Continuing on with trancendentalism, we started dicussing " Self Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson was rejected by the clergy because of his radical ideas, and was proclaimed as a heretic. He was influenced greatly by Buddishm and Hinduism. Emerson adovcated the idea of the oversoul, in which everything even the trees and rocks has God in them. So, we are all apart of the oversoul. Although his beliefs were not widely accepted in his time, after his death his views became more popular.
His rationale for the oversoul was that God created man, by making him in his image and giving him a soul. If we are created by God in his image, then how are we different from God. Assuming that God didnt create man as an inferior beign, then a part of God is in all of us. Also that there is no absolute truth, you find your own path to God.
Note: If I left anything out feel free to comment. Thanks Ashley.
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I think the idea of the oversoul is interesting. I can easily understand the train of thought that lead to the idea. I don't think that I would ever believe, but if I did not have preestablished beliefs of my own, I do not know why the idea was considered so far off. Many people perceive trancendentalism as extremely ridiculous and stereotype the people that believed in the movement to be far too radical for sanity. I do not think that this is the case. These beliefs are just as valid as those of other religions and have the same fundamental ideas.
-Jen
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