Transcendentalism Through The Political Thought Of Emerson Thoreau And Fuller Essay Example for Free

Transcendentalism Through The Political Thought Of Emerson Thoreau And Fuller Essay During the early to middle years of the nineteenth century, American transcendentalism was born. The term transcendental came from German philosopher Immanuel Kant. He criticizes John Locke, who claimed that knowledge comes through our sensual impressions of the world. Kant feels as though the mind has intuitions of itself that he called transcendental forms. He said that all intuitive thought is transcendental. (The Transcendentalist, 1842) Transcendentalism has a lot of meanings but over time it has essentially remained the same. A 1913 Webster’s Dictionary described transcendentalism as claiming â€Å"to have a true knowledge of all things, material and immaterial, human and divine, so far as the mind is capable of knowing them. It is also sometimes used for that which is vague and illusive in philosophy. † (Webster Dictionary, 1913) Today transcendentalism has furthered its meaning to â€Å"a philosophy which says that thought and spiritual things are more real than ordinary human experience and material things. † (Merriam-Webster, n. d. ) Cliffnotes describes it as: â€Å"A religious, literary, and philosophical movement in New England between 1836, when Emerson published Nature, and 1844, when The Dial — the publishing entity of the transcendental movement — ceased publication. Influenced by Unitarianism, transcendentalists denied the existence of miracles, preferring a Christianity that rested on the teachings of Christ and not on his deeds. They experimented with communal living and supported educational innovation, the abolitionist and feminist movements, and the reform of the church and society, generally. New England transcendentalists were committed to intuition as a way of knowing, to individualism, and to a belief in the divinity of humans and nature. † (Charles Mignon H. Rose, Glossary, n. d. ) Transcendentalism is so much more than these simple definitions. Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the leaders of the movement, developed a whole essay on explaining the movement and even further discussed it in many of his other writings. In The Transcendentalist, Emerson first describes transcendentalism as idealism, the idealism of 1842. He considers people as either materialists or idealists. â€Å"Materialism is the philosophical belief that all human events and conditions depend upon material objects and their interrelationships; sensory perception is the key to learning. † (Charles Mignon H. Rose, Glossary, n. d. ) Materialists see things as they are and except them for that. Materialist can become Idealists but Idealists can never become materialists. â€Å"Idealism is the philosophical assumption that material objects do not exist independently of human perception. † (Charles Mignon H. Rose, Glossary, n. d. ) Idealists are founded on consciousness. They believe that things go beyond the senses, the senses represent things but they can’t tell you what these things are. They insist on the power of thought, will, inspiration, miracles and individual culture. They believe their way of thinking is in higher nature. They see events as spirits. (The Transcendentalist, 1842) They can see a chair and look beyond it being just a chair. They see the spiritual aspect of it. Once they do recognize the many possibilities of a spiritual life, they continue to seek after this transcending state. â€Å"The Transcendentalist adopts the whole connection of 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 in ecstasy. He wishes that the spiritual principle should be suffered to demonstrate itself to the end, in all possible applications to the state of man, without the admission of anything unspiritual; that is, anything positive, dogmatic, personal. Thus, the spiritual measure of inspiration is the depth of the thought, and never, who said it? And so he resists all attempts to palm other rules and measures on the spirit than its own. † (The Transcendentalist, 1842) Idealists see the how the mind process our senses as more important than the senses themselves. They see our existence as subjective. They judge only according to their values and measure according to their values. Their main focus is the individual. They feel as though individuals should focus on fixing their moral character rather than focusing on the world as a whole. It makes more sense for everyone to fix themselves because if each individual changes him or herself then the world as a whole will eventually change. Transcendentalism proposes that human nature is good and the individual will seek good but society is to blame for corruption. Therefore the individual should focus on themselves. (Campbell, 1997) Emerson believes the idealists or transcendentalist should be self-dependent. He feels as though â€Å"it is simpler to be self-dependent. The height, the deity of man is, to be self-sustained, to need no gift, no foreign force. † (The Transcendentalist, 1842) The transcendentalists should be self-absorbed. Transcendentalists have an antisocial character. â€Å"They are lonely; the spirit of their writing and conversation is lonely; they repel influences; they shun general society; they incline to shut themselves in their chamber in the house, to live in the country rather than in the town, and to find their tasks and amusements in solitude. † (The Transcendentalist, 1842) They withdraw from society because they have difficulty relating to people who aren’t as spiritual, intelligent and idealistic as themselves. They are perfectionists who believe human life is flawed so they prefer to be in solitary with nature or a book rather than common people. Emerson criticizes this solitary nature. If they don’t use their gifts to benefit society then society won’t be able to reach the idealist mindset and way of life. They also waste their gift when they don’t allow society to learn from them. (The Transcendentalist, 1842) This paper will take into account each definition and characteristic of the Transcendentalist and Transcendentalism through the works of some of the major leaders during the movement. This paper will explore the religious aspect of the movement through the works of the former Unitarian minister, Ralph Waldo Emerson. The political aspect of the movement will be explored through the works of the naturalist, Henry David Thoreau. The paper will conclude with the feminist and social reform aspect of the movement through the works of Margaret Fuller. Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, poet and Unitarian minister who became one of the first American authors to influence European thought. He was born in Boston, MA on May 25, 1803. Seven of his ancestors were ministers and his father was also a minister. By the age of eighteen, Emerson was graduating from Harvard and taught school in Boston for three years. He then went on to Harvard Divinity School and a year later was approbated to preach by the Middlesex Association of Ministers. In a matter of four years he had become the minister of the Second Church of Boston and married Ellen Tucker, who unfortunately died seventeen months later. In 1832, Emerson resigned as a pastor because he felt as though the Lord’s Supper should not be a permanent sacrament. He then went on to England and stayed for some time. He returned to Massachusetts in 1833 and became an active lecturer. (Funk Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 2014, 1p. ) By 1836, Emerson had published his most detailed statement of belief in his first published book, Nature. He starts the book discussing the currents of the Universal Being that circulate through him making him part God or a piece of God. This is what transcendentalism is mostly about, the belief in the divinity of the human and nature. Through the universal being everything in nature is linked, including humans. Nature’s spirit expresses itself through us and creates a unity between God, spirit and humanity. Nature rewards the noble and those who perform good deeds. Therefore a person would have to be righteous in order to enjoy the beauty nature beholds. In chapter four he discusses how nature and language relate. Words are signs of natural facts and history that helps us understand supernatural history. The language people use to communicate is supplied by nature. A river represents the passage of time. The change of seasons represents the stages of growth. He then goes on to discuss how nature and human law have merged together, yet we still try to distinguish them. You can even see this today with the separation of church and state. In chapter five he discusses reason. Nature is a moral teacher and reason helps to offer ethical and spiritual insights to nature. Reason is linked to intuition, which as previously stated is transcendental. Though according to idealism, nature is something experienced and distinct from us. (Nature, 124-157, 1836) A couple years later in 1838, Emerson further discusses his views on religion in his Divinity School Address. He first discusses the intimate relationship between God and man; the unity of God, humans, and nature. Religion can only truly be achieved when man recognizes their direct access with God and realize that religion and virtue can only be understood from within. There is no mediator between man and God. Man can go directly to God. Since God is perfect man can also become perfect because of that access they have to him. Many denominations of the Christian religion teach the human to aim to be like Jesus, in doing so the person is just like Jesus and develops that perfection identified with Jesus. The moment you stray from this virtue that God and nature gives you, you’re instantly aware of it. It’s like what modern Christianity would call conviction. You feel convicted and suffer the consequences but you strive to be so much like Jesus that you correct the wrong and get back on track. Jesus was the only example of someone who understood the divine nature of mankind because he was sent being used by God as an example for men. (The Divinity School Address, 230-245, 1836) Throughout the Divinity School Address, Emerson criticizes second hand religion. He believes it makes the church stationary. There’s no room for reform when you offer people a religion with a fixed body of beliefs, principles, scriptures and rites. As many of his writings tell you, he is a strong advocate for the individual. Personal religion, the understanding of religion through the individual and intuitive insight is what he calls for. The individual needs to understand the religion for himself and apply his own intuitive interpretation but be careful not to change the traditions of the old church. (The Divinity School Address, 230-245, 1836) â€Å"I confess, all attempts to project and establish a Cultus with new rites and forms, seem to me vain. Faith makes us, and not we it, and faith makes its own forms. All attempts to contrive a system are as cold as the new worship introduced by the French to the goddess of Reason, — to-day, pasteboard and fillagree, and ending to-morrow in madness and murder. Rather let the breath of new life be breathed by you through the forms already existing. For, if once you are alive, you shall find they shall become plastic and new. The remedy to their deformity is, first, soul, and second, soul, and evermore, soul. † (The Divinity School Address, 244, 1836) Rather use the Sabbath and preaching to keep the religion alive and fresh. The preacher has to have intuitive perception to teach and give life to religion. â€Å"The spirit only can teach†¦only he can give, who has; he only can create, who is. The man on whom the soul descends, through whom the soul speaks, alone can teach. Courage, piety, love, wisdom, can teach. † (The Divinity School Address, 238, 1836) It is the preacher’s job to restore the soul of his congregation by helping them realize that direct access they have to God. He must also be living proof of the word he proclaims. The people should know the life he lives so that they can know how individual spirituality can coexist with experience. â€Å"The true preacher can be known by this, that he deals out to the people his life, — life passed through the fire of thought. † (The Divinity School Address, 239, 1836) For Emerson and all transcendentalists, religion is vastly important. This movement is known for its religious aspects. Quite a few of the followers of this movement were ministers. For them religion should be sacred between the human, God and nature. They should take advantage of their direct relationship with God and use it to keep their Christianity fresh and alive. Through the righteousness one receives from this direct relationship, will come blessings from nature and they will be able to behold the beauty of nature. Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts to a socially conscious Scottish mother and a French pioneer manufacturer father. Thoreau eventually went to Harvard College and graduated in 1837. A year later he set up a school with his brother John where he taught Latin, Greek and science until 1841 when his brother got sick. A year after his brother’s death in 1842, Thoreau moved to Staten Island to be a tutor for Emerson’s brother, William. He would also do handy work around the house. Eventually he met Emerson and lived with him and his wife doing handy work. Emerson used that time to influence him to be a part of the transcendentalist movement. In 1849, Thoreau publishes Civil Disobedience. In this writing he criticizes American politics. He wrote this during the time of slavery and the Mexican-American war. Thoreau â€Å"heartily accepts the motto, ‘That government is best which governs least;’ and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe, ‘That government is best which governs not at all’. † (Civil Disobedience, 357, 1849) He feels as though an unjust government that allows for slavery and aggressive war is useless. He is also critical of democracy. Democracy puts forth a government that is given power from the majority to make laws beneficial to the majority. They don’t necessarily have the most legitimate viewpoint but they do have the most power. Therefore citizens are obligated to not follow the law because it is morally wrong. They must do what is right and distance themselves from government. Thoreau isn’t advocating for government to go away, he just wants a better government. Democracy was brought about to ensure individual freedom but yet it has intervened in the lives of many individuals and taken away the exact freedom it was meant to protect. â€Å"But a government in which the majority rule in all cases cannot be based on justice, even as far as men understand it. † (Civil Disobedience, 358, 1849) Majority rule isn’t based on justice. He proposes the ruling of individual conscience. Rulers should be moral. Since they are not, he advocates for rebellion. Thoreau in his own action refused to pay taxes and spent a night in jail. He refused to participate in government. He believed that the individual should not comply with unjust laws. They must break the law, if necessary. Expressing your opposition to slavery is not enough you must act on this objection. He calls for a peaceful revolution by nonpayment of taxes and not being afraid to take the prison time. â€Å"Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison. † (Civil Disobedience, 370, 1849) He feels as though prison is the only place a just man can â€Å"abide with honor. † (Civil Disobedience, 370, 1849) Throughout his essay, like many of Emerson’s works, he is an advocate for the individual. The individual has a responsibility to live his own life according to his morals and regard society as secondary. â€Å"There will never be a really free and enlightened State until the State comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its own power and authority are derived, and treats him accordingly. † He feels as though the government should only touch or put a law on what the individual allows it to. He praises the progress of America from an absolute monarchy to a limited monarchy and now a democracy but feels as though it shouldn’t stop there. He feels as though there needs to be a government where the individual is valued more and have a say in what affects them personally. Not a government where the majority rules and the minority is left to fend for themselves. Over time Thoreau becomes fed up with the law. In 1854, he delivers a more radical and violent speech, Slavery in Massachusetts. He is calling for people to fight and murder the state. â€Å"Who can be serene in a country where both the rulers and the ruled are without principle? The remembrance of my country spoils my walk. My thoughts are murder to the State, and involuntarily go plotting against her. † (Slavery in Massachusetts, Line 49, 1854) In a Plea for Captain Brown he speaks on revenge of him and the slave. He is now calling for the individual to not only resist but have its revenge on the state. Thoreau is not a big fan of government. He is appreciative of the government for changing from an absolute monarchy to a limited government and then a democracy but he is waiting for the day where the government that governs least or not at all, unless the individual requests it, will come. A government in which the majority rules is unjust because it only benefits the majority and enslaves the minority. Therefore the individual must resist no fight, no take revenge. As matters got worse, Thoreau became more violent and radical. Emerson was also an abolitionist who criticized the government for not recognizing the divine nature of the individual. He argued for lesser government and a minimization of the power they have. He didn’t approve of the government not allowing equal rights for all individuals, including women. (Politics, 1849) Sarah Margaret Fuller Sarah Margaret Fuller was born on May 23, 1810 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She was educated by her American lawyer father. At an early age she displayed noticeably intellectual powers and became a member of the group of distinguished writers and philosophers who believed in transcendentalism. From 1835 to 1837 she taught languages in Boston and later became principal of a school in Rhode Island. In 1840 she founded The Dial, a periodical on transcendentalism, with Emerson and later met Thoreau who became an editor. In 1839, she washeavily involved in a women’s movement for intellectual and s ocial development, where she received her material for Women in the Nineteenth Century/ The Great Lawsuit. Man versus Men. Woman versus Women. (Funk Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 2014, 1p) In this work Fuller is advocating for the equal rights of women and abolition of slavery. Both movements were essentially the same they were both looking to have the same rights as the majority. Though Fuller went about it a different way. She didn’t just want the right to vote, equal pay and etc. She wanted the same self-reliance that a man was able to have. For she felt as though her soul was no different from a man’s soul. Everyone has a soul. If men gave women more intellectual and spiritual freedom, both genders could benefit as a whole. She is bringing forth a lawsuit on the behalf of women. Essentially suing the government for not allowing women to have the rights they are due. This piece allowed her room to bring forth a case to prove transcendentalism as an indeterminate sex and spiritually aware democracy. She also wanted to show them that they wrong in not offering women education. A woman can write a lawsuit. She was asserting Emerson’s self-reliance spiritual regeneration, the soul being genderless and a different conception of women. She did this in the form of a lawsuit to prove that she could do anything society deemed as only for men. She didn’t see either sex as greater than the other. She felt that one could not develop without the help of the other. (The Great Lawsuit. Man versus Men. Woman versus Women. , 384-423, 1843) Fuller argued that for a Woman to