You know, like Emerson, Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott.

Anyway, I've heard it refeard to as a religion (well, sorta, but its called something else), a writing style, but I've found myself fascinated with it. Maybe its a philosiphy, or way of thinking....

"Our expeditions are but tours, and come round again at evening to the old hearth-side from which we set out. Half the walk is but retracing our steps. We should go forth on the shortest walk, perchance, in the spirit of undying adventure, never to return-- prepared to send back our embalmed hearts only as relics to our desolate kingdoms. If you are ready to leave father and mother, and brother and sister, and wife and child and friends, and never see them again--if you have paid your debts, and made your will, and settled all your affairs, and are a free man--then you are ready for a walk." ~Thoreau.

See.

It puts you in a kind of mood.

anyways. I think I put this in the right area... maybe.

Okay kiddies, play now.

transcendetialism is a concept of philosophy, started by Kant(I hope)...it is tied directly to his idealism, materialism and the whole quartet is finished with empiricalism...I myself am an empirical idealist...I believe that it's there because I believe it is...a materialist believes it's there regardless of what one believes, and the whole transcendental and empirical is still a little unclear, it seems that it's a difference between if we have control over "it" or if "it" has control of us...there are several threads discussing this all...just look around here...It strays a bit, but with a renewed interest it may just get back on track

Kant's cool!

Kant was not, I rerpeat, NOT a transcendentalist, if ther is an apotheosis of transcendentalism, Kant was it. Kant was an idiot who didn't know his ass from a hole in the ground and probabl.y would have developed theories to prove that they were one in the same. Transcendentalism developed in America from romanticism in England. The purpose of transcendental poetry was to bring the reader to an epiphany, a moment of absolute clarity where their mind coudl convene momentarily with all of nature.

don't make me pull facts out on you little boy...it's all based in German philosophy...Kant created the opothesis(?) concerning the idea...and he is the one the Schopenhaur attributes as being the only philosopher aside from hisself who contributed anything worhwhile to philosophy...and then there is Goethe...he too was german and a poetic philosopher...No Kant was not a transcendentalist, he simple brought it to the forfront of philosophy...and it is more tied to what type of idealist or materialist you are...you can be empirical and be either an idealist or materialist or you are transcendental and either an idealist or materialist...each has a different...belief...it's an enhancement...

I have the books to prove it:p

Reading that Thoreau became a professor in order to keep from giving up writing and was known for being fluent in a moltitude of languages. I've been hungup on Thoreau lately and therefore I asked.

There is a religion, I remember it from English Lit class, a group of famous poets were members, it's a long time ago now but leave it with me I'll track it down.

Hey if Kant knew nothing..... why is he published.... why do people read him still..... why are terms he coined still in use.....

Guy-Person..... you are as sound as a thin sliver of glass....

that could be an interesting religion...the only other transcendental...activity I know of is meditation...but I've never been able to stay on subject long enough...kind of like now...

and yes Dy dreamy...

...I also used to have the same belief as Jordyn:

That if you don't believe in something; it won't exist.
My step-sister taught it to me when I was young.
Then one day, I asked her "If you're in the middle of the road, and a car is speeding towards you, and you don't believe in it, then it shouldn't hit you, right?"
She said that yes, it would work.

A month later, I got a telephone call saying that she'd been hit by a truck, and was in hospital.

...I lost that belief that day, but a while later, I found out that she had just broken up with her boyfriend and her mom had kicked her out onto the street.
Now I wonder: Did she walk into the middle of the road, and believe in a truck?

that depends on if it was a Catapiller, John Deere, Dodge, or Mack truck... also... color...

and perhaps it would work (not believing) in theory... but our minds are so ingrained in this reality that it wouldnt wrk...

[quote]Originally posted by Mihpares
[b]...I also used to have the same belief as Jordyn:

That if you don't believe in something; it won't exist.


That is not entirely correct on what I believe...If a truck hits me, it's going to hit me whether or not I believe...that would just be(no offense)stupidity...but someone had to believe in the concept of that truck to design the truck, in order for that truck to exist and hit me...so it started with a belief, but took a physical manifestation to create it...as for not believing in something and it not existing, that is more of an ethereal concept...there is a God/dess because I believe she is there, do I know if she would be there whether or not I believed in her, no...I do not have that knowledge...yet...and at this point is where peoples opinions and beliefs come into play...


