Transcendentalism Through The Political Thought Of Emerson Thoreau And Fuller Essay Example for Free

transcendental philosophy Through The Political thought Of Emerson Thoreau And Fuller Es separateDuring the early to middle years of the nineteenth century, Ameri merchant ship transcendentalism was born. The term transcendental came from German philosopher Immanuel Kant. He criticizes John Locke, who claimed that knowledge comes through our sensual impressions of the world. Kant feels as though the mind has intuitions of itself that he c entirelyed transcendental forms. He said that only a priori thought is transcendental. (The Transcendentalist, 1842) transcendentalism has a lot of contents but over time it has essenti solelyy remained the same.A 1913 Websters Dictionary expound transcendentalism as claiming to suffer a true knowledge of either things, material and immaterial, forgiving and elysian, so far as the mind is capable of subtle them. It is as well as sometimes apply for that which is vague and illusive in philosophy. (Webster Dictionary, 1913) Today t ranscendentalism has furthered its meaning to a philosophy which says that thought and spiritual things argon much real than ordinary human experience and material things. (Merriam-Webster, n. d. ) Cliffnotes describes it as A religious, literary, and philosophical movement in New England between 1836, when Emerson published Nature, and 1844, when The Dial the publishing entity of the transcendental movement ceased publication.Influenced by Unitarianism, transcendentalists denied the existence of miracles, preferring a Christianity that rested on the apprizeings of Christ and not on his deeds. They experimented with communal living and supported educational innovation, the abolitionist and womens liberationist movements, and the reform of the church and alliance, generally. New England transcendentalists were committed to intuition as a way of knowing, to unmarriedism, and to a spirit in the divinity of humans and reputation. (Charles Mignon H. Rose, Glossary, n. d. ) Tr anscendentalism is so much more than these simple definitions.Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the leaders of the movement, developed a whole essay on explaining the movement and even further discussed it in many of his different writings. In The Transcendentalist, Emerson first-class honours degree describes transcendentalism as idealism, the idealism of 1842. He considers people as either materialists or idealists. Materialism is the philosophical belief that all human events and conditions depend upon material objects and their interrelationships sensory perception is the key to learning. (Charles Mignon H. Rose, Glossary, n. d. ) Materialists canvas things as they atomic number 18 and except them for that.Materialist can become Idealists but Idealists can never become materialists. Idealism is the philosophical assumption that material objects do not exist independently of human perception. (Charles Mignon H. Rose, Glossary, n. d. ) Idealists atomic number 18 founded on cons ciousness. They believe that things go beyond the senses, the senses represent things but they cant tell you what these things are. They insist on the power of thought, for thwart, inspiration, miracles and single culture. They believe their way of thinking is in high nature.They see events as spirits. (The Transcendentalist, 1842) They can see a chair and look beyond it being just a chair. They see the spiritual aspect of it. erstwhile they do recognize the many possibilities of a spiritual life, they tarry to seek after this transcending state. The Transcendentalist adopts the whole connection of spiritual doctrine. He believes in miracle, in the unremitting openness of the human mind to new influx of light and power he believes in inspiration, and in ecstasy. He wishes that the spiritual principle should be suffered to butt against itself to the end, in all possible applications to the state of man, without the admission of anything unspiritual that is, anything positive, dogmatic, personal.Thus, the spiritual measure of inspiration is the depth of the thought, and never, who said it? And so he resists all attempts to palm other rules and measures on the spirit than its avouch. (The Transcendentalist, 1842) Idealists see the how the mind process our senses as more important than the senses themselves. They see our existence as subjective. They judge precisely according to their value and measure according to their values. Their main steering is the individual. They feel as though individuals should focus on fixing their righteous character rather than focusing on the world as a whole.It makes more sense for everyone to fix themselves because if each individual substitutes him or herself therefore the world as a whole will eventually change. Transcendentalism proposes that human nature is good and the individual will seek good but society is to blame for corruption. Therefore the individual should focus on themselves. (Campbell, 1997) Emerson believes the idealists or transcendentalist should be self-dependent. He feels as though it is simpler to be self-dependent. The height, the deity of man is, to be self-sustained, to need no gift, no foreign force. (The Transcendentalist, 1842) The transcendentalists should be self-absorbed.Transcendentalists have an antisocial character. They are lonely