Human Sperit

Transcendentalism is:

“…maintaining that nothing is everything in general, and everything is nothing in particular.”

“He is German by birth, and is called Giant Transcendentalist, but as to his form, his features, his substance, and his nature generally, it is the chief particularity of this huge miscreant that neither he for himself nor anybody for him has ever been able to describe them. As we rushed by the cavern’s mouth we caught a hasty glimpse o him, looking somewhat like an ill-proportioned figure but considerably more like a heap of fog and duskiness. He shouted after us, but in so strange a phraseology that we knew not what he meant, nor whether to be encouraged, or affrighted.”
- Nathaniel Hawthorne

“The philanthropists inquire whether Transcendentalism does not mean sloth: they had as lief hear that their friend is dead, as that he is a Transcendentalist; for then he is paralyzed and can never do anything for humanity.”
- Ralph Emerson Waldo

“The Transcendentalist adopts the whole connection of the spiritual doctrine. He believes in miracle, in the perpetual openness of the human mind to new influx of light and power; he believes in inspiration and ecstasy.”
- Ralph Emerson Waldo

“The so-called Transcendentalist are not that only people who deal in Transcendentals. On the contrary, we seem to see that the Utilitarians, - the every-day world’s people themselves, far transcend those inferior Transcendentalists by their own incomprehensible worldly maxims.”
- Herman Melville

A movement in the mid 1830’s to the late 1840’s that centered in Boston, Transcendentalism only lasted briefly but inspired many, such as Steinbeck in his novel The Grapes of Wrath.
By the late 18th century, Unitarianism had arrived at Boston. It was a branch of the liberal wing of Christianity and emphasized intellectual reason as a path to divine wisdom, along with traits such as stability and harmony. However, these qualities lead to a quarrel within the church, and soon Transcendentalism had developed. But rather than an outright rejection of the Unitarian ideals, it is instead more a radical interpretation. Transcendentalists, like the Unitarian church, shared the similar belief that the mind and higher thought was key to some sort of enlightenment. On the other hand, they were fiercely individualistic, and rejected the idea of an organized religion, believing that every person needed to find their own path. It shared a few similarities with Protestant reform, and can also be seen as an extension of the democratic individuality emphasized in America.
Transcendentalism also questioned the skeptical, empirical philosophy of Locke that dominated during the time. Locke stated that everything in the mind was put there by the senses, and therefore, experience was more important than pure thought. Transcendentalists rejected this, saying that yes, everything in the mind was put there by the senses, but the mind itself. They believed the mind knew certain absolute truths without the need of senses, past experiences, and even reason.
Ralph Emerson Waldo, the leading Transcendentalist, wrote what can be considered the manifesto in his essay Nature (1836), which symbolized higher truths as natural phenomenon. He claimed the divine is in everything, even shining through a man’s actions.
But characterizing Transcendental philosophy is difficult, as it proves to be elusive and contradictory. For example, although Emerson often writes about the universal soul that permeates everything, the Oversoul, he also mentions often how important the individual is.
“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles.”
Even more, he says, one must not lower himself to act unless there is the highest command. Although one might not ever find a just cause, and forever wait for the opportunity, it is only the great and extraordinary that should move a person.
Other qualities of the Transcendentalist, he writes, are the importance of thought and will, inspiration, miracle, and the individual, similar to idealism in the past. Above all, is the strive for higher spiritual thought, for beauty and nobility. He believed that this would lead them to see God within themselves, that “all spiritual being is in man.” Although every man was an individual, they shared a common nature and bond. They have similar beliefs, of what is “good, “ and what is “bad.” He believed people should be aware of the world, and the community that surrounded them. His belief of an “Oversoul” gave every man a sense of responsibility of self-esteem; everyone is part of something much bigger than themselves.
“The mind is one, and the best minds, who love truth for its only sake, think much less of property in truth. They accept it thankfully everywhere, and do not label or stamp it any man’s name, for it was theirs long beforehand, and from eternity.”

Many of the Transcendentalist ideals can be seen in The Grapes of Wrath. Even from the beginning, Jim Casey talks about the Oversoul.
“I figgered about the Holy Sperit and the Jesus road. I figgered, ‘ Why do we got to hang it on God or Jesus? Maybe,’ I figgered, ‘ mayby it’s all men an’ all women we love; maybe that’s the Holy Sperit- the human sperit- the whole shebang. Maybe all men got one big soul ever’body’s a part of.’”
This idea becomes one of the main themes in the novel. With Steinbeck’s interesting technique of interspersing chapters that focus on the Joads, and chapters focusing on the migrant farmers as a whole, this “one big soul” becomes apparent. The individual becomes part of a larger entity, with the same desires and hungers. As the Joads and Casey travel along and meet other people in the same situation, this “Holy Sperit” is more and more evident in their actions, similar to what Emerson writes in his essay Oversoul.
“… the soul, whose organ he is, would he let it appear through his actions would make our knees bend.”
Steinbeck uses this to praise the everyday man and the everyday life. Every act is a prayer, is holy.
“‘Gonna cuss an’ swear an’ hear the poetry of folks talkin’. All that’s holy, all that’s what I didn’t understan’. All them things is the good things.’”
Other instances of Transcendentalist thought also appear throughout the book. From the beginning, Tom has listened to what Casey has said, and once Casy had died, he saw his responsibility to the rest of the community to teach what he had learned. He, like one of Casey’s disciples, tells of what the preacher once said:
“‘… one time he went out in the wilderness to find his own soul, an’ foun’ he didn’ have no soul that was his’n. Says he foun’ he jus’ got a little piece of a great soul… I know now a fella ain’t no good alone.’”

Besides Steinbeck, Transcendentalism inspired other writers of poetry and prose. One examples is Walt Whitman, with his book of poems Leaves of Grass. One striking example is Song of Myself, which starts
“I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you…”

Thoreau, who was well known for his book Walden, is often regarded as Emerson’s disciple. Other writings by him inspired the civil rights movements and their passive resistance tactics, as well as the fundamental mission of the ecology movement.

Despite the fact that Transcendentalism only lasted little more than a decade and never spread far from Boston, it has been woven into part of American tradition and culture- in poetry, in novels, and in belief.