Lauren

Mrs. House

English III

1 May 2008                                                               

Transcendentalism and Greenpeace

      “Trust thyself; every heart vibrates to that iron string” (Emerson 210).  This is one of the ideals of transcendentalism, a literary and social movement of the early 1800s.  Although the transcendentalism movement had entirely ended by 1860, many lingering characteristics continue to exist in our culture today.

     Initially, the beliefs of transcendentalism were derived from the original values of idealism and romanticism (Arpin 170).  The short-lived movement began in the early 1800s and died out in the 1850s, but it had a very influential impact on past and present culture.  It opened the eyes and minds of many people, making them think for themselves instead of simply imitating what was ‘normal’ at the time according majority of people.  To clarify, transcendentalists believed that a person, not the government, church, or society, is his or her own best authority.  “Whoso would be a man must be a non-conformist” (Emerson “Self-Reliance” 210) shows that they strongly thought that man must be self-sufficient and evade conformity at all costs.  Furthermore, they deeply respected and promoted the act of self-reliance and of being true to the person whom God intended you to be. “Absolve you to yourself, and you shall have the suffrage of the world…”(Emerson “Self-Reliance” 210).

Moreover, the idea that man was one with nature was one of the main values of this group that had a huge impact on their writing.  Man needed to look to nature for the answer to questions about life, self, and truth because “through communion with nature, one is able to transcend oneself and this world and achieve union with the divine essence of the universe”(Emerson “Nature” 732).  Therefore, true transcendentalists relied on feeling and intuition rather than reason and intellect.  They also believed in taking action to pursue and accomplish their goals.  Finally, the transcendentalists believed in and worked for a utopian society and human perfection, which they thought to be attainable.

     Unquestionably, the two most important writers of the movement were Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.  Although hundreds of essays and books were crafted during this time period, Emerson and Thoreau’s impact on the movement surpassed the remainder of the writers combined.  Emerson’s most influential essays include “Nature” and “Self-Reliance,” while Thoreau is best known for “Walden” and “Civil Disobedience”.  These two men single-handedly shaped the beliefs and standards of transcendentalism that still remain in society today.

     Furthermore, Emerson’s way of thinking sprang from intuition rather than reasoning, which contrasted with rational thinking such as that of Benjamin Franklin.  In his famous essay “Self-Reliance,” he states his belief that humans are able to purge themselves of all worries and can achieve peace with himself and the universe through communion with nature (Emerson “Self-Reliance” 210).  He gave people the courage to be themselves by declaring that everyone must rely on his or herself completely and not conform to the world surrounding them.  Emerson believed “To be great is to be misunderstood” (Emerson “Self-Reliance” 210).  He wanted people to be the best they could be and also warned them to not listen to the negative things typical, non-self-reliant people would say. 

In addition, he emphasizes the transcendental belief of having a close association with nature in his well-known essay “Nature”.  His main purpose was to encourage people to be close with nature, to ultimately trust oneself, and to eventually create one’s own world (Emerson “Nature” 733).  Accordingly, these ideals, springing from Emerson’s thoughts, eventually became the backbone of the transcendentalist’s beliefs.

     In addition to Ralph Waldo Emerson, the other leading man of the movement, Henry David Thoreau, urged the populace to declare independence from unjust laws and to use nonviolent resistance to protest such laws (Thoreau “Civil Disobedience” 2486).  He believed laws, being human-made, are not infallible, and that when human laws conflict with the higher, or Divine law, one must obey the higher law. (Thoreau “Civil Disobedience” 2486).  His essay gave society the knowledge that there are other methods of protesting something rather than fighting, starting a violent protest, or even launching a war.  Transcendentalists pushed the idea that it is a person’s obligation to do what he or she thinks is right even if sometimes it means going against superiors.

In order to practice self-reliance, Thoreau lived at Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts, for over two years to strive for an intimate relationship with nature and to simplify his life.  The Walden cabin that he lived in symbolizes freedom from conformity and re-enforces his idea that people should be themselves and not just be one in a crowd.  After returning to normal society, Thoreau gathered his research and opinions from his time in the woods to write his famed essay “Walden”.  This well-written piece of literature is still read by scholars, teachers, students, and average people alike.

     Without a doubt transcendentalism exists in numerous different ways today.  It can be found in movies, books, magazines, organizations, and even in important campaigns.  For example, Greenpeace, a modern day environmental organization, contains several of the same qualities that the transcendentalist movement had.  Founded in 1971, Greenpeace, a nonviolent activist group, made it their goal to expose environmental criminals and to make a difference in the world.  They challenge the government whenever they believe a situation is unjust, just as Thoreau says should be done in “Civil Disobedience”.  Transcendentalists and the members of Greenpeace both believe that a handful of dedicated people can make a big difference and that man can achieve unity with nature.   In short, these similarities prove that this half forgotten literary movement still remains strong in our world and customs today.

     Also, Greenpeace uses Thoreau’s method of “silent protesting” to get their message across, whatever their message at the time might be.  Affiliates of Greenpeace demonstrate their passion for nature by addressing climate change and global warming in strikes and with other methods of raising awareness (“About Greenpeace”).  In addition, they think of ways to defend our oceans against toxic pollution and to protect our forests from any potential harm or threat.  The founders of Greenpeace made it their ultimate goal to protect and save the environment and to encourage overall peace, goals transcendentalists would be on board with.  

     The transcendentalists created a different way of thinking for the world in the 1800s, and many of those same ideas still subsist today.  People now, more than ever, still hold on the belief that you should be true to yourself and not let others influence who you are and how you act.  Additionally, peaceful protesting of environmental causes has rapidly grown over the past decade, due to many environmental groups stepping up and informing people about the harmfulness of global warming and of methods that could help to prevent it in the future.  The most valuable lesson the transcendentalists taught us was to love each other, to respect nature, and to ultimately trust ourselves above anyone else, and that this will lead to a full, happy, purpose-driven life.