Module 3: Transcendentalism

In module three, we will explore one of the most interesting and experimental movements in American thought, Transcendentalism. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s principles of Transcendentalism are examined, focusing on his comments on how humans fail to appreciate the natural world. Henry David Thoreau and Sarah Margaret Fuller bring real-world applications of Transcendentalist ideas to their texts, revealing how Transcendentalism is a particularly American school of thought, and at times embodies social criticism leveled at nineteenth-century American society. You will encounter some of the guiding principles of Transcendentalism, discuss why it was attractive to Americans in the nineteenth century, and draw connections to later cultural events in the United States that reveal Transcendentalism’s lasting impact on American society.