Which 1836 essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson is considered the foundational manifesto of the Transcendentalist movement?
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Correct answer: Nature (1836)
Emerson's 'Nature' established the movement's core belief that the divine is present in the natural world and that individuals can achieve spiritual enlightenment through direct observation of the environment.
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More Transcendentalism questions
- What is the primary objective of Henry David Thoreau's experiment as detailed in 'Walden; or, Life in the Woods'?
- In the essay 'Self-Reliance', Emerson famously asserts that 'A foolish consistency is the ______ of little minds.'
- Which Transcendentalist concept refers to a shared universal spirit or divine mind that connects all human beings and nature?
- Who was the editor of 'The Dial', the primary literary journal of the Transcendentalist movement?
- Henry David Thoreau's essay 'Civil Disobedience' was written primarily as a protest against which two historical events?
- In 'Nature', Emerson describes himself as a 'transparent ______' to illustrate his loss of ego and his union with God and nature.