Emerson, Thoreau and the Emerson, Thoreau and the advent of Transcendentalismadvent of Transcendentalism

An American Philosophy

American American TranscendentalismTranscendentalism

• An American An American philosophy starting philosophy starting in the mid 19in the mid 19thth century in New century in New EnglandEngland

• Transcendentalists Transcendentalists believed in the believed in the inherent goodness inherent goodness of both man and of both man and naturenature

• Believed that Believed that individuals needed individuals needed to look inside to look inside themselves for truththemselves for truth

• Man’s greatness is Man’s greatness is found in the found in the individual, not in individual, not in the groupthe group

“ “The Transcendental The Transcendental emphasis on the oneness emphasis on the oneness of individual souls with of individual souls with nature and with God gave nature and with God gave dignity and importance to dignity and importance to human activity and made human activity and made possible a belief in the possible a belief in the power to effect social power to effect social change in harmony with change in harmony with God's purposes.God's purposes.

In addition to writing, In addition to writing, the Transcendentalists the Transcendentalists expressed their idealistic expressed their idealistic philosophy through philosophy through lecturing, through the lecturing, through the Socratic dialogue format, Socratic dialogue format, and through a broad range and through a broad range of social reform activities.”of social reform activities.”

Leslie Perrin Wilson, M.S., M.A.Leslie Perrin Wilson, M.S., M.A., , Curator of Special Collections at the Concord Free Curator of Special Collections at the Concord Free Public Library Public Library http://www.concordma.com/magazine/nov98/trans.htmlhttp://www.concordma.com/magazine/nov98/trans.html

Ralph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson• 1803-18821803-1882• Lived in Concord, Lived in Concord,

MAMA• Minister, teacher, Minister, teacher,

writerwriter• Mostly wrote Mostly wrote

essays and poemsessays and poems• Founder of Founder of

TranscendentalismTranscendentalism

Emerson

• Most famous Most famous essay: essay: “Self “Self Reliance”Reliance”

• ““Nothing is at last Nothing is at last sacred but the sacred but the integrity of your integrity of your own mind.”own mind.”

• ““Nothing can Nothing can bring you peace bring you peace but yourself.but yourself.

• Most famous poem: Most famous poem: “Concord Hymn”“Concord Hymn”

• ““By the rude bridge By the rude bridge that arched the flood,that arched the flood,Their flag to April's Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,breeze unfurled,Here once the Here once the embattled farmers embattled farmers stood,stood,And fired the shot And fired the shot heard round the heard round the world.” world.”

Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau• 1817-18621817-1862• Emerson’s studentEmerson’s student• Poet and essayistPoet and essayist• Lived according to Lived according to

the ideas of the ideas of TranscendentalismTranscendentalism

• Authored Authored Walden Walden and and Civil Civil DisobedienceDisobedience

ThoreauThoreau• Famous set of Famous set of

essays: essays: WaldenWalden • ““Rather than Rather than

love, than love, than money, than money, than fame, give me fame, give me truth.truth.

• Most famous essay: Most famous essay: “Civil Disobedience”“Civil Disobedience”

• ““Witness the present Witness the present Mexican war, the work Mexican war, the work of comparatively a few of comparatively a few individuals using the individuals using the standing government standing government as their tool; for in the as their tool; for in the outset, the people outset, the people would not have would not have consented to this consented to this measure. “measure. “

Thoreau’s Simple Thoreau’s Simple ExperimentExperiment

• July 4, 1845 - he July 4, 1845 - he began the 26-month began the 26-month experiment that made experiment that made him famous.him famous.

• On property owned On property owned by Emerson, on the by Emerson, on the banks of Walden banks of Walden Pond, Thoreau built a Pond, Thoreau built a cabincabin

• Thoreau intended to reduce life to its bare essentials, forgoing what others considered “necessities.”

Replica of Replica of Thoreau’s CabinThoreau’s Cabin

Replica of Interior of CabinReplica of Interior of Cabin

Walden Pond

Thoreau – Thoreau – Civil DisobedienceCivil Disobedience• Thoreau believed there were Thoreau believed there were

two times when open two times when open rebellion is justified: rebellion is justified: – when the injustice is no longer when the injustice is no longer

occasional but a major occasional but a major characteristiccharacteristic

– when the machine (government) when the machine (government) demands that people cooperate demands that people cooperate with injusticewith injustice. .

• Thoreau declared that, “If Thoreau declared that, “If the government requires you the government requires you to be the agent of injustice to to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break another, then, I say, break the law.”the law.”

Thoreau – Civil Disobedience

• ““Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience legislator? Why has every man a conscience then? I think that we should be men first, and then? I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward. It is not desirable to cultivate subjects afterward. It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right. a respect for the law, so much as for the right. The only obligation which I have a right to The only obligation which I have a right to assume is to do at any time what I think right.” assume is to do at any time what I think right.”

Thoreau – Thoreau – Civil DisobedienceCivil Disobedience • 18461846 – Henry David – Henry David

Thoreau refused to pay a Thoreau refused to pay a poll tax – he was arrested poll tax – he was arrested and jailedand jailed– Opposed slavery and Opposed slavery and

U.S.-Mexican WarU.S.-Mexican War

– To his disdain, his aunt To his disdain, his aunt paid his tax for him and he paid his tax for him and he was releasedwas released..

• Thoreau denied the right Thoreau denied the right of any government to of any government to automatic and unthinking automatic and unthinking obedience. obedience.

• He felt that obedience He felt that obedience should be earned and it should be earned and it should be withheld from an should be withheld from an unjust government. unjust government.

Mohandas Gandhi Mohandas Gandhi

"Thoreau was a great "Thoreau was a great writer, philosopher, poet, writer, philosopher, poet, and withal a most and withal a most practical man, that is, he practical man, that is, he taught nothing he was taught nothing he was not prepared to practice not prepared to practice in himself . . . His essay in himself . . . His essay has, therefore, been has, therefore, been sanctified by suffering. sanctified by suffering. Moreover, it is written for Moreover, it is written for all time. Its incisive logic all time. Its incisive logic is unanswerable." is unanswerable."

The Legacy of Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience”

Martin Luther King, Jr.Martin Luther King, Jr. "I [am] convinced that "I [am] convinced that

noncooperation with noncooperation with evil is as much a moral evil is as much a moral obligation as is obligation as is cooperation with good. cooperation with good.

No other person has No other person has been more eloquent and been more eloquent and passionatepassionate in gettingin getting this ideathis idea across than across than Henry David Thoreau. Henry David Thoreau.

As a result of his As a result of his writings and personal writings and personal witness, we are the witness, we are the heirs of a legacy of heirs of a legacy of creative protest."creative protest."

The Legacy of Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience”

Beyond Ghandi and KingBeyond Ghandi and King

• In the In the 1940's1940's it inspired it inspired by the Danish by the Danish resistance to the Nazi resistance to the Nazi occupation of Denmarkoccupation of Denmark

• in the in the 1950's1950's it was it was cherished by those who cherished by those who opposed McCarthyismopposed McCarthyism

• in the in the 1960's1960's it was it was influential in the struggle influential in the struggle against South African against South African apartheidapartheid

Beyond Ghandi and KingBeyond Ghandi and King

• in the in the 1970's1970's Civil Civil Disobedience was Disobedience was discovered by a new discovered by a new generation of anti-war generation of anti-war activists. activists.

• The lesson learned The lesson learned from all this experience from all this experience is that Thoreau's ideas is that Thoreau's ideas really do work, just as really do work, just as he imagined they he imagined they would.would.