the spirit of their writing and conversation is lonely they repel influences they shun general society they incline to shut themselves in their chamber in the house, to live in the country rather than in the town, and to find their tasks and amusements in solitude. (The Transcendentalist, 1842) They withdraw from society because they have difficulty relating to people who arent as spiritual, intelligent and idealistic as themselves.They are perfectionists who believe human life is flawed so they prefer to be in solitary with nature or a book rather than common people. Emerson criticizes this solitary nature. If they dont use their gifts to benefit society then society wont be able to reach the idealist mindset and way of life. They also waste their gift when they dont allow society to learn from them. (The Transcendentalist, 1842) This writing will conduct into account each definition and characteristic of the Transcendentalist and Transcendentalism through the whole kit and boodle of some of the major leaders during the movement. This paper will seek the religious aspect of the movement through the works of the formerUnitarian minister, Ralph Waldo Emerson. The political aspect of the movement will be explored through the works of the naturalist, henry David Thoreau. The paper will conclude with the feminist and social reform aspect of the movement through the works of Margaret Fuller. Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, poet and Unitarian minister who became one of the first American authors to influence European thought. He was born in Boston, MA on whitethorn 25, 1803. Se ven of his ancestors were ministers and his father was also a minister. By the sequence of eighteen, Emerson was graduating from Harvard and taught school in Boston for three years.He then went on to Harvard Divinity instruct and a year later was approbated to preach by the Middle rouse standoff of Ministers. In a matter of four years he had become the minister of the Second Church of Boston and married Ellen Tucker, who unfortunately died seventeen months later. In 1832, Emerson resigned as a pastor because he felt as though the Lords Supper should not be a permanent sacrament. He then went on to England and stayed for some time. He returned to Massachusetts in 1833 and became an active lecturer.(Funk Wagnalls New sphere Encyclopedia, 2014, 1p. ) By 1836, Emerson had published his most detailed statement of belief in his first published book, Nature. He starts the book discussing the currents of the Universal Being that circulate through him making him part God or a piece of G od. This is what transcendentalism is mostly rough, the belief in the divinity of the human and nature. Through the universal being everything in nature is linked, including humans. Natures spirit expresses itself through us and creates a unity between God, spirit and humanity. Nature rewards the noble and those who perform good deeds.Therefore a person would have to be righteous in order to enjoy the beauty nature beholds. In chapter four he discusses how nature and language relate. Words are signs of natural facts and history that helps us experience supernatural history. The language people use to communicate is supplied by nature. A river represents the passage of time. The change of seasons represents the stages of growth. He then goes on to discuss how nature and human law have merged together, yet we still try to distinguish them. You can even see this today with the separation of church and state. In chapter tailfin he discusses reason.Nature is a moral teacher and reason helps to offer ethical and spiritual insights to nature. Reason is linked to intuition, which as previously stated is transcendental. Though according to idealism, nature is something experienced and distinct from us. (Nature, 124-157, 1836) A couple years later in 1838, Emerson further discusses his views on pietism in his Divinity schooldays Address. He first discusses the intimate relationship between God and man the unity of God, humans, and nature. Religion can only truly be achieved when man recognizes their coach access with God and realize that religion and virtue can only be understood from within.There is no mediator between man and God. human race can go directly to God. Since God is perfect man can also become perfect because of that access they have to him. populacey denominations of the Christian religion teach the human to aim to be like Jesus, in doing so the person is just like Jesus and develops that perfection identified with Jesus. The moment you revolve f rom this virtue that God and nature gives you, youre instantly aware of it. Its like what modern Christianity would call conviction. You feel convicted and suffer the consequences but you strive to be so much like Jesus that you correct the wrong and get back on track.Jesus was the only example of someone who understood the divine nature of mankind because he was sent being used by God as an example for men. (The Divinity School Address, 230-245, 1836) Throughout the Divinity School Address, Emerson criticizes second hand religion. He believes it makes the church stationary. Theres no room for reform when you offer people a religion with a improve body of beliefs, principles, scriptures and rites. As many of his writings tell you, he is a strong advocate for the individual. Personal religion, the