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American Transcendentalism, 2008.
A study of American transcendentalism in the works of Henry Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
1,580 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 86.95
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Abstract
This study attempts to understand the early 19th century movement in New England called transcendentalism, according to Henry Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, prominent American philosophers, essayists, and poets. The paper maintains that transcendentalists saw the necessity of following the examples of great leaders, writers, philosophers, and others, to show what an individual can become through thinking and action. The paper relates that transcendentalists also believed that one must have faith in intuition, for no church or creed can communicate truth and that true reform comes from within.
From the Paper
"Transcendentalism was born against the Unitarian church. It questioned the established cultural forms, reintegrated spirit and matter and tried to turn their ideas into concrete action. Transcendentalists viewed knowledge and cultural forms not as perpetual truths but as temporary constructions, and insisted that all such constructions be open to the tests of continuing experience. Emerson briefly summarizes the transcendental understanding with his famous quote, "We will walk on our own feet; we will work with our own hands; we will speak our own minds..." He later explains the concept of self-reliance in transcendental thinking in one of his essays, Self-Reliance."
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American Transcendentalism, 2007.
This paper analyzes the transcendentalist school, known as American Transcendentalism, a movement started in the nineteenth century in New England with the publication of Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Nature".
1,240 words (approx. 5.0 pages), 4 sources, MLA, AU$ 71.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that the concept of transcendentalism is often used in religious and philosophical debates to describe the characteristic of divinity, the feature of God to transcend being and the immanent world. The author relates that famous intellectuals of the time such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, George Putnam, Elisabeth Palmer Peabody and Frederick Henry Hedge shaped this movement with the founding of the Transcendental Club in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1836. The paper concludes that the philosophy and evolution of the philosophical and religious perspective of transcendentalism should be seen only within the larger frame of the dominant ideology of the time and of the epistemological barriers and rigid framework, which were dominant in the universities of the time.
From the Paper
"For Emerson, on the other hand, the unity between the soul and the nature is announced even since the publication of his work "Nature". Here, he expressed that all the beings in the Nature are interconnected with each other and with the infinite Oversoul, or Nature. The reverberations of individual acts are felt within the entire system as consequences and the individual has not only the ability to decide autonomously about his acts, but also the duty to deal with the consequences of his own actions, when confronted to his own internal intuition, with his soul."
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Transcendentalism in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", 2006.
Ties in examples of transcendentalism with Ken Kesey's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest".
1,818 words (approx. 7.3 pages), 10 sources, MLA, AU$ 98.95
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Abstract
The essay gives a formal definition of transcendentalism, complete with examples such as an emphasis on the present, independence, individualism, and God's spirit alive in nature. These topics of transcendentalism are then related to specific points Ken Kesey's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", such as rebellion and individualism in the psych ward.
From the Paper
"There are many interpretations of Ken Kesey's writings, including many that suggest their origins stem from drug use. However, upon deeper examination, it is apparent that Ken Kesey's writings contain traditions of the original transcendentalists. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, for example, displays strong themes of rebellion and reform, individualism, and the healing aspect of nature, all of which are characteristics of transcendental thought. Based on this literary movement's ideas, an accurate assumption can be formed that Ken Kesey's novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, exhibits modern applications of nineteenth century transcendentalism ("Kesey, Ken" 230)."
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Transcendentalism, 2007.
An examination of the philosophy of transcendentalism as it applies to gender differences, focusing on insights from Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance" and Margaret Fuller's "The Great Lawsuit."
1,616 words (approx. 6.5 pages), 3 sources, MLA, AU$ 88.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the philosophy of transcendentalism through the interpretations of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Margaret Fuller. It draws from their interpretations and illustrates transcendentalism through Emerson's and Fuller's essays, "Self-Reliance" and "The Great Lawsuit," respectively. The paper then compares their views in terms of gender differences.
