The Essential Transcendentalist

Nature was the core presence in Transcendentalism. Without it, there wouldn't have been a Transcendental Movement. For the true Transcendentalist nature was seen as a base from which the importance and meaning of everything could be found. The main viewpoint of the movement was that nature is the only true reality in life and everything else materialistic. If you stripped away everything made by humans what would be left is the meaning of life. What would be left is nature. In his essay "The Transcendentalist" Emerson said, "Nature is Transcendental, exists primarily, necessarily, ever works and advances, yet takes no thought for the morrow." In other words, nature would exist whether we were here or not. The modern man can't see beyond his senses. He is an observer of nature and no longer part of it. The goal of the Transcendentalists was to restore the unity of nature and secular society. Transcendentalism requires that the spiritual connection between nature and materialism be found and honored. If man could become one with nature, he would find true happiness with himself. To do this requires experience and acceptance of nature in its raw form, unchanged by man or his agents.

Emerson's transparent eye experience was the result of spiritual understanding with the elimination of ego. He was able to see beyond society's materialism to the truth that lies beneath. A man lost in nature becomes receptive to a sense of oneness with "God". This is achieved by letting go of all the ties of mankind and becoming part of nature. It requires complete rejection of social constraints and the ability and desire to embrace the essence of what can be garnered from nature itself. The goal is to integrate this understanding and acceptance into ones life. Emerson believed he was able to do this. "Rare though these experiences were, they sustained Emerson as a integrating power in his daily life, informing his writing and maintaining his essential optimism in the face of life's darker times..." (Geldard 82). Maintaining a transparent eye allows for an ongoing relationship with nature unhindered by the limitations of the material world. "The power to remain detached, to live in unity and experience those rare transparent moments, is the substance of "The Transcendentalist". (Geldard 86).

Social order is made by man. Man sets the standards for it and

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