understanding of religion through the individual and intuitive insight is what he calls for.The individual needs to understand the religion for himself and apply his own intuitive interpre tation but be careful not to change the traditions of the old church. (The Divinity School Address, 230-245, 1836) I confess, all attempts to project and establish a Cultus with new rites and forms, seem to me vain. Faith makes us, and not we it, and faith makes its own forms. All attempts to contrive a system are as cold as the new worship introduced by the French to the goddess of Reason, to-day, pasteboard and fillagree, and ending to-morrow in tomfoolery and murder. Rather let the breath of new life be breathed by you through the forms already existing.For, if once you are alive, you shall find they shall become formative and new. The remedy to their deformity is, first, intellect, and second, soul, and evermore, soul. (The Divinity School Address, 244, 1836) Rather use the Sabbath and preaching to go along the religion alive and fresh. The preacher has to have intuitive perception to teach and give life to religion. The spirit only can teachonly he can give, who has he on ly can create, who is. The man on whom the soul descends, through whom the soul speaks, alone can teach. Courage, piety, love, wisdom, can teach. (The DivinitySchool Address, 238, 1836) It is the preachers job to restore the soul of his congregation by parcel them realize that direct access they have to God. He must also be living proof of the word he proclaims. The people should know the life he lives so that they can know how individual spirituality can coexist with experience. The true preacher can be known by this, that he deals out to the people his life, life passed through the fire of thought. (The Divinity School Address, 239, 1836) For Emerson and all transcendentalists, religion is vastly important. This movement is known for its religious aspects.Quite a few of the followers of this movement were ministers. For them religion should be sacred between the human, God and nature. They should take advantage of their direct relationship with God and use it to keep their Ch ristianity fresh and alive. Through the righteousness one receives from this direct relationship, will come blessings from nature and they will be able to behold the beauty of nature. enthalpy David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau was born on July 12, 1817 in Concord, Massachusetts to a socially conscious Scottish mother and a French pioneer manufacturer father. Thoreau eventually went to Harvard College and receive in 1837.A year later he set up a school with his buddy John where he taught Latin, Greek and science until 1841 when his brother got sick. A year after his brothers death in 1842, Thoreau moved to Staten Island to be a tutor for Emersons brother, William. He would also do handy work around the house. Eventually he met Emerson and lived with him and his wife doing handy work. Emerson used that time to influence him to be a part of the transcendentalist movement. In 1849, Thoreau publishes courteous Disobedience. In this writing he criticizes American politics. He wrote thi s during the time of bondage and the Mexican-American war.Thoreau heartily accepts the motto, That political sympathies is best which governs least and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe, That governance is best which governs not at all. (Civil Disobedience, 357, 1849) He feels as though an unjust regimen that allows for knuckle downry and aggressive war is useless. He is also critical of democracy. nation puts forth a politics that is given power from the majority to make laws undecomposed to the majority. They dont necessarily have the most legitimate viewpoint but they do have the most power.Therefore citizens are obligated to not follow the law because it is morally wrong. They must do what is right and distance themselves from administration. Thoreau isnt advocating for government to go away, he just wants a unwrap government. Democracy was brought about to ensure individ ual freedom but yet it has intervened in the lives of many individuals and taken away the exact freedom it was meant to protect. But a government in which the majority rule in all cases cannot be based on justice, even as far as men understand it. (Civil Disobedience, 358, 1849) legal age rule isnt based on justice.He proposes the ruling of individual conscience. Rulers should be moral. Since they are not, he advocates for rebellion. Thoreau in his own action refused to pay taxes and exhausted a night in jail. He refused to participate in government. He believed that the individual should not comply with unjust laws. They must break the law, if necessary. Expressing your opposition to slavery is not enough you must act on this objection. He calls for a peaceful revolution by nonpayment of taxes and not being afraid to take the prison time. Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison. (Civil Disobedience, 370, 1849) He feels as t hough prison is the only place a just man can abide with honor. (Civil Disobedience, 370, 1849) Throughout his essay, like many of Emersons works, he is an advocate for the individual. The individual has a responsibility to live his own life according to his morals and regard society as secondary. There will never be a really free and enlightened State until the State comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its own power and office are derived, and treats him accordingly. He feels as though the government shouldonly touch or put a law on what the individual allows it to. He praises the establish of America from an absolute monarchy to a limited monarchy and now a democracy but feels as though it shouldnt stop there. He feels as though there needs to be a government where the individual is valued more and have a say in what affects them personally. Not a government where the majority rules and the minority is left to fend for themselves . Over time Thoreau becomes fed up with the law. In 1854, he delivers a more mathematical group and violent speech, thrall in Massachusetts. He is calling for people to fight and murder the state.Who can be serene in a country where both the rulers and the ruled are without principle? The remembrance of my country spoils my walk. My thoughts are murder to the State, and involuntarily go plotting against her. (Slavery in Massachusetts, Line 49, 1854) In a Plea for Captain Brown he speaks on revenge of him and the slave. He is now calling for the individual to not only resist but have its revenge on the state.Thoreau is not a big fan of government. He is appreciative of the government for changing from an absolute monarchy to a limited government and then a democracy but he is waiting for the day where the government that governs least or not at all, unless the individual requests it, will come. A government in which the majority rules is unjust because it only benefits the majorit y and enslaves the minority. Therefore the individual must resist no fight, no take revenge. As matters got worse, Thoreau became more violent and radical. Emerson was also an abolitionist who criticized the government for not recognizing the divine nature of the individual.He argued for lesser government and a minimization of the power they have. He didnt approve of the government not allowing reach rights for all individuals, including women. (Politics, 1849) Sarah Margaret Fuller Sarah Margaret Fuller was born on May 23, 1810 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She was educated by her American lawyer father. At an early age she displayed noticeably intellectual powers and became a member of the group of distinguished writers and philosophers who believed in transcendentalism. From 1835 to 1837 she taught languages in Boston and later became principal of a school in Rhode Island. In 1840 she founded The Dial, a day-to-day on transcendentalism, with Emerson and later met Thoreau who be came an editor.In 1839, she washeavily involved in a womens movement for intellectual and s ocial development, where she received her material for Women in the Nineteenth hundred/ The Great Lawsuit. Man versus Men. charr versus Women. (Funk Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 2014, 1p) In this work Fuller is advocating for the equal rights of women and abolition of slavery. Both movements were essentially the same they were both spirit to have the same rights as the majority. Though Fuller went about it a different way. She didnt just want the right to vote, equal pay and and so onShe wanted the same self-reliance that a man was able to have. For she felt as though her soul was no different from a mans soul. Everyone has a soul. If men gave women more intellectual and spiritual freedom, both genders could benefit as a whole. She is bringing forth a lawsuit on the behalf of women. basically suing the government for not allowing women to have the rights they are due. This piece allo wed her room to bring forth a case to prove transcendentalism as an indeterminate sex and spiritually aware democracy. She also wanted to show them that they wrong in not offering women education.A woman can write a lawsuit. She was take a firm stand Emersons self-reliance spiritual regeneration, the soul being genderless and a different conception of women. She did this in the form of a lawsuit to prove that she could do anything society deemed as only for men. She didnt see either sex as greater than the other. She felt that one could not develop without the help of the other. (The Great Lawsuit. Man versus Men. Woman versus Women. , 384-423, 1843) Fuller argued that for a Woman to correct natural law she needs to be educated and have access to employment and politics. Womens rights were merry to America. She argued that all men are created equal. (Declaration of Independence, 1776)The problem with this argument is that when the founders created the Declaration of Independence it was evident that they didnt consider all men, women, or minorities as considered equal. They were advocating for the minority. Thus she does say that if its a law for the nation then it should be a law for all that inhabits the nation.Though the national independence be blurred by the servility of individuals though freedom and equality have been proclaimed only to leave room for a monstrous display of slave dealing and slave keeping though the free American so often feels himself freestill it is not in vain, that the verbal statement has been made, All men are born free and equal. There it stands, a golden certainty, wherewith to encourage the good, to shame the bad. The new world may be called clearly to perceive that it incurs the utmost penalty, if it rejects the