Classics and the Western Canon discussion

There are many excellent resources on Transcendentalism on the Web. We identify a few here; please add other ones you find.

This is a Teacher's Guide to Transcendentalism, which you may find a useful introduction if transcendentalism is new to you.
https://www.walden.org/documents/file...
It is a rather long pdf file so may take a few minutes to download.

Here's a link to "the web of American Transcendentalism," on the website of Texas A&M University.
http://transcendentalism-legacy.tamu....

Here's the Ralph Waldo Emerson Society, also at Texas A&M (why there I don't know, it's a long way from Concord!)
http://emerson.tamu.edu/

And the entry on Transcendentalism from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/tra...

In case you might want to borrow it on interlibrary loan, or even buy it (all Teaching Company courses are going on their annual sale soon, I'm told) there is a Teaching Company course on "Emerson, Thoreau, and the Transcendentalist Movement."

There are many more resources out there, but not be overwhelming on day one, let's leave it there for now. Please add posts about any interesting or useful links you find!

Everyman wrote: "In case you might want to borrow it on interlibrary loan, or even buy it (all Teaching Company courses are going on their annual sale soon, I'm told) there is a Teaching Company course on "Emerson, Thoreau, and the Transcendentalist Movement." "

Also available on Audible.com for one paltry credit, if you're a member.

If you're not a member of Audible, sign up now and get it for free. :)

http://www.audible.com/pd/Nonfiction/...

There was a group discussion on Self-Reliance back in 2009. It might be of interest to some of us (too bad all of Zeke's comments were removed.)

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Nemo wrote: "If you're not a member of Audible, sign up now and get it for free. :)."

Seconded. I've found it well worth the $15/month for access to one Great Course per.

I've been reading the first book of Daniel Boorstin's The Americans cycle. He spends a lot of time on the intellectual history/development in the colonial period. Seems to me that one of his central themes is relevant - essentially that a lack of access to classical education, the tougher demands of daily life in the colonies, and a few other factors led colonials to rely more on truths that can be proven by life experience rather than by abstract logical constructs. A "common sense" based philosophy (if the word philosophy is even appropriate).

I don't remember a whole lot about transcendentalism, but Boorstin's argument would go a long way towards explaining the lack of other formalized schools of thought.

Also, The Americans is an interesting, shortish-to moderate length read. Worth checking out if anyone is into that sort of thing.

Kyle wrote: ".. a lack of access to classical education, the tougher demands of daily life in the colonies, and a few other factors led colonials to rely more on truths that can be proven by life experience rather than by abstract logical constructs..."

There might be some truth in that. as Socrates once said, to the effect, "A philosopher must be a man of leisure"; On the other hand, there have always been "materialists and idealists" (as Emerson calls them) throughout the history of mankind.

Are Emerson's Journals available online?

Kyle wrote: "I've been reading the first book of Daniel Boorstin's The Americans cycle. He spends a lot of time on the intellectual history/development in the colonial period. Seems to me that one of his centra..."

I just picked up some of Boorstin's books at a book sale this past weekend. They are from his second trilogy. I haven't cracked them open yet because they are huge! :-) But I am happy to see this recommendation. I have heard good things about him. But this is off subject.

Kyle wrote: "Nemo wrote: "If you're not a member of Audible, sign up now and get it for free. :)."

Seconded. I've found it well worth the $15/month for access to one Great Course per."

Are those audio or video?

Nemo wrote: "Are Emerson's Journals available online?"

Don't know. Have you searched? If you find them, let us know.

Everyman wrote: "Nemo wrote: "Are Emerson's Journals available online?"

Don't know. Have you searched? If you find them, let us know."

I did a brief search, and found this site:

Complete Works of RWE
http://rwe.org

But no journals, unless they are classed under some other name.

Everyman wrote: "Kyle wrote: "Nemo wrote: "If you're not a member of Audible, sign up now and get it for free. :)."

Seconded. I've found it well worth the $15/month for access to one Great Course per."

Are those ..."


Just audio. But for most courses I find that's just fine.

Nemo wrote: "Are Emerson's Journals available online?"

Archive.org has the older 1909 edition: https://archive.org/details/journalso...
(this links to the first volume, can't find an index page, but just change the number in the address to acces the other nine volumes). Or try: http://www.perfectidius.com/emersonsj...

The 1962 edition is under copyright, but may be present on some academic subscription sites.

