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Transcendentalism in the Modern World
Some of the ideas of Emerson and Thoreau are still relevant to us even today. In his book Walden, Thoreau addresses various issues on themes of nature, spirituality, living a simple life, and reliance. Emerson wrote various essays covering different topics. In one of his essays on transcendentalist, he wrote that God could be found in nature, and spending time with nature was the closest thing a man could ever come to divinity. Emerson also emphasizes nonconformity and personal responsibility. Most of the issues they discuss are still relevant and applicable, even today. Most transcendentalist ideas have been written between imagination and common sense. The transcendentalist believed in the romantic vision of a person who could have self-expression and self-cultivation. Each person was a god, and transcendentalists believed that they could champion each person to be self-reliant.
According to Green, today, most people still believe in the church doctrines, and they preach conformity and strict adherence to God’s word (3). Others have sought other inspirations and have “loosened” seeking divine inspiration in science and technology. Just like Emerson and Thoreau argued that transcendentalism stood for a complex response to the democratization of people’s lives, the rise of science and technology, and new industrialization. Today, most of these visions have come to pass, and humanity is working hard to discover new, more advanced technology each day. Today, man has redefined his relation to nature and how he related to other men. Transcendentalists believed that nature was something to be studied first, then enjoyed later. Today, most people view nature as something to be exploited; nature is a resource that should bring money. Transcendentalists saw nature as something that was not subordinate but as a part of a symbiotic relationship.
Shows that reject the modern world like Edge of Alaska are going against what most people believe in. to live deliberately means to live to see the essential facts of life. People should learn to live the life they desire and avoid resignation. People should live deep and suck all the marrow of life. People should live their lives to the fullest. Checking current life, Thoreau’s and Emerson’s philosophy remains very relevant.
Works cited
Green, Jeffrey Edward. “Self-reliance without self-satisfaction: Emerson, Thoreau, Dylan, and the problem of inaction.” Philosophy & Social Criticism (2019): 0191453719876980.
Robinson, David M. “Transcendentalism.” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History. 2016.