lamentable brotherIt is inevitable that an external freedom, such as has been achieved for the nation, should be so also for every member of it It has become a law, irrevocableMen will privately sin against it, but the law so clearly expressed by a leading mind of the age, All made in the semblance of the One, All children of one ransom, In whatever hour, in whatever part of the soil We draw this vital air, We are brothers, we must be bound by one compact, Accursed he who infringes it, Who raises himself upon the weak who weep, Who saddens an immortal spirit cannot fail of universal recognition. (The Great Lawsuit. Man versus Men. Woman versus Women. ,389-390, 1843) Fuller calls for a refreshing of the American political culture through the transcendentalists concept of self-reliance. Emersons transcendentalist view on self- reliance calls for the individual to apply their own conscience view on everything they see.She also calls the government out for violating natural law by hindering Americans from the liberty and equality they were promised. She says they need a moral law instead. Through transcendentalism they get this moral law when the individual is worried about the individual and d oes what is best for himself according to his values. (Self-Reliance, 318-339, 1841) Her way of going about getting the revolution that she wanted, was through a peaceful revolution advocating for equality through a spiritually aware, sexless democracy. She hoped it would lead to equality among genders and change the status quo of American Politics.If she could make the government see the wrong in gender discrimination then she could open their eyes to the evil of slavery. This could only be accomplished through divine law. Sarah Margaret Fuller was a woman denied the right of education yet she was surrounded by men that she was able to learn from. Her male counterparts not only taught her but learned from her. She used the ideas of both Emerson and Thoreau to fight against both feminism and slavery. The movements were very much so alike and many of the arguments she made applied to both.The one thing about her is that she not only was an advocate for transcendentalism but also a se xless society. She felt as though no gender, race or being was better than the other. Conclusion Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Sarah Margaret Fuller were the main leaders of the transcendentalist movement. Together and apart they raised issues and were a voice for the unheard. They all advocated for the individual to change themselves and worry about society second. If every individual changed himself then they wouldnt have to worry about society because eventually society would change as a pass on of everyone becoming idealists. Ralph Waldo Emerson took a European movement and made it American.Transcendentalism started in Europe but Emerson made it an American response to romanticism. (The Role of Transcendentalism in Shaping American Cultural Ideology, 248, 2013) Emerson is a strong believer in the divinity of human, nature and God. Through God everything is linked. Nature supplies language and reason gives us the knowledge to understand the spirituality and beaut y of nature. Humans also have direct access to God and should use it. Even when they stray from the virtue that they are given by God and nature they can come back because they are directly connected to God.Even the modern Bible says, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Holy Bible, Romans 323) Emerson is also a former minister of the Unitarian church. Unitarians believe in seven basic principles (1) The inherent worth and dignity of every person (2) Justice, equity and lenience in human relations (3)Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations (4) A free and responsible search for truth and meaning (5)The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large (6) The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all (7) Respect for the interdependent web of all exi stence of which we are a part. (http//www. uua. org/beliefs/what- we-believe/principles) While you can see this evident in many of Emersons works, he is a critic of second hand religion that passes down a fixed body of beliefs, principles, scriptures and rites. This makes religion stationary to him. He feels as though the individual should interpret the religion in a righteous way without rewriting the religion. He also advocates for the Sabbath and preaching to remain fresh so the religion does as well.Henry David Thoreau seems to be the most radical of the three. His earlier works suggest a nonviolent man being imprisoned for standing up to what he believes his wrong. Overtime he becomes an advocate for a slave rebellion. Thoreau feels as though as the times change and are getting worse, the slave should strike back. His works have inspired people like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Just like Thoreau, MLK Jr went from nonviolent protests to making claims such as I will continue to con demn riots, and continue to say to my brothers and sisters that this is not the way. And continue to affirm that there is another way.But at the same time, it is as necessary for me to be as vigorous in condemning the conditions which cause persons to feel that they must engage in riotous activities as it is for me to condemn riots. I think America must see that