*Oh and Rogue...you're a funny man...ha ha ha!:p

Oh, so you believe the same thing that I do, now:

If I don't believe in hell, I won't go there.
This, I think, applies to everyone except suiciders:
If you want to kill yourself, you are already in hell.

I know this contradicts waht i posted elsewhere with the "We're all in trouble" deal, but I was just making a point there.

I trully do believe that I'm not gonna go to hell, and I know that I'm gonna go to the afterlife I want...

And the truck thing...I do believe that we shape the world around is a little bit; not to the extent of creating things, but on a more personal level:
If you go around saying "everyone's gonna hate me", then they will!!
And if you think that their all staring at you; they probably will be.

So I reckon that people are gonna just like me for who I am...
And it seems to be working: My life had picked up since I started thinking that way...

i love david henry thoreau...i read some of his works they were awesome. i found him quite amusing as well.

[quote]Originally posted by Mihpares
[b]Oh, so you believe the same thing that I do, now:

If I don't believe in hell, I won't go there.
This, I think, applies to everyone except suiciders:
If you want to kill yourself, you are already in hell.
[quote][


Once again, not quite...I believe if someone does anything that is truely evil...then they will go to A hell, it may be a miserable incarnation, explicitly tortured by Xuley, or just spend eternity in nothingness, whatever their hell perception is, but there will be reprucussions for such violations...I do not believe suiciders instantly go to hell, it can be considered a hell if they carry the burden over with them, honestly rather like What Dreams may Come...that is a simple summary of what I believe heaven/hell is...we create it!

i loved "what dreams may come" with its hints everywhere... no red herrings in that movie

Exactly. Whatever you believe it to be, then it will be.

The thing is; if we do something trully evil...and we know it, we will have the guilt in the back of our minds...and know that we deserve our hell, whatever it is.

...That's what I think.

*gawks at all the smart people*

DAMN. Now I totally forgot what this thread was about... oh wait a minute, there it is. Transcendentalism. I dunno if it's the same as transcendentism, but oh well. AND WHO THE FUCK WAS MAKING FUN OF KANT? Granted, he's really confusing-- I tried to read his original works when i was 12 and got a nasty little surprise. But look at it this way-- he's pretty much right. He's theories are sound, and have probably the least flaws out of everyone else. The only thing I know about transcending in Kant's work is about knowledge that "transcends" our experience. He disagreed with both the empiricists and rationalists, providing a synthesis of their theories. Some things we learn through experiencing... some things we transcend our experience with the creativity of our imaginations to will it into being, like God and infinity. This doesn't mean that I'm a Kantian... I just think he's cool, and all.

Also, about this "If I believe the truck won't hit me, it own't hit me"... um... you guys ever see the UNKLE video featuring Thom Yorke on vocals? Now there's a philosophical music video if ever one was created. And deeply disturbing.

As for the literary movement in Transcendentalism and its affiliations with Thoreau... I have no idea. I did read bits of Walden once. I thought Thoreau commentary on society was refreshing, and took it to heart. As for his philosophy-- I have no idea. But it does have a romantic undertone. I believe that if I was close to any philosophy at all, it would be existentialism and romanticism. But I'm not sure, simply because I know next to nothing. My sheer stupidity prevents me from choice. Until I have overcome my ignorance, will I choose what I want to become. Unfortunately, as Einstein said "The only thing certain in this universe is human stupidity." The End.

*looks back on post* Geez, I babbled again. Someone should lock me up in an old folk's home.

If a person knows/thinks it's an evil act...then why would they do it?
I myself have thought of many less than nice activities...but I choose not to engage in those activities because I know I would feel an enormous amount of guilt...and for me that is hell...so I don't do anything that I would consider a wrong...eliminating my possibility of guilt and am overall a rather content person...

Kant never mentioned Squid.... that is the only thing I find insulting.... such delightful little creatures....

Guilt is for the guilty....
I never suffer from delusions of regret.....