Transcendentalists vs. Society essays

Transcendentalists vs. Society essays Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the most important transcendentalist authors of early nineteenth-century New England, advocates higher individualism, obeying instinct, the hope and belief of miracles, and the great importance of self-reliance. In the transcendentalism-based essay, Self-Reliance, Emerson says that individualism, independence, and inconsistency are how a man should live. However, the rest of society sees the transcendentalist who stay away and alone, who dont participate in public events, abolition of slavery or even voting as self-centered, lazy, insulting and uncivil (TT 201). Emerson, whose beliefs are often considered the core of Transcendentalism, argues that they are not unsocial, melancholy or sour, but joyous and affectionate (200). Society does not understand the transcendentalists and therefore shun them. In Self-Reliance, Emerson brilliantly explains the role of being completely separate from society. Anti-transcendentalists and the general public view sel f-reliance which is the transcendentalist manifesto as self-centeredness. Emerson says that conforming... blurs the impression of your character... but that your genuine actions will reveal your genuine character (SR 23). Transcendentalists believe in being an individual and completely free from the opinions, thoughts, and beliefs of society; they are not concerned about other people. However, they do wish to be understood. The people of the general society disagree with transcendentalists defiance of external authority and their disregard of tradition and religion, and they believe that their idealistic philosophy of intuition and their attitude toward the rest of society is loutish (TT 200). Emerson refers to the non-transcendentalists as materialists. He disputes that they are too worried about the world, about money, and what everybody else is doing. And be...