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Transcendentalism : Transcendentalism And Transcendentalism

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A new movement emerged after the American Revolution, a moment known as Transcendentalism. Drunk with the joy of independence yet horrified by slavery, it was a movement that encouraged its followers to seek individual freedom, to fight for the rights of women and slaves, and to look towards nature for inspiration and the Divine. It was a movement that combined the best of past philosophical moments. It adopted the value of action from the Renaissance. Action was a virtue and in Transcendentalism it was viewed a as a means for human progress. It was not enough to be an intellectual, what counted was what a person did with that information. From the Enlightenment, Transcendentalism adopted the belief of reason and individuality. No longer was it acceptable to simply follow the herd and accept beliefs as they were presented. Transcendentalists encouraged their followers to seek the true, to question and probe everything that appeared before them, for it is truth that sets the individual free. Even more prevalent in Transcendentalism were the beliefs found in Romanticism. Nature was seen a refuge for the soul, a place in which one could become in touch with the Divine. Transcendentalism fought against social restraints, particularly in the realm of religion and literature. Although differing either through the evolution of thought or perspectives, writers such as Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman and Dickson are perfect examples of Transcendental American literature. Together, these

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