Bono: A Modern Day Transcendentalist

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In the 1830s the Transcendental movement sprouted. Through the movement founded by Ralph Waldo Emerson, the idea emerged that there is an inherent goodness in all of us. We learned that just because everyone else has a certain philosophy, it does not mean you are required to think that way. Transcendentalism revolved around the themes of religion, politics, the environment and intuition. Even though the transcendental movement ended more than a century and a half ago, its ideals thrive within modern day society. A fantastic example of a modern day transcendentalist would be Bono, the lead vocalist for the world renowned band, U2. Throughout the years, Bono has carried on the legacy that Emerson and his fellow transcendentalists left behind. Bono and U2 demonstrate transcendentalism through the band’s religious beliefs, political beliefs/actions, environmental movements, song lyrics, and the passion through which they express themselves.

Transcendental ideas did not just magically appear in Bono’s head. He was influenced at a young age. Before Bono became Bono, he was just a boy from Ireland named was Paul David Hewson. When Paul was a kid, he had a knack for being rebellious. As a child, he was expelled from his first school for throwing dog feces at his teacher. He then was sent to Ireland’s first co-ed school. His life took a dramatic turn however, when his mom died from a brain hemorrhage when he was only fourteen years old. As a result, he became more independent and ambitious. He often would butt heads with his father because of that. Paul disagreed with his father on many subjects. His father discouraged him not to dream, causing Paul to do the opposite. In an interview, Bono once stated, “Overcom...

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"JONY AND MARC’S (RED) AUCTION." (RED). Red.org, n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.

Lane, Randall. "Bill Gates And Bono On Their Alliance Of Fortune, Fame And Giving." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 17 Nov. 2013. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.

Fry, Maddy. "Bono Biography." Bono: Biography from @U2. Atu2.com, n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.

Bono. "Bono Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.

Visser, Nick. "Bono Takes On Oil Companies And Corporate Transparency During Clinton Global Initiative Panel." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 24 Sept. 2013. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.

Richardson, Elaina. "Bono: A Global Rock Star and Activist." Oprah.com. Oprah, Feb. 2002. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.

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