correct natural law she needs to be educated and have access to employment and politics. Women’s rights were vital to America. She argued that â€Å"all men are created equal. † (Declaration of Independence, 1776) The problem with this argument is that when the founders created the Declaration of Independence it was evident that they didn’t consider all men, women, or minorities as considered equal. They were advocating for the minority. Thus she does say that if it’s a law for the nation then it should be a law for all that inhabits the nation. â€Å"Though the national independence be blurred by the servility of individuals; though freedom and equality have been proclaimed only to leave room for a monstrous display of slave dealing and slave keeping; though the free American so often feels himself free†¦still it is not in vain, that the verbal statement has been made, All men are born free and equal. There it stands, a golden certainty, wherewith to encourage the good, to shame the bad. The new world may be called clearly to perceive that it incurs the utmost penalty, if it rejects the sorrowful brother†¦It is inevitable that an external freedom, such as has been achieved for the nation, should be so also for every member of it It has become a law, irrevocable†¦ Men will privately sin against it, but the law so clearly expressed by a leading mind of the age, All made in the likeness of the One, All children of one ransom, In whatever hour, in whatever part of the soil We draw this vital air, We are brothers, we must be bound by one compact, Accursed he who infringes it, Who raises himself upon the weak who weep, Who saddens an immortal spirit cannot fail of universal recognition. † (The Great Lawsuit. Man versus Men. Woman versus Women. ,389-390, 1843) Fuller calls for a refreshing of the American political culture through the transcendentalists concept of self-reliance. Emerson’s transcendentalist view on self- reliance calls for the individual to apply their own conscience view on everything they see. She also calls the government out for violating natural law by hindering Americans from the liberty and equality they were promised. She says they need a moral law instead. Through transcendentalism they get this moral law when the individual is worried about the individual and does what is best for himself according to his values. (Self-Reliance, 318-339, 1841) Her way of going about getting the revolution that she wanted, was through a peaceful revolution advocating for equality through a spiritually aware, sexless democracy. She hoped it would lead to equality among genders and change the status quo of American Politics. If she could make the government see the wrong in gender discrimination then she could open their eyes to the evil of slavery. This could only be accomplished through divine law. Sarah Margaret Fuller was a woman denied the right of education yet she was surrounded by men that she was able to learn from. Her male counterparts not only taught her but learned from her. She used the ideas of both Emerson and Thoreau to fight against both feminism and slavery. The movements were very much so alike and many of the arguments she made applied to both. The one thing about her is that she not only was an advocate for transcendentalism but also a sexless society. She felt as though no gender, race or being was better than the other. Conclusion Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Sarah Margaret Fuller were the main leaders of the transcendentalist movement. Together and apart they raised issues and were a voice for the unheard. They all advocated for the individual to change themselves and worry about society second. If every individual changed himself then they wouldn’t have to worry about society because eventually society would change as a result of everyone becoming idealists. Ralph Waldo Emerson took a European movement and made it American. Transcendentalism started in Europe but Emerson made it an American response to romanticism. (The Role of Transcendentalism in Shaping American Cultural Ideology, 248, 2013) Emerson is a strong believer in the divinity of human, nature and God. Through God everything is linked. Nature supplies language and reason gives us the knowledge to understand the spirituality and beauty of nature. Humans also have direct access to God and should use it. Even when they stray from the virtue that they are given by God and nature they can come back because they are directly connected to God. Even the modern Bible says, â€Å"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. † (Holy Bible, Romans 3:23) Emerson is also a former minister of the Unitarian church. Unitarians believe in seven basic principles: (1) The inherent worth and dignity of every person; (2) Justice, equity and compassion in human relations; (3)Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations; (4) A free and responsible search for truth and meaning; (5) The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large; (6) The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all; (7) Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. (http://www. uua. org/beliefs/what- we-believe/principles) While you can see this evident in many of Emerson’s works, he is a critic of second hand religion that passes down a fixed body of beliefs, principles, scriptures and rites. This makes religion stationary to him. He feels as though the individual should interpret the religion in a righteous way without rewriting the religion. He also advocates for the Sabbath and preaching to remain fresh so the religion does as well. Henry David Thoreau seems to be the most radical of the three. His earlier works suggest a nonviolent man being imprisoned for standing up to what he believes his wrong. Overtime he becomes an advocate for a slave rebellion. Thoreau feels as though as the times change and are getting worse, the slave should strike back. His works have inspired people like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Just like Thoreau, MLK Jr went from nonviolent protests to making claims such as: â€Å"I will continue to condemn riots, and continue to say to my brothers and sisters that this is not the way. And continue to affirm that there is another way. But at the same time, it is as necessary for me to be as vigorous in condemning the conditions which cause persons to feel that they must engage in riotous activities as it is for me to condemn riots. I think America must see that riots do not develop out of thin air. Certain conditions continue to exist in our society which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots. But in the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard. † (The Other America, 1968) A