transcendentalism
Quick Summary
Transcendentalism was a 19th-century philosophical and literary movement primarily centered in New England. It was characterized by an idealistic worldview emphasizing the inherent goodness of humanity and the belief that intuition, rather than logic or experience, could reveal the deepest truths.1
Key figures like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were central to this movement. They drew inspiration from various sources, including German idealism, Platonism, and Eastern scriptures.123
Transcendentalists advocated for social reforms, including women's suffrage and abolitionism, and experimented with communal living. Their ideas influenced later American philosophical and artistic movements.13
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
existentialismNature of existentialist thought and mannerā¦it is, so to speak, transcendence.
Read Moreā¦it is, so to speak, transcendence.
Read More
existentialismProblems of existentialist theologyā¦in humans the cipher of transcendenceāi.e., the negative symbol in which transcendence is revealed. According to Camus, it is an aspect of human revolt against the world. The artist tries to remake the sketch of the world that is before him and to give it the styleāthat is to say,ā¦
Read Moreā¦in humans the cipher of transcendenceāi.e., the negative symbol in which transcendence is revealed. According to Camus, it is an aspect of human revolt against the world. The artist tries to remake the sketch of the world that is before him and to give it the styleāthat is to say,ā¦
Read More
PlatonismThe later Neoplatonistsā¦removed to an altogether ineffable transcendence, mitigated by two factors: the presence of the expressions or manifestations of its unifying power, the āhenadsāāidentified with the gods of paganismāat every level of reality; and the possibility of return to absolute unification through the henad with which one is linked. Below theā¦
Read Moreā¦removed to an altogether ineffable transcendence, mitigated by two factors: the presence of the expressions or manifestations of its unifying power, the āhenadsāāidentified with the gods of paganismāat every level of reality; and the possibility of return to absolute unification through the henad with which one is linked. Below theā¦
Read More
literary criticismRomanticismā¦writing of poetry as a transcendentally important activity, closely related to the creative perception of meaning in the world. The poet was credited with the godlike power that Plato had feared in him; Transcendental philosophy was, indeed, a derivative of Platoās metaphysical Idealism. In the typical view of Percy Byssheā¦
Read Moreā¦writing of poetry as a transcendentally important activity, closely related to the creative perception of meaning in the world. The poet was credited with the godlike power that Plato had feared in him; Transcendental philosophy was, indeed, a derivative of Platoās metaphysical Idealism. In the typical view of Percy Byssheā¦
Read More
