What is American Transcendentalism? (Philosophical Definition)

Summary

This video from 'Car Daddy Stuff' explores the philosophical movement of American Transcendentalism, which originated in 19th-century Massachusetts. It highlights key figures like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Margaret Fuller, and their critiques of societal institutions such as organized religion, industrialization, and slavery. The transcendentalists emphasized intuition and personal revelation over empirical evidence or logical reasoning as sources of knowledge. The video also touches on their efforts in social reform, including abolitionism and women’s rights, while addressing the challenges of intuition-based knowledge compared to reason and evidence.

Takeaways

• 📜 American Transcendentalism emerged in the early 19th century in Massachusetts, often referred to as New England Transcendentalism.
• 🧠 It is distinct from the broader metaphysical position of transcendentalism and from Kant's transcendental arguments.
• 🌿 Key figures include Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Margaret Fuller, who challenged societal norms like organized religion, slavery, and the subjugation of women.
• 🔍 Transcendentalists were skeptical of knowledge derived from sense experience or reason, instead advocating intuition or personal revelation as the path to knowledge.
• ⚖️ They critiqued the Unitarian attempt to prove God's existence through empirical evidence and often leaned toward pantheism or no god at all.
• 🏭 Transcendentalists opposed industrialization and sought to create communal societies, such as Brooks Farm, though many of these experiments failed.
• ⚔️ While initially advocating nonviolence, transcendentalists supported violent action against slavery in the lead-up to the Civil War.
• 🚫 The speaker critiques the reliance on intuition, arguing that it leads to unresolved disagreements, unlike reason or empirical evidence, which offer a shared method for settling debates.
• 💡 The video questions whether intuition is a better source of knowledge than empirical evidence or reason, prompting the viewer to reflect.
• 🔗 The transcendentalist movement played a significant role in social justice issues like women's rights, Native American rights, and abolitionism.

Q & A

What is American transcendentalism?

American transcendentalism, also known as New England transcendentalism, is a movement in literature and philosophy that emerged in the early 19th century in Massachusetts. It is distinct from broader metaphysical positions and Kant's transcendental arguments.

Who were some of the central figures of American transcendentalism?

Key figures of American transcendentalism include Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Margaret Fuller.

What societal institutions did the transcendentalists critique?

The transcendentalists critiqued and questioned societal institutions such as organized religion, industrialized society, slavery, and the subjugation of women.

How did transcendentalists view knowledge compared to empiricists and rationalists?

Transcendentalists were doubtful of knowledge derived from sense experience or logic and reason. They believed in intuition or personal revelation as the source of knowledge, separate from empirical observation or logical reasoning.

What was the transcendentalists' stance on the existence of God?

Transcendentalists were critical of Unitarian attempts to prove God's existence through empirical evidence. They were sympathetic to Hume's arguments against empirical demonstrations of a creator and generally favored a pantheistic view of God based on personal revelation.

How did the Industrial Revolution influence the transcendentalist movement?

The Industrial Revolution led to substantial societal changes, prompting transcendentalists to critique the evolving society. They followed the works of Charles Fourier to establish communes and attempted to share the profits of labor, such as the failed experiment at Brook Farm.

What were some of the social causes the transcendentalists were engaged in?

Transcendentalists were actively engaged in fighting for the abolition of slavery, women's rights, and Native American rights. Initially advocating nonviolent means, they defended the use of violence to correct the wrongs of slavery, especially leading up to the Civil War.

How did Marx view the transcendentalists' attempts at establishing communes?

Marx critiqued the transcendentalists' attempts at establishing communes as 'utopian' socialism, contrasting it with what he considered 'scientific' socialism.

What is the main issue with relying on intuition as a source of knowledge according to the script?

The main issue is that intuitions often differ between individuals, and there is no rational method to resolve disagreements based on intuition, potentially leading to violence as a means to settle disputes.

How does the script suggest we should settle debates and make decisions?

The script suggests that debates should be settled through rational argument and observation of evidence rather than relying on blind intuition.

What is the final call to action for viewers in the script?

The script encourages viewers to share their thoughts on American transcendentalism and whether they believe intuition is a better method of obtaining knowledge than empirical evidence or reason, and to stay skeptical.