From the Paper
"Emerson also argued how modern society had put down human faculties and ability to learn through his/her feelings--aptly determined as perception. The perception/fact dichotomy has plagued human thinking for many years, and this development in the modern period has been a cause for concern, since, according to Emerson, perception need not be considered as a simple concept that do not have a significant role in influencing human thoughts and feelings. Perceptions, as explicated in the essay, are not "whimsical, but fatal. If I see a trait, my children will see it after me, and in course of time, all mankind--although it may chance that no one has seen it before me. For my perception of it is as much a fact as the sun." Thus, Emerson believed that humanity should not only give strong belief on facts, but most importantly, on human perceptions. It is only through human perceptions that higher forms of reality and knowledge can be achieved and become humanly possible."
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Transcendentalism in "The Perfect Storm", 2002.
An examination of the role of transcendentalism in the movie "The Perfect Storm".
650 words (approx. 2.6 pages), 2 sources, AU$ 44.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the role of transcendentalism in the movie The Perfect Storm. It discusses the reality of how men come to perceive a higher reality through a confrontation with nature. They confront the danger of the sea and, through this experience, come to a higher knowledge.
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Transcendentalism, 2005.
This paper explores different approaches to transcendentalism in the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.
675 words (approx. 2.7 pages), 0 sources, AU$ 44.95
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Abstract
The paper examines how both Thoreau and Emerson share the same principles of the soul in relation to nature on a philosophical basis, but it is Thoreau that takes these principles into a living experience in the natural world. The paper explains that the far more ontological perspective that Emerson conveys realizes the intellectual basis of transcendentalism, which deals more in treatises, rather than the intensity of experience of Thoreau living in the wilderness lifestyle.
From the Paper
"This philosophical study will examine the differing aspects of the Thoreau and Emerson's approach to nature in regards to transcendentalism in the 19th century. In realizing Thoreau's more experiential approach to transcendental philosophy, Emerson took a far philosophically considered approach that the universe is composed of nature and the soul. Strictly speaking, therefore, all that is separate from us, all which philosophy distinguishes as the "not me," that is, both nature and art, all other men and my own body, must be ranked under this name, "nature". In enumerating the values of nature and casting up their sum, I shall use the word in both senses -- in its common and in its philosophical import."
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Transcendentalism, 2002.
A discussion of Henry David Thoreau's experience of transcendentalism.
1,425 words (approx. 5.7 pages), 5 sources, MLA, AU$ 80.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how Henry David Thoreau, in "Walden", or "Life in the Woods", describes, among many other experiences, the transcendental life-style he experienced in his two-year experiment at Walden Pond. It looks at how the experiment at Walden was for Thoreau an attempt to live within nature, to "transcend" not real life but the prison of society and conformity which alienates man from himself, from others and from the spiritual reality which is the essence of nature. It shows how although Thoreau did not consider himself and would never have considered himself, a member of any group which confined his individualism and independence, his outlook on life, nature and man's primary concerns in life and nature coincided with many of the essential Transcendentalist principles. His experiences and writings in Walden reflect his alignment with the Transcendentalists.
From the Paper
"Thoreau's transcendentalism is in part simply living in nature simply and economically, nurturing and restoring his spirit through a subtle communion with nature, a communion which does not negate the mind and reason, but which exercises and strengthens the mind and reason. His focus on the details of living economically in nature bespeaks the kind of balance in which the animals and plants in the ecology also live. He takes from nature only what he needs and he uses what efficiently everything he takes."
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Transcendentalism in "Little Women" and "Uncle Tom's Cabin", 2002.
Examines the elements of Transcendentalism in the famous novels, "Little Women" and "Uncle Tom's Cabin".
1,731 words (approx. 6.9 pages), 0 sources, MLA, AU$ 93.95
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Abstract
This paper presents reasons and examples that demonstrate the Transcendental philosophy exhibited in both Louisa May Alcott's novel, "Little Women" and Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, "Uncle Tom's Cabin". The paper discusses the emphasis both books place on spirituality and the primacy of family and shows how the characters use their spirituality and their love for their families as the means to transcend materialism.
