Transcendentalism

Transcendentalism is an American philosophical movement which was developed primarily by New England philosophers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.

Panentheism, Dialectical Spiritualism, Naturalism, and, in a general sense, Individualism, are all key components of Transcendentalism. Transcendentalism is a more general worldview or school of thought, with many varying philosophies falling under it's umbrella.

Philosophy
The philosophy, to a degree, is a reaction to Enlightenment thought; responding to a Dualist notion that scientifically understood natural and material phenomenon are mundane and without divine eminence, with the notion that all material phenomenon are in fact, spiritual.

Transcendentalism is an incredibly romantic philosophy, holding that man and nature are fundamentally good, and that the divine is to the material as the soul is to the body, espousing some form of Non-Dualism or Panentheism. This goodness is projected forth to man in various forms and flavors throughout all of human life.

Ralph Waldo Emerson presented the key notion that the natural environment provides man with all he needs physiologically, mentally, and spiritually, and that all mechanisms of nature conspire for the good of the human. Even what mankind has historically called 'virtues' are either born as necessities for living and thriving in nature, or are examples of spiritual understanding put in practice.

Man, though good by nature, can be corrupted by man-made institutions (such as the state) and man-made technologies and economic systems. These things degrade the individual to the level of a cog in a social machine, oppress his intellect, and cause a decay in virtue.

Because of all of this, Transcendentalist thinkers tend to seek simplistic, more primitive lives of self-reliance.

Spiritualism
Transcendentalism, while not negating the Rationalist notion that knowledge is only obtained through reason, romanticizes experience more than logic in general, holding that one should trust their internal 'genius'. This 'genius' can refer to the soul, emotion, or the material mind depending on the context. Regardless, Transcendentalists hold that all three are spiritual phenomena in essence; phenomena that God can use to emanate truths to man.

While not outright rejecting organized religion, Transcendentalism holds that spiritual knowledge and experience come from introspection and intuition, not mere adherence to dogma or written theology. The philosophy influenced both the heavily rationalist movement of Universalism and the heavily sentimentalist New Thought movement.

Politics
Transcendentalists are staunch individualists, that is to say, they believe in individual self-direction and autonomy. Because of this, Transcendentalists like Henry David Thoreau advocated for market economics and individual ownership, as well as a rejection of the State and 'Patriotism' (A view of the self as property of the State or collective). Others advocated for Communalism.

Transcendentalists are typically anti-industrialist to some degree, and critique complex division of labor, as well as modern technology and it's consequences on culture.

Today, many Green Anarchists, Neo-Luddites, and Libertarians in general cite Transcendentalism as a personal influence. Transcendentalists are formally represented in the Libertarian Party of the United States via a division known as the Wild Caucus.

Influences/influenced
John Muir and other preservationists were heavily influenced by Transcendentalism's view of nature, along with Theodore Kaczynski, the Unabomber. The philosophy is heavily influenced by Hindu Advaita and Vishishtadvaita Metaphysics, as well as Taoism and the works of Emmanuel Swedenborg.

Personality
Transcendentalism is calm and peaceful, and usually does not like hanging out with others. He's internally romanticizing and sweet, outwardly stoic and intellectual.

How to draw

 * 1) Draw a ball.
 * 2) Draw a blue eye.
 * 3) Draw a hat above the ball and you're done!