Ralph Waldo Emerson And The Transcendentalist Movement

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Transcendentalism is the idea that society has corrupted the individual’s mind. Transcendentalists believe that people are of higher quality when they use their individual mind and are independent of the views of the world (“Transcendentalism”) This movement started in 1836, by three men, and was said to have died out following Margaret Fuller’s death in 1850 (“Transcendentalism”).

One of the founders of the Transcendentalist Movement was Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson was born on May 25, 1803, in Boston, Massachusetts. His ancestors concluded of a long line of clergymen, which Emerson was for the first part of his adult life (“Ralph Waldo Emerson Biography.com”). Emerson graduated from Harvard University, followed by Harvard School …show more content…

He was only a clergyman for only five years. The death of his wife, Ellen, pushed him into a deep grief and resulted in his resigning from clergyman (“Ralph Waldo Emerson Biography.com”). “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us”, is a quote of Emerson’s that he lived by concerning the events of his life (“Ralph Waldo Emerson > Quotes”). Emerson traveled through Europe and returned lecturing on spiritual experiences and moral living. It was when he moved to Concord, Massachusetts, that he found people who now viewed life as he did (“Ralph Waldo Emerson Biography.com”). Emerson was the most influential of the Transcendentalists. He did not turn his back on God, but merely searched for a deeper connection with Him (“Ralph Waldo Emerson in Transcendentalism”). In Emerson’s essay, “Self-Reliance”, he talks about freeing ourselves and relying on ourselves. Emerson has said, “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” (Ralph Waldo Emerson > Quotes”). This is an excellent example of transcendentalism. One needs not look at or follow …show more content…

I feel as though Emerson would view it as a harm. One of the aspects of social media is the long line of people following others, whether spiritually or mentally. The world is full of people who have no identity in view of the fact that they are too busy attempting to be just as a famous person displays themselves as. Individualism is rarely seen in this century. It is more or less frowned upon since the only people who seem to have a mind of their own are religious people. Even then, religious people are found in groups and think

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