Video Watching Assignment #2: Watch a 28-minute video on the Spirit of Nationalism and take notes. When you are done, post your notes here.
Spirit of Nationalism
The Enlightenment brought new ideals and a new notion of selfhood to the American colonies. This program begins with an examination of the importance of the trope of the self-made man in Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography, and then turns to the development of this concept in the writings of Romanticist Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Video Authors: Benjamin Franklin, Ralph Waldo Emerson
Who's Interviewed:
Michael J. Colacurcio, professor of American literary and intellectual history to 1900 (University of California, Los Angeles); Bruce Michelson, professor of English (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign); Carla Mulford, associate professor of English (Pennsylvania State University); Dana Nelson, professor of American literature (University of Kentucky); John Carlos Rowe, professor of English and comparative literature (University of California, Irvine); Rafia Zafar, director of African and Afro-American studies (Washington University, St. Louis)
Points Covered:
• In the wake of the political revolution that separated them from the Old World, Americans became determined to liberate themselves culturally as well. A new belief in the power and importance of the individual shaped what became a uniquely American philosophy and literary style.
• Benjamin Franklin helped shape the foundational myth of America and the "American dream." Relying on his own cleverness and hard work to rise from his station as a poor indentured apprentice and become a successful businessman, writer, philosopher, and politician, Franklin served as a model of the "self-made man." His witty, endearing representation of himself and his life in his Autobiography set a new standard for the autobiographical genre in America. In Franklin's time, prejudice and oppression limited the definition of who counted as an American, but Franklin's work inspired men and women of subsequent generations to strive to expand those boundaries.
• Forty years later, Ralph Waldo Emerson built on Franklin's practical ideals of self-improvement and virtue and made them more personal and spiritual. Emerson encouraged Americans to look inward and find power and inspiration within themselves. He turned to nature as a spiritual resource that could energize the nation politically and elevate it morally. His Transcendental ideas about the unity of nature, the individual soul, and God profoundly influenced his peers as well as subsequent generations of American writers and thinkers. His ideas about self-reliance, in particular, inspired such writers as Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, and Anzia Yezierska. In a difficult historical period, Emerson was a prophet of hope and unbounded optimism. His ceaseless efforts on behalf of the individual generated important ideas about social reforms that would make America a more inclusive and equal society.
• Both Franklin and Emerson championed the rights and potential of the individual and called for independent thought. Through their own works, they gave new power to the genres of the autobiography and the moral essay. By writing about their experiences and offering their own lives as examples, they encouraged other Americans to examine themselves and trust in their own principles and beliefs.
Preview
• Preview the video: In the wake of the Revolution that severed America's colonial ties to Great Britain, the new nation struggled to liberate itself culturally from the Old World values and aesthetics that structured life and art in Europe. Many Americans turned to the Enlightenment ideals of self-determination and individualism as the basis for the new culture they were in the process of forming. Benjamin Franklin, often called the "first American," helped shape the national ideal of the "self-made man" in his Autobiography, a book that traced his rise to prominence through hard work and virtue. Forty years later, Ralph Waldo Emerson also celebrated individualism, but in a more Romantic and spiritual context. Issuing a clarion call to Americans to break free of European traditions, Emerson encouraged individuals to use their intuition and intellect to cultivate spiritual power within themselves. He looked to nature both as a source of inspiration for the individual and as an expression of the correspondence among humans, God, and the material world. Although their understanding of individualism and their vision of national culture were profoundly different, both Franklin and Emerson committed themselves to championing independent thought and individual development.
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Photo: Ralph Waldo Emerson pioneered Romantic Individualism in the United States. Central to Emerson's system of belief was the idea that mankind is endowed with an intuitive capacity that, if utilised, would lead to transcendent knowledge.
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Spirit of nationalism
ReplyDelete***** Literature of America was an important role of shaping the national identity of America. Many writers such as Benjamin Franklin and Ralf Waldo Emerson and many others whom followed them were shaping the American nationalism in their writings and n their lives itself. They were the model that American citizen followed to be an independent American.
***** At the time of the revolution, America was in need to go out of the shade of the European identity and build its own unique destiny. And because people thinking ,between the time of the first settlers and the seventeen hundreds revolution, appealed to reason, and moved from God centered thoughts to man centered thoughts. Also the growth of newspaper industry. All these facts made the Americans more reaccepted to the new ideas of the Enlightenment and the new literature and affected with it. And that shaped the idea that they could lead themselves.
***** Benjamin Franklin was a raw model of the " self mad man" by his admitting to the idea of self improvement. These ideas appears in his autobiography when he moved to Philadelphia at the age of seventeen and start his life from almost nothing and become a writer, philosopher, political and scientist. Moreover he was a Deist, he rejected the Puritans believe of the original sin. His thinking was going out of every thing could be proved in other words Reason. As a result of all that he ceated his own virtues that have been followed by Americans since they are no longer have the same conviction that the previous generation had.