Thank you so much, Wendel.

The resourcefulness of this group never disappoints! :)

Everyman wrote: "This is a Teacher's Guide to Transcendentalism, which you may find a us..."

This is feeling understandable so far. Emerson's "A Lecture read at the Masonic Temple, Boston, January, 1842" has not! :-(

https://www.walden.org/documents/file...

Everyman wrote: "There are many excellent resources on Transcendentalism on the Web. We identify a few here; please add other ones you find.

This is a Teacher's Guide to Transcendentalism, which you may find a us..."

Thanks for these resources. I clicked on the link from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy and while reading just the overview, thought to myself, OK this may be rough because all the names Herder, Schleiermacher, Hume etc., or schools of thought we foreign to me. As I kept reading, much was elucidated although I'm still not sure if I completely understand the philosophy. However, I am now ready to tackle the readings (I think).

Chris wrote: "However, I am now ready to tackle the readings (I think). "

Sure you are. Our expectation in setting out this series aren't that everyone, or maybe even anyone, will become an expert in Transcendentalism, but to offer a chance to interact with ideas that, we hope, will engage thought and discussion. Which they clearly are doing. But I emphasize, as always in this group, that everyone's considered thoughts, no matter how modest they may think they are, are valuable and will often spark recognition in others or open a new direction for discussion.

So for sure join in and share whatever thoughts these works arouse in you.

Sorry about my failings, as usual, navigating goodreads, but was there a message somewhere that we might look at Whitman and Emily Dickinson too? has that started anywhere?

Clari wrote: "Sorry about my failings, as usual, navigating goodreads, but was there a message somewhere that we might look at Whitman and Emily Dickinson too? has that started anywhere?"

Those are optional; if people want to read some of them, I'll be glad to set up a folder for them. In fact, I'll go ahead and do that. I'll set up one folder at first, and if people want to concentrate on one person or work specifically, we can set up a separate folder or folders for that.

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/tra...
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Found the above of interest. Opening words:

"Transcendentalism is an American literary, political, and philosophical movement of the early nineteenth century, centered around Ralph Waldo Emerson. Other important transcendentalists were Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Amos Bronson Alcott, Frederic Henry Hedge, and Theodore Parker. Stimulated by English and German Romanticism, the Biblical criticism of Herder and Schleiermacher, and the skepticism of Hume, the transcendentalists operated with the sense that a new era was at hand. They were critics of their contemporary society for its unthinking conformity, and urged that each person find, in Emerson's words, 'an original relation to the universe' (O, 3). Emerson and Thoreau sought this relation in solitude amidst nature, and in their writing. By the 1840s they, along with other transcendentalists, were engaged in the social experiments of Brook Farm, Fruitlands, and Walden; and, by the 1850s in an increasingly urgent critique of American slavery."

OOps! this is a repeat of a suggestion Eman gives us @1. But if you also haven't looked at it yet, a reminder....

Cabin in the Woods
Joanna Jankowska

Saw this, reminded me of our readings here.

It seems to me that Transcendentalism rather "belonged" to New England United States, as say, rather than to the South or to Texas or the West or ...

This article had me thinking about that again:

http://www.tufts.edu/alumni/magazine/...

It divides the U.S. into sections and suggests each has a particular set of unique characteristics. If valid, hints are here as to where transcendentalism would fit.

I ran across the map and article earlier today and just reading your lead in ("It seems ... to New England") immediately made me think of the article. The thing I like about the article is that it is much more nuanced than red vs blue or north vs south.

I live in Minnesota and I had always thought we were much like Massachusetts, say. It was nice to see us included with New England!

I have seen at least one other breakdown of US along similar but not same lines. It was based on migration patterns. It is interesting if you enjoy analyzing who lives where in US based on where they came from ...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/w...

Not so sure it explains the transcendentalism though!

Bob wrote: "I ran across the map and article earlier today and just reading your lead in ("It seems ... to New England") immediately made me think of the article. The thing I like about the article is that it ..."

Thx, Bob. You might enjoy this: Searching for Whitopia: An Improbable Journey to the Heart of White America by Rich Benjamin. Has some insights that have left me thinking.

Lily wrote: "Bob wrote: "I ran across the map and article earlier today and just reading your lead in ("It seems ... to New England") immediately made me think of the article. The thing I like about the article..."

I can see that his insights would be very mind opening! Sounds like a very interesting book! Thanks for the recommendation!