Summary of Transcendentalism

Transcendentalism may be defined in several different ways. First, according to dictionary.com, transcendentalism is described as "any system of philosophy ... that emphasizes intuition as a means to knowledge or the importance of the search for the divine." The term may also be used to describe something which is vague or illusive in philosophy. Noteworthy transcendentalists include Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.

Ralph Waldo Emerson was the founder and leader of the Transcendentalist movement. Emerson believed that one does not need the modern conveniences society has to offer. He felt a person should attempt to become one with nature to become self-reliant.

Henry David Thoreau was a student of Transcendentalism and an abolitionist. Thoreau expanded on the idea of self-reliance. He believed an individual was more important than any government.

There are four basic premises of transcendentalism, and they are as follows:
1. An individual is the spiritual center of the universe.
2. The structure of the universe duplicates the structure of the individual's self.
3. Nature is a symbolic mystery full of signs.
4. Individual virtue and happiness depend upon self-realization which in turn depends upon the reconciliation of two universal tendencies:
a) A person desires to know and become one with the world.
b) A person desires to alienate him- or herself from the world by remaining unique and separate.

Transcendentalism is essentially a belief that nature is a divine entity unto itself and should be treated as such. People should integrate themselves into nature and learn to become self-reliant by providing for themselves. As long as people depend on another entity - government, society, family, etc. - to provide for them, they can never become self-reliant.

Sources:

"Transcendentalism | Define Transcendentalism", Dictionary.com
"Transcendentalism", Wikipedia