”. Ralph Waldo Emerson emerged as the spokesperson of this movement. Transcendentalists also saw a great power in nature. They believed that through a close relationship with nature, we can open the door to spiritual life and as a result, find a true meaning of life.
Transcendentalists dealt with several issues. They saw problematic issues in several corners of society. Transcendentalists battled for equality, women’s rights and opposed slavery, hard labour and modernization. Therefore, they reflected upon these issues in their work.
However, Henry David Thoreau differed from the majority of Transcendentalists. He implemented Transcendentalist principles in his everyday life and performed an experiment of solitary living in the woods. He decided to withdraw from society for two years and two months. During the whole stay near Walden pond outside of Concord, Massachusetts, he kept a detailed diary. Based on the content from this diary, he produced his most prolific book, Walden.
This book is crucial for this work as main aim of this thesis is to explain Transcendental principles and to highlight how Henry David Thoreau applied these into his everyday life.