riots do not develop out of thin air. Certain conditions continue to exist in our society which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots. But in the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard. (The Other America, 1968) A nonviolent person tends to get more radical when they see that matters are getting worse instead of better. Over time they get fed up and grow weary.Its hard to accept all that violent people are throwing at you and still remain nonviolent. Its hard to watch people be treated less than what the law allows because theyre not the skin color of the majority that is making the rules. Thore au is a harsh critic of the American government. Sarah Margaret Fuller takes on this criticism as well when she criticizes government for oppressing the people who are beneficial to the future of America. One of these transcendentalists even go as far as saying that America will become the express emotion stock of nations across the world because it supposedly has a government run by the people yet enslaves its people.If you look at the contributions women and minorities have made to the American society, you can see just how crucial we all are to the American Dream. Fuller is saying that all men cant be created equal and yet be treated less than the white man. We are all equal. There is no such thing as men being superb to men or white men being superior to all. Women can do just as much as men can do. If the government were to create its laws based on morals then we can have a just society. If they also allow for women to be educated and involved in the political realm they woul d see just how important women are. Through this research transcendentalism has proved itself to be a religious, literary, philosophical movement advocating for the individual.The individual has all the power it needs through the divine relationship it has with its God. The individual has to change themselves before they can even worry about society. The individual has the intellect and moral obligation to go against the evils of society, not to conform and be self-sufficient. Through transcendentalism Emerson, Thoreau, and Fuller inspired people around the world in the abolition movement, politics, religions, feminist movement and even many of their counterparts in the transcendentalist movement.It also helped to open the eyes of many during the nineteenth century and pave the way for the coming generation. Bibliography Charles Mignon H. Rose. N. d. Summary and psychoanalysis of The Transcendentalist Glossary. (Cliffnotes) http//www. cliffsnotes. com/literature/e/emersons-essays/ summary-and-analysis-of- the-transcendentalist/glossary. (Accessed May 4, 2015) Terminology N. d. Defining Transcendentalism. http//www. transcendentalists. com/terminology. html. (Accessed May 4, 2015) Emerson, Ralph Waldo. 1838.The Divinity School Address Transcendentalism A Reader (Oxford University Press, December 2000) 230-245. Emerson, Ralph Waldo. 1836. Nature. Transcendentalism A Reader (Oxford University Press, December 2000) 124-157. Emerson, Ralph Waldo. 18. Politics. Ralph Waldo Emerson Texts. http//www. emersoncentral. com/politics. htm. (Accessed May 4, 2015) Emerson, Ralph Waldo. 1841. Self-Reliance Transcendentalism A Reader (Oxford University Press, December 2000) 318-339. Emerson, Ralph Waldo. 1841. The Transcendentalist Transcendentalism A Reader (Oxford University Press, December 2000) 366-380.Fuller, Sarah Margaret. 1843. The Great Lawsuit. Man versus Men. Woman versus women. Transcendentalism A Reader (Oxford University Press, December 2000) 383-422. Fuller, Sarah Margaret. 1845. Woman in the Nineteenth Century. American Transcendentalism Web. http//transcendentalism-legacy. tamu. edu/authors/fuller/woman1. html (Accessed May 4, 2015) Funk Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. 2014. Emerson, Ralph Waldo Funk Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (World Book, Inc. , Chicago) 1. Funk Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. 2014. Fuller, (Sarah) Margaret Funk Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (World Book, Inc., Chicago)1. Funk Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. 2014. Transcendentalism Funk Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (World Book, Inc. , Chicago) 1. Henry David Thoreau. (2015). The Biography. com website. http//www. biography. com/people/henry-david-thoreau-9506784. (Accessed May 05, 2015) Kellman, Steven G. 2014. Henry David Thoreau Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia. King Jr. , Martin Luther. 1968. The Other America. http//www. crmvet. org/docs/otheram. htm. (Accessed May 6, 2015). Paul. N. d. Romans 323 The Holy Bible (NIV) Rus, Dana. 2013. Th e Role of Transcendentalism in Shaping American Cultural Ideology. (Communication Mass Media Complete, EBSCOhost) Thoreau, Henry David. 1849. Civil Disobedience. Transcendentalism A Reader (Oxford University Press, December 2000) 546-564. Thoreau, Henry David. 1859. A Plea for Captain Brown. Transcendentalism A Reader (Oxford University Press, December 2000) 628-646. Thoreau, Henry David. 1854. Slavery in Massachusetts. Transcendentalism A Reader (Oxford University Press, December 2000) 602-614. Unitarian Universalist Association. N. d. Our Unitarian Universalist Principles http//www. uua. org/beliefs/what-we-believe/principles. (Accessed May 6, 2015).