History of Transcendentalism
The starting point of Transcendentalism was unclear, yet people guessed that due to the lack of freedom in some religious groups, American citizens started to break away from these groups in the mid-1800's. It was believed that Ralph Waldo Emerson was influenced by a German philosopher called Immanuel Kant when he was touring around Europe. Kant had a similar idea about thinking intuitively rather than rationally and by doing so it could cure all human problems.
After returning back to America, Emerson and Thoreau met together and hoped to formalize this idea into a religious free movement and become nonconformists. The first idea that they established is that every living organism has it's own inner light and universe that could communicate with God, this belief was also similar to the Quakers. In 1837, Emerson delivered a lecture at Harvard University about Transcendentalism. During the time, Boston Time refer them as the Transcendentalists, which they sometimes meet like a book club instead of a religious group.
A few years later, more and more people were influenced by Emerson's idea including Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman. Despite the fact that they all have different philosophical beliefs, yet they are still bonded by the idea that every living material has a universal soul, therefore they should all be treated equally and respectfully. Hence they all hated slavery, gender and racial discrimination.
After returning back to America, Emerson and Thoreau met together and hoped to formalize this idea into a religious free movement and become nonconformists. The first idea that they established is that every living organism has it's own inner light and universe that could communicate with God, this belief was also similar to the Quakers. In 1837, Emerson delivered a lecture at Harvard University about Transcendentalism. During the time, Boston Time refer them as the Transcendentalists, which they sometimes meet like a book club instead of a religious group.
A few years later, more and more people were influenced by Emerson's idea including Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman. Despite the fact that they all have different philosophical beliefs, yet they are still bonded by the idea that every living material has a universal soul, therefore they should all be treated equally and respectfully. Hence they all hated slavery, gender and racial discrimination.