From the Paper
"Alcott begins Little Women by invoking John Bunyan?s seventeenth century text The Pilgrim?s Progress. Alcott?s excerpt sets the stage for the tone and theme of the events to come in her novel. In fact, the first chapter of Little Women is entitled, ?Playing Pilgrim.? It is no coincidence that Alcott would choose The Pilgrim?s Progress as the work which would influence the minds of the four March daughters. Little Women is partly autobiographical, since Alcott herself grew up in a family of four girls. Moreover, Alcott?s father was friends with both Emerson and Thoreau, which undoubtedly impacted young Louisa May. Her exposure to such works as The Pilgrim?s Progress was a result of her upbringing, close to the heart of New England transcendentalism and to the values it espoused."
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Transcendentalism Of Henry David Thoreau, 2000.
An examination of the American individualist's views on life, nature and primary human concerns, focusing on Transcendental qualities in "Walden."
1,125 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 5 sources, AU$ 66.95
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From the Paper
"Henry David Thoreau, in Walden, or Life in the Woods, describes, among many other experiences, the transcendental life-style he experienced in his two-year experiment at Walden Pond. Although Thoreau did not consider himself, and would never have considered himself, a member of any group which confined his individualism and independence with any sort of dogma, his outlook on life, nature and man's primary concerns in life and nature coincided with many of the essential Transcendentalist principles. His experiences and writings in Walden reflect his alignment with the Transcendentalists.
Transcendentalism is seen by its critics as an abstract and idealized conception in which the world is a spiritual realm where real life is left behind: "See the holes made in the bank yonder by the swallows. Take away the bank, and leave the..."
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Transcendentalism and Thoreau, 2002.
A paper which discusses Henry David Thoreau, his writings and the Transcendentalist Movement.
1,000 words (approx. 4.0 pages), 5 sources, MLA, AU$ 59.95
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Abstract
A paper which introduces and discusses Transcendentalism - a philosophical movement which centered on the divinity of the individual - in Henry David Thoreau's works, paying particular attention to "The Maine Woods," "Walden," and "A Plea for Captain John Brown." In particular, it discusses how Thoreau's works fit and do not fit the definition of Transcendentalism, and how he viewed the Brook Farm Experiment - a trial in putting together a Utopian society by a group of New Englanders.
From the Paper
"In his later years, Thoreau became heavily involved with the Underground Railroad, and saving slaves who were running away from the South. His essay "A Plea for Captain John Brown" discusses his life, as well as his Transcendentalism, and his death because of his strong beliefs and work against slavery. This essay does not follow Thoreau's normal positive outlook on the world, as he has become unhappy with people of the time. He is no longer simply a sunny Transcendentalist, who longs for a simpler life, he is unhappy with his fellow man. "On the whole, my respect for my fellow-men, except as one may outweigh a million, is not being increased these days.""
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Transcendentalism, 1989.
Discusses early 19th Century American philosophy of optimism, idealism, belief in people & God & nature, self-reliance as expressed in ideas of Ralph Emerson & Henry Thoreau.
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 4 sources, AU$ 93.95
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From the Paper
" In the bustling post-revolutionary New England of the early 19th century, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau discovered in transcendentalism, what they believed were grounds for the ultimate hope of mankind. Against the background of slavery and mercantilism, American transcendentalism converted the romantic idealization of the common man into an assertion of all men and their equality before God. The transcendentalist belief in the infinite potentialities of the common man gave greatness to the writings of Emerson and Thoreau. American transcendentalists explored the psychological ramifications and implications raised by this belief, often termed "The American Dream.""
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Emerson's Self Reliance and the American Spirit, 2002.
Discussion of Ralph Waldo Emerson's perspective and positive assesment of the American spirit.
650 words (approx. 2.6 pages), 3 sources, AU$ 44.95
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Abstract
The American Renaissance, and thus the American character, was shaped in great part by the transcendentalism of Ralph Waldo Emerson, which was expressed in his essay, "Self-Reliance". His essay begins with the recognition of the inherent individuality in man. It is, of course, non-conformity which is the result of this realization. The issue of conformity is an ironic one within the American culture - but the spirit of what Emerson wrote indeed is the embodiment of what is quintessentially American. The concept of self-determination and of total self-reliance is what filled the Pioneers in their Westward movement, it is what drove the creation of free capitalism, and is what has allowed our democracy to remain intact for more than two centuries. While Emerson did not create the non-conformity of the American spirit, he did capture it and glorify it.