nonviolent person tends to get more radical when they see that matters are getting worse instead of better. Over time they get fed up and grow weary. It’s hard to accept all that violent people are throwing at you and still remain nonviolent. It’s hard to watch people be treated less than what the law allows because they’re not the skin color of the majority that is making the rules. Thoreau is a harsh critic of the American government. Sarah Margaret Fuller takes on this criticism as well when she criticizes government for oppressing the people who are beneficial to the future of America. One of these transcendentalists even go as far as saying that America will become the laughing stock of nations across the world because it supposedly has a government run by the people yet enslaves its people. If you look at the contributions women and minorities have made to the American society, you can see just how crucial we all are to the American Dream. Fuller is saying that all men can’t be created equal and yet be treated less than the white man. We are all equal. There is no such thing as men being superior to men or white men being superior to all. Women can do just as much as men can do. If the government were to create its laws based on morals then we can have a just society. If they also allow for women to be educated and involved in the political realm they would see just how important women are. Through this research transcendentalism has proved itself to be a religious, literary, philosophical movement advocating for the individual. The individual has all the power it needs through the divine relationship it has with its God. The individual has to change themselves before they can even worry about society. The individual has the intellect and moral obligation to go against the evils of society, not to conform and be self-sufficient. Through transcendentalism Emerson, Thoreau, and Fuller inspired people around the world in the abolition movement, politics, religions, feminist movement and even many of their counterparts in the transcendentalist movement. It also helped to open the eyes of many during the nineteenth century and pave the way for the coming generation. Bibliography Charles Mignon H. Rose. N. d. Summary and Analysis of The Transcendentalist Glossary. (Cliffnotes) http://www. cliffsnotes. com/literature/e/emersons-essays/summary-and-analysis-of- the-transcendentalist/glossary. (Accessed May 4, 2015) Terminology N. d. Defining Transcendentalism. http://www. transcendentalists. com/terminology. html. (Accessed May 4, 2015) Emerson, Ralph Waldo. 1838. â€Å"The Divinity School Address† Transcendentalism: A Reader (Oxford University Press, December 2000): 230-245. Emerson, Ralph Waldo. 1836. â€Å"Nature. † Transcendentalism: A Reader (Oxford University Press, December 2000): 124-157. Emerson, Ralph Waldo. 18. â€Å"Politics. † Ralph Waldo Emerson Texts. http://www. emersoncentral. com/politics. htm. (Accessed May 4, 2015) Emerson, Ralph Waldo. 1841. â€Å"Self-Reliance† Transcendentalism: A Reader (Oxford University Press, December 2000): 318-339. Emerson, Ralph Waldo. 1841. â€Å"The Transcendentalist† Transcendentalism: A Reader (Oxford University Press, December 2000): 366-380. Fuller, Sarah Margaret. 1843. â€Å"The Great Lawsuit. Man versus Men. Woman versus women. † Transcendentalism: A Reader (Oxford University Press, December 2000): 383-422. Fuller, Sarah Margaret. 1845. â€Å"Woman in the Nineteenth Century. † American Transcendentalism Web. http://transcendentalism-legacy. tamu. edu/authors/fuller/woman1. html (Accessed May 4, 2015) Funk Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. 2014. â€Å"Emerson, Ralph Waldo† Funk Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (World Book, Inc. , Chicago): 1. Funk Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. 2014. â€Å"Fuller, (Sarah) Margaret† Funk Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (World Book, Inc., Chicago): 1. Funk Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. 2014. â€Å"Transcendentalism† Funk Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (World Book, Inc. , Chicago): 1. Henry David Thoreau. (2015). The Biography. com website. http://www. biography. com/people/henry-david-thoreau-9506784. (Accessed May 05, 2015) Kellman, Steven G. 2014. â€Å"Henry David Thoreau† Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia. King Jr. , Martin Luther. 1968. â€Å"The Other America. † http://www. crmvet. org/docs/otheram. htm. (Accessed May 6, 2015). Paul. N. d. â€Å"Romans 3:23† The Holy Bible (NIV) Rus, Dana. 2013. The Role of Transcendentalism in Shaping American Cultural Ideology. (Communication Mass Media Complete, EBSCOhost) Thoreau, Henry David. 1849. â€Å"Civil Disobedience. † Transcendentalism: A Reader (Oxford University Press, December 2000): 546-564. Thoreau, Henry David. 1859. â€Å"A Plea for Captain Brown. † Transcendentalism: A Reader (Oxford University Press, December 2000): 628-646. Thoreau, Henry David. 1854. â€Å"Slavery in Massachusetts. † Transcendentalism: A Reader (Oxford University Press, December 2000): 602-614. Unitarian Universalist Association. N. d. â€Å"Our Unitarian Universalist Principles† http://www. uua. org/beliefs/what-we-believe/principles. (Accessed May 6, 2015).

The Feeling of True Love :: Papers

The Feeling of True Love A palpable feeling in the air, anxiety for the babies to be born. As a little head starts to appear, it seems just like a phantasm that the babies are arriving, to the many people watching this birth. As the first baby appears, the new mother starts crying, so happy to have a new little girl to welcome into this world. Then as she unwillingly hands her new daughter to the nurse for cleaning up, she goes back into labor. She puts all of her effort, strength, and love into bringing her remaining child into this world. As the last toe comes out, the new mother of the twins sighs seeing her perfect baby boy with all his fingers and toes. As she holds the new twins close to her, she gives up her life to taking care of these two, with all of her love and affection. "Suzy and Bob," she murmurs. At the sight of their mother's kind eyes and open arms, the two infants fall in love with her. And this is just the beginning of their life of love. As they go from their first doctor appointment to the time when they turn eighteen months, they experience a lot of love. Every night their mom and dad come and tuck them into their individual wooden cribs. As the twins snuggle down under the warm pink and blue blankets, their mother kisses them on their forehead and whispers "I love you" into their delicate ears. Then their dad comes along, says "Good night, sleep tight," and kisses them as gently as any man with a beard could.

