What is a basic definition of Transcendentalism?

Answer 1

Philosophically speaking, 'transcendentalism' was a response developed by Immanuel Kant as a response to skeptics out there who believed that we could only know what our senses told us.

Kant's idea of transcendentalism suggests that our senses cannot wholly be the source of our knowledge of the world, because there is some knowledge that tells us how our senses operate. This limited body of knowledge tells us how to use our senses on things, the limits of our senses, and possibly therefore much more.

You can see why it's called 'transcendentalism'. If a skeptic says "we only know what our senses tell us, and beyond this border we can know nothing", the transcendentalist may easily respond, "if this is so, how can you know about your senses themselves?" Because we know the limits of what we can perceive, a transcendentalist would say that we can also know some things BEYOND what we can perceive.

Take, for example, an artist's palette. You see a blob of orange paint. But you have the transcendental knowledge that if red and yellow paint is mixed together, it LOOKS orange. Thus although see one thing, you may (perhaps) realize that it is something else.

Another good example is an illusionist's show. A good illusionist will show you all kinds of things: people flying, audience members sawed in half, things appearing and disappearing, and so on. Yet you know none of these things are real, even though your senses are telling you they are. And you are absolutely correct in this knowledge.

Thus we can see a couple ways the view of skepticism is weakened. Our knowledge can help us perceive and understand things, such that we can see more than we see in many occasions.

Other ideas and movements came to be called transcendentalist afterward. They seem to have adopted the label largely because of Kant's idea that something beyond the senses could provide a person with knowledge. One example of this was the American Transcendental movement, a sort of religious and literary renaissance that occurred in the 19th century.

But since you asked in the 'philosophy' section, we'll just leave it at that! ( :

Answer 2

Immanuel Kant Transcendentalism

Answer 3

Transcendentalism was a group of new ideas in literature, religion, culture, and philosophy that emerged in New England in the early-to mid-19th century. It is sometimes called American Transcendentalism to distinguish it from other uses of the word transcendental.

Transcendentalism began as a protest against the general state of culture and society at the time, and in particular, the state of intellectualism at Harvard and the doctrine of the Unitarian church which was taught at Harvard Divinity School. Among their core beliefs was an ideal spiritual state that 'transcends' the physical and empirical and is only realized through the individual's intuition, rather than through the doctrines of established religions.

Answer 4

tran·scen·den·tal·ism

tran·scen·den·tal·ism [tràn sen dént’l ìzzəm]
n
1. philosophy philosophy emphasizing reasoning: a system of philosophy, especially that of Kant, that regards the processes of reasoning as the key to knowledge of reality
2. philosophy philosophy emphasizing divine: a system of philosophy, especially that associated with Ralph Waldo Emerson and other New England writers, that emphasizes intuition or the divine
3. transcendental thought: transcendental thought or language
4. transcendental nature: the state or quality of being transcendental



-tran·scen·den·tal·ist, n adj

Answer 5

it is the belief that the human spirit can "transcend" or rise above and beyond physical and mental things. this state is reached through our intuition, or self, rather than through religion.
think meditation.

Emmerson and Thoreau were transcendentalists if that helps

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EDIT
the answer from Doctor Y refers to "transcendental idealism" and idea forged by Kant. My definition is the basic one, not attached to any philosopher.
check out Wikipedia if you are confused :)

Answer 6

1

Answer 7

When you transcend yourself, then you will learn how to transcend everything else.

The first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself; to be conquered by yourself is of all things most shameful and vile....Plato.

Good luck!

Answer 8

simplicity, equality through nature and humans