What are the main themes of transcendentalism?

A core belief is in the inherent goodness of people and nature, and while society and its institutions have corrupted the purity of the individual, people are at their best when truly “self-reliant” and independent. Transcendentalism emphasizes subjective intuition over objective empiricism.

What were the key features of transcendentalism?

Transcendentalism CharacteristicsEssay. Transcendentalism is a literary movement that has essay-writing at its heart. Poetry. A lot of the Transcendentalist writers wrote poetry as well as essays. Intuition. Correspondence. Individualism. Nature. Unitarian Church. Social Reform.

How do transcendentalists define truth?

Transcendentalists define truth as an ultimate reality that goes beyond, or transcends, what people can know by means of the five senses. In the transcendentalist view, people gain knowledge of the ultimate reality through intuition rather than through mental training or education.

What are some examples of transcendentalism?

An example of transcendentalism is the belief that man is at this best when he is independent, and not a part of organized religion or politics. An example of transcendentalism is the quote “a man in debt is so far a slave” by Ralph Waldo Emerson.