Emerson Flashcards
(34 cards)
What was the Hudson Valley School of art known for?
Romantic landscapes that celebrated the American wilderness.
What did the “New Eden” symbolize in American thought?
America as a pure, unspoiled land offering spiritual renewal.
How did nature shape American identity in the 19th century?
Nature was seen as a source of truth, individuality, and national character.
What did Romantic poets emphasize in their work?
Emotion, nature, individuality, and the sublime.
What core belief did Unitarians reject?
The doctrine of the Trinity and original sin.
How did Romanticism respond to capitalism?
It opposed industrial uniformity and celebrated personal creativity and natural beauty.
How were Unitarians connected to Transcendentalism?
They provided the intellectual foundation and community for many early Transcendentalists.
Who were the Boston intelligentsia?
Educated elites who were central to both Unitarianism and early American philosophy.
What is the Oversoul?
A universal spirit connecting all beings, central to Emerson’s philosophy.
What is meant by “Nature as God” in Transcendentalism?
Nature is seen as a direct expression of the divine.
Which Eastern religions influenced Transcendentalism?
Hinduism and Buddhism.
How did Emerson shape American literature?
By emphasizing individualism, nature, and self-reliance in uniquely American terms.
Which authors did Emerson inspire?
Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, and later American thinkers.
What was Nature (1836)?
Emerson’s foundational Transcendentalist text on the relationship between humans and the natural world.
What is The American Scholar about?
It calls for intellectual independence from Europe and self-reliance in thought.
What is the message of Self-Reliance?
Trust yourself; individual intuition is superior to social conformity.
What does Emerson say about divinity?
Divinity exists within every individual and in nature itself.
How does Emerson relate nature to knowledge?
Nature is a living teacher that reveals truth directly.
What is the “transparent eyeball” metaphor?
A symbol of losing ego to see the unity of all things and feel one with God.
How is nature connected to the supernatural in Emerson’s view?
Nature reveals spiritual truths and divine presence.
How is nature portrayed in terms of purity?
As morally and spiritually cleansing, free from human corruption.
What does Emerson mean when he says each particle is a “microcosm”?
Every small part of nature reflects the whole universe.
How are natural elements connected, according to Emerson?
They are different forms of the same universal spirit.
What is the limitation of language, according to Emerson?
Words cannot fully capture the infinite truths of reality.
