FCLLI6_origins_of_transcendentalism

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Origins of Transcendentalism 
Most of the Unitarians held that Jesus was in some way inferior to God the Father but 
still greater than human beings; a few followed the English Unitarian Joseph Priestley 
(1733–1804) in holding that Jesus was thoroughly human, although endowed with 
special authority. The Unitarians' leading preacher, William Ellery Channing (1780–
1842), portrayed orthodox Congregationalism as a religion of fear, and maintained 
that Jesus saved human beings from sin, not just from punishment. His sermon 
“Unitarian Christianity” (1819) denounced “the conspiracy of ages against the liberty 
of Christians” (P, 336) and helped give the Unitarian movement its name. In 
“Likeness to God” (1828) he proposed that human beings “partake” of Divinity and 
that they may achieve “a growing likeness to the Supreme Being” . 
 
What are the philosophical and literary sources of Transcendentalism? 
 
1- Neo-Platonism- predominance of the spiritual values over the 
material through absolute Good, Truth and Beauty. It established 
the relationship between man ´s spiritual and material natures. 
2- German Idealism (Kantian Understanding)- German idealism was a 
theological, philosophical movement that emerged in Germany in 
the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It reacted against 
Kant's Critique of Pure Reason and was closely linked with both 
romanticism and the revolutionary politics of the Enlightenment 
3- Oriental Philosophy (Brahmanism)- meditation, introspective diary-
keeping. Certain Eastern mystical writings contributed to a sort of 
indistinct mysticism that helped to overcome the weak spots in a 
subtle and unsystematic philosophy. 
 
What are the transcendental beliefs? 
 
Transcendentalism left great marks in the American culture: 
 
 
 
1- Belief in the OVERSOUL- Man has an inner nature which presents the easiest 
access to the Oversoul which exists in all men. 
2- Divinity of the individual- Man is divine because he is derived from the 
Oversoul. 
3- Perfectability and goodness- The Oversoul is defined by goodness. So man 
and the universe are good and perfect. 
4- 4- Delight in nature- Man can find the Oversoul in Nature and he can renew 
his spirit though Nature. Therefore, Nature is divine and gives comfort to 
man. 
5- Brotherhood of all men- If all men are derived from the Oversoul, we are all 
bretheren. Slavery is not accepted. 
6- Moral earnestness- If the Oversoul is good. Man can only do good things. 
Each individual fought to express his own individuality. 
7- Evil as the absence of Good- If the Oversoul is good, evil does not exist. 
Nevertheless, if there is an evil deed, it will be compensated by a good one. 
8- Organicism- If everything ids derived from the Oversoul, the world is 
harmonious and perfect. The universe works in a perfect system. 
9- Optimism- The emphasis on man ´s intelligence and ability and his belief in 
salvation for all men. 
10- Break with tradition- man believes in himself and should be able to create 
something by himself. 
11- Correspondences- belief in the correspondence between the tangible world 
and the human mind and identity of moral and physical laws because man 
and Nature are derived from the Oversoul.