What is transcendentalism?
A question easier asked than answered, but I will try.
Transcendentalism essentially refers to the idea that humans can gain a deeper understanding of the universe and their individual place within it through solitary contemplation, away from society and societal standards. The thoughts expressed by those such as Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson place nature, in it's purest state, as the ideal placement for contemplation in preparation for transcending. Them and the other few transcendentalists believed that there was a higher power in the universe, and through this method of self-contemplation, glimpses into the meaning and nature of this power can occur.
In modern culture, the technologically heavy society's presence blurs the line between the separation of society and nature further than ever before. However, similar ideas of self discovery and glimpsing into a higher knowledge are explored in different works. Many people use nature as a catalyst for their art, whether it be writing, drawing, painting, photography, etc, but in a strange way, the recent "aesthetic" movement which has arrived on social media opens the door for new contemplation. This "aesthetic" movement revolves around aesthetically pleasing or strange photographs which can bring into question what art is, what humans consider beautiful, and in the spreading of them, contemplation about humanity can become quite complicated and intertwined. Many of the images are made with the intent of spurring thought, and parodies are numerous, but strangely, this technological and social phenomenon connects to the transcendentalist ideal of self contemplation.
A question easier asked than answered, but I will try.
Transcendentalism essentially refers to the idea that humans can gain a deeper understanding of the universe and their individual place within it through solitary contemplation, away from society and societal standards. The thoughts expressed by those such as Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson place nature, in it's purest state, as the ideal placement for contemplation in preparation for transcending. Them and the other few transcendentalists believed that there was a higher power in the universe, and through this method of self-contemplation, glimpses into the meaning and nature of this power can occur.
In modern culture, the technologically heavy society's presence blurs the line between the separation of society and nature further than ever before. However, similar ideas of self discovery and glimpsing into a higher knowledge are explored in different works. Many people use nature as a catalyst for their art, whether it be writing, drawing, painting, photography, etc, but in a strange way, the recent "aesthetic" movement which has arrived on social media opens the door for new contemplation. This "aesthetic" movement revolves around aesthetically pleasing or strange photographs which can bring into question what art is, what humans consider beautiful, and in the spreading of them, contemplation about humanity can become quite complicated and intertwined. Many of the images are made with the intent of spurring thought, and parodies are numerous, but strangely, this technological and social phenomenon connects to the transcendentalist ideal of self contemplation.