Transcendentalism: The Doctrine Of The Mind Essay, Research Paper

Transcendentalism: The Doctrine of the Mind

Transcendentalism is the position that the basic truth of the

universe lies beyond the cognition obtained from the senses, a

cognition that transcendentalists regard as the mere visual aspect of

things ( Adventures 162 ) . Transcendentalists believe the head is

where thoughts are formed. The transcendentalist thoughts of God, adult male,

and the existence were non all original, but were a combination of other

doctrines and faiths.

One of the major inquiries of doctrine is & # 8220 ; What is the nature

of the existence? & # 8221 ; Immanuel Kant was one of the major

Transcendentalists of his clip. One of the major inquiries he asked

was, & # 8220 ; What is cognition, and how is it possible? & # 8221 ; Transcendentalists

believe that one truly merely knows personal experiences, and that one

can non cognize the existence which exists. Kant came to the decision

that there are two existences, one of experience, called the

& # 8220 ; Phenomenal Universe & # 8221 ; , and the other the & # 8220 ; Noumenal Universe & # 8221 ; , the

one of ground. The first is scientific and the other practical ( Frost 42 ) .

Transcendentalists think there is a dimension of deepness in everything

that exists. They besides think the spirit is what controls your physical side

( Halverson 431 ) . Some transcendentalists say the universe has no

get downing in clip, everything takes topographic point harmonizing to the Torahs of

nature. The same people think there is non needfully an absolute

Bing who causes the universe to be ( Frost 42 ) . Transcendentalists think

nature is a merchandise of the head, and without the head nature would non

exist ( Santayana 42 ) . These thoughts come from the Romantic traditions

which originated in England. The Romantics believed in religious integrity

of all signifiers of being, with God, humanity, and nature sharing a

cosmopolitan psyche ( Adventures 208 ) .

Transcendentalists came to the decision that good and evil

were things merely adult male could command. Their belief of adult male is that adult male is

portion of the existence of objects and things. His cognition is confined

to thoughts. He is able to ground, and he can organize thoughts of the outer

universe of God, freedom, and immortality ( Frost 53 ) . Immanuel Kant

said, & # 8220 ; Always move in such a manner that the axiom finding your

behavior might every bit good go a cosmopolitan jurisprudence ; act as though you can

will that everybody shall follow the rule of your action. & # 8221 ; He called

this the & # 8220 ; categorical imperative. & # 8221 ; Kant believed this was a certain

standard of what is right and what is incorrect. Kant besides made the point

that an act desired of everyone would be a good act, or if the act is

performed with good purposes it is good no affair if it brings hurting.

He besides said human life is merely possible on this moral footing ( Frost 95 ) .

Is there a God? This inquiry has been around for 100s of

old ages. Many transcendentalists think they have answered it. Kant

said there must be a God who is wise, good, and powerful to fall in

felicity and goodness. He thought the thought of God was necessary

to function as a foundation for moral life ( Frost 132 ) . The

transcendentalists explain that when God made the universe, he found it

good, and when the transcendentalists assumed the Creator & # 8217 ; s topographic point,

they followed his illustration ( Santayana 121 ) . Other transcendentalists

believe the unobserved portion of the universe dwells in God ( Halverson 429 ) .

Theodore Parker was nicknamed the Savonarola of

transcendental philosophy, by Emerson, because he denied the necessity of

scriptural inspiration and miracles in life ( Edwards 479 ) .

Transcendentalists steadfastly believe that the head is superior to

affair. Harmonizing to Kant, there are intuitions of the head itself non

based upon experience, but through which experience is acquired.

Kant called these & # 8220 ; nonnatural signifiers & # 8221 ; ( Edwards 480 ) .

Transcendentalists believe the head is the lone beginning of cognition,

but Kant said there is a universe other than the head ( Frost 242 ) . Kant

besides thought worlds are shut up in their heads and must construe

everything. He believed that infinite and clip are non worlds bing

by themselves, but are ways the head has of having and determining

esthesiss. Kant stated, & # 8220 ; Take away the thought topic, and the

full corporeal universe will disappear, for it is nil but the visual aspect

in the esthesia of our subject. & # 8221 ; To the minds who followed Kant the

most logical solution to the job of head and affair was to

eliminate affair. The head seemed apparent but affair had to be

interpreted as something other than and outside of the head ( Frost

243 ) .

Transcendentalists believe many thoughts come from the head

itself, non from experience. They believe that these thoughts of the head

are a really of import portion of life. An anon. booklet ( many

believe to be written by Charles Mayo Ellis ) , An Essay on

Transcendentalism, says, & # 8220 ; Transcendentalism maintains that adult male has

thoughts that come non through the five senses, or the power of

logical thinking ; but are either the consequence of direct disclosure from God, his

immediate inspiration, or his subjective presence in the religious

world. & # 8221 ; The transcendentalists called the religious organic structure within the

physical organic structure the oversoul, the scruples, or the interior visible radiation

( Encyclopedia 3 ) . Kant says the head is like a bowl with many

crannies and depressions in it & # 8217 ; s contour. When one pours H2O into

the bowl, it takes the form of the bowl, make fulling all the crannies. In the

same manner the environment pours feelings into the head and they

are received by the head and shaped harmonizing to the nature of this

head ( Frost 257 ) . Some transcendentalists think all heads are likewise.

They say all heads have certain classs such as entirety, integrity,

plurality, and world. Transcendentalists believe cognition is limited

to the combined function of esthesia and apprehension, both of which

are concerned with sense and experience, though in different ways

( Hakim 98 ) . They besides think cognition is cosmopolitan ( Frost 258 ) .

Some transcendentalists think the thoughts are of the head and can non

be applied to a universe outside of the head. They believe thoughts are a

consequence of the sort of thought organ which people have, and are

determined by it & # 8217 ; s nature.

Transcendentalism is a combination of beliefs, some of which

are from other faiths and other people and their doctrines. It is

a belief that there is another manner cognition is obtained, non merely from

the senses, but besides from the head.