***** The other writer who shaped the American identity side by side with Franklin was Ralf Waldo Emerson. He believed in the individualism. In his believe as a romanticist he didn’t agree with the pure rationalism Franklin represented. He was asking for the balance between logic and human emotion.
***** Emerson in the early time of his life was a Unitarian minister. And Unitarians were concerned with opening minds. Of course that affect his literary outcomes, it was developing peoples intellectual ideas in a familiar language that people have been used to hear in churches.
***** Emerson life was an example fore every American in challenging the self, and enriching the soul by his optimism despite his tragedy life. Emerson wrote against the first removal of Indian Americans, women separation and the violent political climate. Then he moved to Europe and declared himself as a naturalist, and he admitted to the idea of becoming one with nature.
***** Transcendentalism was his belief with a group of writers and scientists when he came back to Massachusetts . he believe of the unity Between God and the world, also he believe that human being must use his intuition along with reason. He was seeking fore getting free from the old world thinking and education. And that shows clearly in his speech " the American scholar " in 1837.
***** Emerson and Franklin were challenging the self and standing at the foundational scale between rationalism and reason AND individualism whom shaped the spirit of American nationalism. In their literature and being a model by their hole lives.
* Benjamin Franklin and Ralph Emerson tried to create new culture and literature which related to the new nation (America) and separated from European culture. The both of them were in the time of defining what America is and who are Americans. Each of them used his own way to do that and they were the spirits of nationalism.
ReplyDelete* Franklin is an example to all Americans, because he was a self- made man, “he was everything except a poet’’. Franklin was a deist, he refused the idea of origin sins and said that people born without sins. He wanted people to look around themselves and explore their way to be energetic and successful. His time was the time of reason and using mind, he think that people can govern themselves and know the right and bad without the authority of religion. He encouraged self education and fined the power of ourselves. Nelson (the writer in the video) said that Franklin “is an icon in economic and political history.”
* Emerson thinks that people can find the spiritual power in landscapes. After the European culture governed the ideas and style of American culture and literature for long time, and religion also governed the lives of people, Emerson as many writer like Franklin wanted to change that and create new things which make the American identity. Emerson used his ideas and put them in a frame which people were familiar with them, and they can understand it. This mean that he was a naturalist, he think that the nature is the most important thing in the world, people should understand their relationship with nature, and they can use it like the religion to be happy. He discusses the relationship between god, material word, and humanity. He wrote about individualism and self reliance, but he was different from Franklin. Franklin thinks that when someone is a self-made man and successful, this causes a successful community, and the person and the community affect each other. Emerson thinks that nothing can bring you peace but yourself and your principle.
If we want to talk about the spirit of nationalism in America, we will talk about the most important characters who are Benjamin Franklin and Ralph Emerson.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Franklin, he wants people to move to reason and to control themselves (man center) not only God center. So people would be more practical. He also believe that people can change their destiny by hard working and cleverness, so we can have self improvement. He also talks about the relation between self education and slavery and women who do not have their rights. That if people are educated slaves and women know how to take their rights by using their knowledge and education to argue others in the society in good and responsible way. So he teaches people how to be their selves, how to have their own culture, their own works and own style of life. So they not imitate others. From this we can understand that he talks about self improvement.
According to Emerson, he wants people to trust themselves. He concerns on the emotion more than reason. He says that people must trust their institution. He is romantic who said that there is unity between humans and nature.
In short, both of them talk about trust yourself. And America is a place of heart, but not depends on other cultures. Instead they want to create their own works.
** In early years of new nation Bnjamen Franklin and Emerson called for literature to represent of the new nation of America.
ReplyDelete** To some, their were Godless radides to others their were new spirit of nationalism.
** The Dreams of young republic ecod in the republic buldings of the northen states.
** The new classical culture sempolised the new democratic tradition of the ancient Greeks. Buildings stood as a metaphore for American ideas of equality and freedom. Self improvement became the means of National progress. It's the time to define the Character...What is America? Who are Americans?
** Thomas Bain, Benjamen Franklin, files well, Ralph Waldo Emerson were all explored such these questions.
** Between the arival of the puritans 1820 and the late of 1700 the world had changed. God central thought had slowly moved to man central thought.
** The people looked to the reason to explain the world. And as John Lock had planted the idea that the people can govern them selves.
** Benjamen Franklin was the best symbolised the spirit of Enlightment of America.His persuassive writings helped to shap the concept of America.
** He born in Boston. He worked as a painter in 1700 he went to Philadelphia to start his new life. He rejected the Puritans beleaves in regional sin, he beleaved man began life and he can shape his own destiny.
