Transcendentalists dvd
Course No.
2598
http://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/courses/course_detail.aspx?cid=2598
see also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarian_Universalism
finished lecture 5
Emerson:
“This world we live in is nothing but thickened light”
finished lecture
thoreau:
Hume materialist says
Idealist vs materialist
Platos idealism like the concept of Maya
German idealist; mysticism
Immanual Kant argues that behind phenomenal reality lies the noumena, or ground of being, which cannot be sensed. Dualistic
What is it that exists outside our senses; how can we
prove its existence.
English romatics:
Wordsworth, Coleridge
Spiritual; like energy
Emerson in Nature: “Build therefore your own world”
Questions accumulation of wealth for wealth’s sake
Christian mystics
Swedenberg
Emphasise crucial importance of self
Unfettered mind
Inner light for each person.
Attempted to resolve Plato Aristotle
idealism/materialism debate by saying spiritual somehow resides (is immanent)
in matter. (immanence)
Materialism (scientific rationalism) dominates today
Unitarian universalists value
his work
William Ellery Channing:
“Congregationalists” included Calvinists.
Very similar to Emerson & Transcendentalists in
stressing my freedom to determine my religious belief based on my experience.
Unitarian: do not agree with idea of Trinity.
Helped others to break away from
strict Calvinism, with its notion of predestination and idea of basic human
sinfulness.
His (whose?) idea of the mind as something that grows,
or develops like a plant or animal is similar to the British romantics, specially Coleridge
“Unitarianism” originated in
His (whose?)specific theology evolved into Unitarian Universalism, still
widely active today. His social activism included peaceful abolitionism. Anti-poverty, anti war. His ideas led to foundation of
social services. Distrusted governments.
British scientist Joseph Priestly was instrumental in
bringing Unitarianism to the
Who also burned his home and lab because they say his ideas, especially his religious ideas are far too radical.