Transcendentalism, By John Waldo Emerson And Henry David...

Transcendentalists believe that using their principles, humanity can inch closer and closer to utopia, the perfect society. Transcendentalism, the flawed doctrine, instead leads its adherents on the road to nowhere, and many of the principles fail spectacularly when applied in real life. Transcendentalism is too idealistic to be realistic. Simply put, transcendentalism is wrong. Their ideals are not just incorrect, they are potentially dangerous. First, transcendentalists such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, among others, believe the spontaneous emotion and childlike wonder of the outside world outweigh logic and intellect. However, that is all transcendentalism is: childlike. Transcendentals think that reactions should be spontaneous, not well thought out through reason and logic. However, this spontaneity can be harnessed by others to do the unspeakable. For an example, consider Operation Northwoods during the Kennedy administration. The U.S. government planned to c ommit numerous atrocities and blame them on the Cuban government. The Kennedy administration would then use public outrage to gain backing for an invasion of Cuba to remove Raul and Fidel Castro from power. Among the atrocities planned were shooting down jetliners, bombing subway systems, and mock raids on military compounds in Miami, Texas, and Washington, D.C. The Kennedy administration planned to use the spontaneous emotional outrage of the citizens to justify war. The government plannedShow MoreRelatedThe True Transcendentalist: Thoreau and Emerson775 Words   |  3 Pagesemotion, individuality, and nature. But one of the greatest literary movements the one that will be focused on is transcendentalism. Transcendentalism is intuition and individual conscience that helps lead to the truth. When transcendentalism began to start two people played a major role Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, but who is truly a transcendentalist. Ralph Waldo Emerson was born in Boston, Massachusetts on May 25, 1803. His father was a minister as well as seven of his male familyRead MoreEarly American Transcendentalism1204 Words   |  5 PagesEarly American transcendentalism has one of the greatest influences towards American society because it is not only a philosophy, but also a religion and physical progression. During the early nineteenth century, Ralph Emerson, Henry Thoreau, and other radical individuals challenged the present day theories of values, ethics, and what it means to live life to the fullest (Timko). If early American transcendentalists were living among civilians today, would present day civilians think the earlierRead MoreTranscendentalism And Ralph Waldo Emerson And Henry David Thoreau807 Words   |  4 Pages but none quite like that of Transcendentalism. This movement embodies the idea that spiritual growth can be achieved through personal journey instead of conflicting with organized religion. 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If you plagiarize from an online source orRead MoreTranscendentalism and Transcendental Meditation1471 Words   |  6 PagesTranscendentalism and Transcendental Meditation The Transcendentalist adopts the whole connection of spiritual doctrine. He believes in miracle, in the perpetual openness of the human mind to new influx of light and power; he believes in inspiration, and in ecstasy.(Emerson 196). These two lines written by Ralph Waldo Emerson exemplify the whole movement of transcendentalist writers and what they believed in. Though to the writers, transcendentalism was a fight for a belief, unknown to themRead MoreNatural Justice : The Crux Of Transcendentalism And Abolitionism1651 Words   |  7 PagesLaurel Day HIST 1301-066 3 November 2015 Natural Justice: The Crux of Transcendentalism and Abolitionism The year was 1850. 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Although, the writers travelled in the same circle and were both friends of Ralph Waldo Emerson the pair were not friends. In looking at the life and works of the two dynamic literary giants analyzing their common goals, work, and their place in Transcendentalist history will bring more understandingRead MoreThoreau And Transcendentalism1518 Words   |  7 Pages Henry David Thoreau’s words that â€Å"disobedience is the true foundation of liberty† and that â€Å"the obedient must be slaves† is a political statement that never lost its topicality during the Romantic era. Thoreau served as an important contributor to the philosophical and American literary movement known as New England Transcendentalism. Nature and the conduct of life are two central themes that are often weaved together in his essays and books that were published in the Romantic era of literature