Reigniting Your Passion for God Essay

The creative force behind all great art, all great drama, all great music, all great architecture and all great writing is passion. Nothing great is ever accomplished in life without passion. Nothing great is ever sustained in life without passion. Passion is what energizes life. Passion makes the impossible possible. Passion gives you a reason to get up in the morning and go and say, â€Å"I’m going to do something with my life today.† Without passion life becomes boring. It becomes monotonous. It becomes routine. It becomes dull. God created you with the emotions to have passion in your life and He wants you to live a passionate life for Him. Passion is what mobilizes armies into action. Passion is what causes explorers to boldly go where no man’s gone before. Passion is what causes scientists to spend late night hours trying to find the cure to a dreaded disease. Passion is what takes a good athlete and turns him or her into a great athlete where they’r e breaking records. You’ve got to have passion in your life. One day a man walks up to Jesus and he says, â€Å"Lord, what’s the most important thing in the Bible?† And you know what the Great Commandment is. We’ve talked about it many times. Jesus said, â€Å"I want you to love God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength. Nothing matters more than that. That’s the number one thing in life. I want you to love Me passionately.† Nothing else matters in life if you don’t love God with passion. God doesn’t want you to love Him half-heartedly. He wants you to love Him with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and all your strength. I love the paraphrase of that verse, Mark 11:30, from The Message â€Å"Jesus said, ’Love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.† Circle the word â€Å"passion†. That word, in Greek, is the word â€Å"heart.† God is saying I want you to put some muscle into it, put some energy, put some emotion into your relationship with Me. Don’t be a wimp about your relationship with Me. Don’t be namby-pamby. Don’t be half-hearted. Give it all you’ve got. Jesus is saying, â€Å"If you’re going to follow Me, you’ve got to go it with passion. You’ve got to give it some oomph, some spark, some zip, some enthusiasm, some zest. In other words I want you to live your life with me passionately.† In fact, this truth is all through the Bible. The Bible tells us that we’re to seek God passionately. We’re to love God passionately. The Bible says that we’re to serve and obey God passionately. We’re to trust God passionately. Then as if you didn’t get the message, in Colossians 3:23 He says â€Å"Whatever you do, do it with all of your heart as unto the Lord and not unto men.† He says I want you to do everything passionately when it comes to loving Me, serving Me, living for Me. Here’s the amazing thing. In America it’s ok to be passionate about anything except God. That is not politically correct — to be passionate about God. I can be passionate about movies. I can be passionate about sports. I can be passionate about politics. I can be passionate about fashions and clothes. I can be passionate about restaurants. But I cannot be passionate about God. That’s a no-no. I typed in the phrase â€Å"a passion for†¦Ã¢â‚¬  into Amazon.com and found a couple hundred books with that title. There’s a book call A Passion for Birds, A Passion for Books, A Passion for Cactus, A Passion for Chocolate (that’s understandable), A Passion for Fashion, †¦ for Fishing†¦ for Flying, †¦ for Gardening, †¦ Golf, Hunting. There’s even a book called A Passion For Mushrooms. A Passion for Needlepoint, Pasta, Ponies. There’s a book called, A Passion for Potatoes, for Roses, for Shoes. There’s even a book called A Passion for Steam. I can’t figure out what that one’s all about! I don’t know why you’d get passionate about steam. But in our culture today it’s ok to be passionate about anything except your religion, except your faith, except your relationship with God. I can go to a concert, or a political rally or a baseball game and I can shout my head off. I can get excited. I can get hoarse from yelling so loud. When my team loses I could cry. Nobody thinks that’s a big deal. When my team wins I can jump up and dance around and wave my hands in the air. If I do that at a game people go, â€Å"He’s a real fan!† But if I do that in church people say, â€Å"He’s a fanatic! He’s a nut case.† You don’t want to get too emotional about your faith. Its ok about anything else but not that. Romans 12:1 â€Å"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor.† Keep the fires going in your life. Circle the word â€Å"keep.† Notice, it’s not automatic. It’s a choice. It’s a discipline. It’s something you must maintain. You are not by nature passionate about God. It’s something that you must choose to do. You get distracted and everything in life conspires to keep you from being passionate about God. So He says keep your passion going. Keep the fires going. It’s a discipline. It’s not just automatic. This kind of thing — being passionate about God has nothing to do with either your personality or your age. Our churches are filled with hundreds if not thousands of senior believers who have walked with God a long, long time and are still passionate. But everything in life conspires to keep you from being passionate. And it dissipates your energy. When you first become a believer and you really understand what a good deal you’ve got you get excited about it, â€Å"This is quite a big deal! All my sins were forgiven. I now have a purpose for living, and I now have a future home in heaven. What a deal! And you get excited about that when you give your life to Christ and you’re pretty passionate. But as time goes by you begin to lose your steam. You begin to lose your zip, your zest, your enthusiasm. What happened? Why does that happen? That’s what we’re going to look at today. As we go through God’s word we’re going to look at seven passion killers, things that rob the joy out of your life. I thought this would be a very appropriate message, right in the middle of winter, when nobody feels very passionate about much of anything. You want the warmth of summer back. So this morning we’re going to look at these passion killers together. I want you to use it as a checklist. Because God says, I want you to love Me with all of your heart.