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American Immaterialism, 2004.
This paper discusses the various philosophers who compose the branch of philosophy called 'American Immaterialism'.
3,740 words (approx. 15.0 pages), 13 sources, MLA, AU$ 174.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that American Immaterialism developed from George Berkeley, also known as Bishop Berkeley) whose philosophy was based on the European concept of immaterialism, which held that the only forms able to exist are 'ideas' and 'spirits?. The author points out that Jonathan Edwards was the first, or, at least, the most accepted, American philosopher to put forth the ideas of immaterialism, albeit he did so from the viewpoint of Puritan idealism. The paper explains that the Transcendental movement was composed of the idealistic notion of freedom as it was explained through the a priori nature of the individual?s inner life, which is the key to a bigger, more inclusive reality that incorporates the whole of existence, as well as the ability to perceive and experience that existence.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Berkeley?s Immaterialism
Jonathan Edwards
The Transcendentalists
American Idealism and Spiritualism
Conclusion
From the Paper
"America?s philosophical journey begins with the European concept of immaterialism, transforms into a Puritan idealism in the works of Jonathan Edwards and develops from there into the transcendentalism of Emerson, Thoreau and Wordsworth. Eventually, it becomes the subjective idealism of the nineteenth century as purported by the philosopher Josiah Royce and is taken into the modern era as individualistic idealism and spiritualism as a religious foundation. All of this begins with the philosophical idealism of George Berkeley who believed ?nothing exists other than God, finite spirits, and their ideas."
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Transcendental Idealism, 2006.
This paper compares Kant's transcendental idealism with dogmatic and problematic idealism.
1,125 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 5 sources, AU$ 74.95
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Abstract
The paper examines how Kant's theory of transcendental idealism is a useful doctrine, given that it picks up on key problems with realism and posits a theory that is intuitively acceptable. This essay compares transcendental idealism with both dogmatic idealism and problematic idealism, using the differences to clarify the meaning of transcendental idealism. As is shown, only transcendental idealism is acceptable, as dogmatic idealism and problematic idealism have fundamental problems that render them unacceptable.
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American and British Literature, 2004.
This paper discusses the similarities and differences between British and American literature.
678 words (approx. 2.7 pages), 15 sources, MLA, AU$ 39.95
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Abstract
The paper compares and contrasts British and American literature and contends that they are similar in their response to the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution, but they diverge in their interpretation of romanticism. The paper relates that the short story and transcendental writing are also different between the two nations, as opposed to mysteries which are alike and equally popular in both.
From the Paper
"Although America and Great Britain are separated by an ocean, they are connected at the pen so to speak. The similarities in their literature are more numerous than their differences. This is partly due to their common heritage, America having originally been a colony of England. Even beyond that, though, the literature of both countries was influenced by the same factors. One such factor was the Industrial Revolution. The influence of that revolution upon both countries was significant."
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Transcendental Meditation, 2006.
A look at the goal,history and criticisms of transcendental meditation.
1,602 words (approx. 6.4 pages), 4 sources, MLA, AU$ 88.95
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Abstract
In an effort to determine whether it is harmful or beneficial to someone who practices transcendental meditation, this paper presents an evaluation of both the favorable and unfavorable views of the practice. In particular, the paper looks at the history of transcendental meditation, describes its approach to intelligence, explains how one learns transcendental meditation and discusses the supposed benefits and criticisms of this form of meditation.
From the Paper
"Transcendental Meditaion is learned from an instructor and beginners may want to practice meditating on their own with the help of one of Mahashi's many books or video tapes. Instructors can be located and all Mahashi's literature can be bought on the official Transcendental Meditation website. The movement has phone numbers listed in most cities in the United States. The Mahashi Universities and their extensions at centers have libraries of literature for further study. Transcendental Meditation is open to everyone from every background and encourages using their techniques to enhance one's own religion."
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