Transcendentalism Project
Explore how transcendentalist ideas appear in our modern world.
Core Philosophy
Discover the fundamental principles of transcendentalism, including individualism, nature's importance, and spiritual intuition.
Real World Examples
Explore the lives and works of Emerson, Thoreau, and other influential transcendentalist thinkers.
Modern Relevance
See how transcendentalist ideas shape contemporary society, environmentalism, and personal development.
Take A Stance
See how transcendentalist ideas shape contemporary society, environmentalism, and personal development.
Transcendentalism Overview
Transcendentalism can have many different themes and representatives that make its philosophy stand out. The first important theme is Nature; connecting with nature is a huge fundamental in transcendentalism and can still be used and connected in modern society. The second theme in Transcendentalism is Civil disobedience. Civil disobedience is very prevalent in today's world and has affected our society greatly. Martin Luther King, Alice Paul and many others are examples of civil disobedience activists who helped shape our world for the better. The third theme is non-conformity, which is defined as standing out and not following social norms. Many people today constantly fight to stand out of what’s seen as socially “normal” trying to make a difference in our world.
Modern Examples
"I got better" By Morgan Wallen, Civil Disobedience, A photo of nature, and the show Prison Break are all amazing examples of transcendentalism, but why? Morgan Wallen describes in his song how he has improved himself since he lost his significant other “But I got better since you been gone. Finally back to being who I am, But I never slept this good before." Showing his new found self-reliance which directly ties with Thoreau and Emerson's beliefs. Civil disobedience is also a core part of transcendentalism standing up for justice and fighting in what you believe is right. The photo of nature shows a person seeming to connect with nature and the photo is very peaceful describing how connecting with nature is beneficial and helpful which again is a main theme in transcendentalism. Lastly Prison Break is a story about a brother trying to save his brother from being executed for a crime he did not commit. Instead of waiting for this injustice to happen he takes matters into his own hands and plans to break him out of prison himself showing a great example of self-reliance. All of these examples of media and visuals each show a great representation of transcendentalism and Throreau’s ideals in general.
Making Connections
All of the examples provided have significance relating to modern day problems and events, however they also have a strong connection to examples of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emmerson. Morgan Wallen’s “I Got Better” explains how losing something important in his life is ultimately for the better. This can be related to self-reliance which is something that early colonizers in America needed to fight off British soldiers. They didn't have any supporting nations helping them until 1776 when France gave their military support but until then America had to fend for itself.
Take a Stance
Transcendentalism can be a very reasonable belief to follow and can be very inspiring to people. Self reliance is a huge part of transcendentalism and that is shown in our tv show Prison Break and our song “I Got Better” by Morgan Wallen. In Prison Break the main character Micheal Scofield shows a lot of self reliance when preparing to help his brother escape from prison instead of relying on others to do it for him. And in our song “I Got Better” by Morgan Wallen it highly focuses on someone improving their life and showing self reliance after a breakup and doing everything they can to improve their life. Both of these examples are also prevalent in Thoreau’s and Emerson’s work in a way that they have the same ideology and values. In Emerson’s excerpt he deeply talks about the importance of self-reliance when he says “Self-Reliance is its aversion. It loves not realities and creators, but names and customs” (Emerson). Throughout both the Tv show Prison Break and the song “I Got Better”, Emerson’s ideas of transcendentalism connect to convey a message to the world. That message is: Transcendentalism is an ideology followed by everyone around the world and practiced by everyone and even is shown in pop culture without people knowing that transcendentalist values are present.
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