Photosynthesis and respiration rules outline

Each small group has to designate a leader. Each small group has to choose 1 topic project and develop a † poem † , which is the lyrics, and a song. The song must be presented as a video song. This video song should be educational and teaching, so it is preferable to include singing and lyrics with images or animations explaining and describing each topic project. This video song should last not more than 6 minutes and not less than 3 minutes. Any other characteristic of the video is up to the risk of each small group and the ours.The physical poem and the video song should be hands-in during the week 12-16 of January, in the first 2 days of that week for grading. These grades will be average with other 2 grades (further explained) and count for the sixth partial in individual glasswork (Item 2) and group work (item 3). The course (entire class) has to present 2 works that count as grade. One work is a Prize presentation in which all the 6 topic projects are synthesized a s a mental map diagram, without losing the objective of being educational and teaching. The information source is the Duskier Book.This Prize must be hands-in on the first 2 days of the week 12-16 of January for grading. This grade will be average with the poem and video song grades, as mentioned before. The other course work is/are the model (macaque) or mini-models and/or lab experiment or mini-lab experiments that should explain, describe, and illustrate all the 6 topic projects. These model(s) and/or lab experiment(s) must be presented in the first 2 days of the week 12-16 of January for grading. This grade will be average with the poem and video song grades, as mentioned before.GRADING A) There are 4 works (2 small group work and 2 course work) and 4 grades that will be input directly into item 2 (individual glasswork) and item 3 (group work) for the sixth partial (January). The grade is individually computed, even though all works will be done in groups. B) If a small group wo rk is done outstandingly, although the course did not win the first place in the project, I (the Biology teacher) will decide to add the grade of the small group, but individually, to item 5 (summarize), too.C) On the week 12-16 of January, there will be (date and place not yet designated although it will eventually be) he presentation and contest of all five Baccalaureate Biology Projects and the course with highest punctuation will win the project contest. The winner, all the students, will be granted 10 in item 1, item 2, item 4, and item 5, except item 3 (Evaluations) that will be a quiz taken during weeks 5-16 about photosynthesis and respiration. This is the highest motivation a course should be focused on. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION All works should be educational, teaching, and motivational.All students should be involved in any task (one or more than one). If determine that any dent has not done nor participated directly in any task, even if the course win the first place proje ct, I will overrule that decision and all the students of the wining course will be granted just the grade each student got initially (check grading point A). If one course is eliminated, as it is mentioned above, the second course or the next course (in case of more than one elimination) with the highest punctuation will be declared winner of the contest and granted a grade of 10, as it is mentioned in grading point C.The punctuation to declare the winner of the Biology Project Contest will come from the scrutiny of screening questions using indicators (values) to students, teachers, other staff members, authorities, and visitors that will like to fill-in this survey. The Biology teacher and respective students of I Baccalaureate will not be allowed to fill-in this survey. During the presentation and exhibition Of the five Biology projects of Baccalaureate, the designated students of each course should be available and ready to respond to any question regarding to the following sub jects and parameters: Language and Literature.Explain and describe briefly the characteristics of the poem: its genre and/or submerge, TTS rhyme, its metric, its rhythm, its figurative language (if possible). Music and Arts. Explain and describe briefly the characteristics of the music and video song: musical genre; social and/or historical context of the song or the genre; tune; harmony; rhythm; lyrics-notes and syllables; timbre; choir and choruses. Computing (InformAttica). Explain and describe briefly the characteristics of Prize presentation: characteristics; functions; advantages and disadvantages. TOOK. Biological processes and chemical pathways are usually very complex.When scientists attempt to explain these complex reactions, they usually reek them down into smaller, intermediate steps. These intermediate steps are then carefully researched and imitated (for example models and experiments). The hope is that eventually an understanding of the complex process is obtained. Is this manner of understanding complex concepts always successful? What are some of the limitations of this approach? TOOK: Are aerobic reactions a better adaptations to most cells and living organism than anaerobic reactions? Challenge this hypothesis using the Hempen' s Raven Paradox and/or Popper s falsifications.

Controversies Between Church and State essays

Controversies Between Church and State essays Controversies Between Church and State During the Middle Ages, church and state leaders had many battles. Some who were involved were Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich IV and Pope Gregory VIII; King II and Archbishop Thomas Becket; King Philip IV and Pope Boniface VIII. Their situations were all related by the fact that they were all controversies between an emperor or king and the Catholic church. The Holy Roman Emperor Heinrich (Henry) IV and Pope Gregory VIIIs struggle was centered on by investiture. Henry invested many bishops at his own will even though Gregory had banned investiture by laity. Henry felt his investiture of bishops was necessary to the control of his kingdom, so he kept on doing it. Gregory responded to this by excommunicating Henry. Henry later apologized and received the Popes forgiveness. Out of humiliation, he chased Gregory out of Rome and elected a new pope. King Henry II made his close and dear friend Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury in hopes that since he and his friend were so close, Becket would give some power over the Church to Henry. Instead, Becket refused to do Henrys bidding and became a fierce champion of the independence and rights of the church. In 1170, Becket was killed during a church mass by four of Henrys knights. Henry surrendered to the Pope, who threatened him with excommunication. Thomas Becket was later named a saint and is a symbol of the struggle between church and state. Pope Boniface VIII believed that the Pope, whomever he may be, was always in higher power than the reigning king or emperor. Boniface issued a bull saying kings could not tax cler...

35 Literary Devices and Literary Terms (with Definitions and Examples)

35 Literary Devices and Literary Terms (with Definitions and Examples) 35 Literary Devices and Literary Terms (with Definitions and Examples) A clear list of literary devices is a good resource for any writer to have on hand. Strong device usage can help elevate a book from a story people forget, to a piece of literature that stays with them long after they've turned the final page.After all, in  As You Like It, Shakespeare could have simply written, "Everyone has a role in life." But instead, he used a literary device and penned one of the famous metaphors of all time:All the world’s a stage And all the men and women merely playersAnd the rest is history. 35+ literary devices to turn you into Shakespeare What are literary devices?Literary devices are tools writers use to express their ideas with artistic depth. These devices can clarify and emphasize concepts, create resonance within a narrative, and invite readers to dig a little deeper into the story’s themes.While all of the tools below fall under the umbrella of â€Å"literary devices,† the purpose and impact of them varies wildly. Some might underscore a narrative and work on an intellectual level, while others have more of a subtle, visceral, or emotional effect. Finally, they might also work to simply enhance the flow and pacing of your writing. No matter what, if you're looking to inject something special into your prose, literary devices are a great place to start. You can also check out our list of 30 rhetorical devices right here!List of literary devices1. AllegoryThe Tortoise and the Hare is about more than just a turtle, a rabbit, and a race. It also aims to teach the lesson: slow and steady wins the race. That’s what an allegory does  - it’s a type of narrative that uses characters and plot to exemplify abstract ideas and themes, such as patience. In an allegorical story, events and characters tend to represent more than they appear on the surface.Example: Animal Farm by George Orwell. This dystopian novella is one of modern literature’s best-known allegories. A commentary on the events leading up to Stalin's rise and the formation of the Soviet Union, the pigs at the heart of the novel blatantly represent figures such as Stalin, Trotsky, and Molotov. Litotes (pronounced lie-toe-teez) is the signature literary device of the double negative. Writers use litotes to express certain sentiments through their opposites, by saying that that opposite is not the case. Don’t worry, it makes more sense with the examples. Example: â€Å"You won’t be sorry† (meaning you’ll be happy); â€Å"you’re not wrong† (meaning you’re right); â€Å"I didn’t not like it† (meaning I did)21. MalapropismIf Shakespeare is the king of metaphors, Michael Scott is the king of malapropisms. This is when similar-sounding words replace their appropriate counterparts, typically to comic effect - one of the most commonly cited is â€Å"dance a flamingo,† rather than a â€Å"flamenco.† Malapropisms are usually employed in dialogue when a character flubs up their speech.Example: â€Å"I am not to be truffled with.† Similar term: metonymy 35+ literary devices to lend resonance to your writing Readers and writers alike can get a lot out of understanding literary devices and how they're commonly used. If you’re a reader, you can use this knowledge to your advantage, as you pore over fiction and gain insight into the author’s intended meaning and motivation behind their work. Meanwhile, writers can use literary devices to connect with readers, giving their words a boosted opportunity of providing audiences with lasting meaning.Have you ever struggled to use a literary device in your writing? Let's get technical - share your questions or thoughts in the comments below!

As Well As Does Not Mean And

As Well As Does Not Mean And â€Å"As Well As† Does Not Mean â€Å"And† â€Å"As Well As† Does Not Mean â€Å"And† By Maeve Maddox A reader asks, Will you please comment on the use of â€Å"as well as† as used below: â€Å"Deng Xiaoping made a significant contribution with his theoretical courage of Marxism,  matter-of-fact attitude, rich experience, as well as his foresight and sagacity.† â€Å"As well as† doesn’t seem to me to be equivalent to â€Å"and.† According to Merriam-Webster, â€Å"as well as† is equivalent to and: as well as conjunction: and in addition, and. According to The Chicago Manual of Style, however, it is not: Note that the phrase as well as is not equivalent to and. WRONG: The team fielded one Mazda, two Corvettes, three Bugattis, as well as a battered Plymouth Belvedere. RIGHT: The team fielded one Mazda, two Corvettes, and three Bugattis, as well as a battered Plymouth Belvedere.- 6.18 The phrase â€Å"as well as† and the single word and are not equivalents because and joins two elements of equal importance, but â€Å"as well as† places more emphasis on one of the elements. Compare: My dog and cat bring me things to throw. My cat and dog bring me things to throw. My cat, as well as my dog, brings me things to throw. In the first two sentences, no distinction is made between cat and dog. In the third sentence, an unequal emphasis is placed upon cat, suggesting that there is something notable about the action as it applies to the cat. This use of â€Å"as well as† is similar to the correlative â€Å"not onlybut also,† but the emphasis falls on the element that precedes â€Å"as well as.† Note: When â€Å"as well as† is mistakenly perceived to mean and, problems of agreement arise. Chicago addresses this in Paragraph 5.133: [The intervening â€Å"as well as†] seems to create a compound subject, and [a] modifying prepositional phrase may itself contain one or more plural objects. If the singular verb sounds awkward in such a sentence, it may be better to use the conjunction and instead: WRONG: The bride as well as her bridesmaids were dressed in mauve. RIGHT: The bride as well as her bridesmaids was dressed in mauve. BETTER: The bride and her bridesmaids were dressed in mauve. If no contrasting emphasis is intended, and is the better choice. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Yiddish Handbook: 40 Words You Should KnowThat vs. WhichUses of the Past Participle