** Throw hard work and cleaverness he proved himself from a poor son of candle maker to become scientest and philosopher and writer and businessman. He was representing self improvement. He represent himself Rom walf of self mad man he beleaved that the individualism can seek to better community.
** Benjamin Franklin was a Deist, he beleaved in creator but he give a little thought to anything can't be proved. Franklin used the life to examin the human conduct. He was somebody who out groupinasim but comes back quickly to beleave in the sasani of the virtue in the world. He can make fun of himself by including the self important.
** He is the icon of American political and American history.
** In protestant socity (protestant white male socity) America was in early national period.
** In Franklin time there was an excapted definition as to who counted America. America practice slevary and women have a few legal rights.
** Franklin was everything excapted a poet and he cared only about the practical.
By the 1320, there was a romantic writer who was Ralph Waldo Emerson were challenging the peurationalism which Franklin represented. Insisting logic needed to be tembered with human emotion and endividual development was not so the benefit to the large community. Emerson wasn't sure about the community idea can agree with. So he is trying to encourage people to think in them selves and traying to find the power inside the to face the community was Emerson a part of it.
ReplyDelete** Franklin & Emerson helped in creat a literary culturnalism in very different ways:
*** For Emerson nation who is something different. The U.S.A is going to have in praise celebrate and feel spiritly the power ans the expanse of the American landscape.
*** Franklin talked about the landscape other than nontaped aknowledge resource.
*** The landscape for Emerson can be a place with a nation can achieve a kind of spiritual power which elevated moraly and make it something uniqe in the world.
*** In 1800, Europian literature continued to domenaite styles of the idea of American writers.
** Ralph Waldo Emerson used a clearian call to break free. Trust your self he wrote. His words had a great empact on the American thinkers and writers. His language endlessly complicated.
** Emerson was born in 1803 in Boston ( Massachusetts).He entered the seminetary and became a Unitarian Minister. The Uniterian didn't shared the Puritans beleave in the original sin or the devinity of crisit.
** Emerson Ministry was less about saving souls and more about opening minds. The early of 1800 marked to time of optimis, it was also a dark period in Americans history with force removal of the American Indian salvery, the seperation of women and working classes, and the extremly voilent for the political climit. Against this thing, Emerson writings were foucesed on hope and leberative an American Art.
** Despit Emerson Optimism, his life was steeped in tragedy. He traveled to Europ were he met with philosphers and writers like William Words Worth.
** In Paris in the " Jourdant plunt" Emerson had a revelation as to the relashinship to God and nature and man. He declared that he would become a naturalist, which he ment in romantic and in spiritual sense. He becames one with nature. Emerson in praise in nature reflects the Europian Romanticisim and its reaction against thr science.
** 1835, he moved to Massachusetts which sorounded himself with writers and arts. He formaed a group was acted in Transcendantalism the beleave of the unity of world and God.
** Emerson argued while the reason is important once also used the intution the aniated ability to develop the self towards fol potenial toward the devin tortality. Emerson invested the individual with nature progress and American.
** 4 years after the American scholar Emerson wrote an essay in titled self- reliance written in forefull and powerful language. Emerson straitly defense individualism which was very deference from the idea of Franklin.
** Franklin define the self-made benifitalty your town and your country. Which is completely different idea from Emerson self-reliance.
** Emerson changed the defintion of a philosophers. His idea came from the heart as will as head which he wrote for public.
** Benjamin Franklin and Ralph Waldo Emerson tiersly champion the self they brougth a new power gener's. The autobiography and moral essay both they lifted their lives as an examples and inspired readers to look at their works to take stock and trust in their selves.
Spirit of nationalism:
ReplyDelete*** It became important to the new nation to create its' own identity. It is the time to define national character, what is America? Who are American? many writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Benjamin Franklin explored such questions.
***Between arrival of puritans in 1620 and the late of 1700, the world had changed , God centered thought had moved to man centered thought, people looked for reason to explain the world.
***The person who best symbolized this period of the Enlightenment in America was Benjamin Franklin, his writings helped to shape the concept of ideal America. He presented himself as a row model of self made man.
***Franklin rejected the puritans beliefs in original sins. He was a deist, believe in creator, but give little thought to any thing could not be proved." Benjamin Franklin was every thing except a poet." He cared only about the practical
***Ralf Waldo Emerson was a romantic writer, he challenged the pure rationalism that Franklin represented.
***Emerson encourage people to find power in themselves, so they could face the community. He wanted logic to be tempered with human emotion.
***Franklin and Emerson helped in create cultural nationalism, but in very different ways:
_Franklin talked about the landscape as an economic resource.
_For Emerson landscape is place where the nation can achieve a kind of spiritual power.
***Emerson born in 1803 in Boston, he was a Unitarian minister.
***At the time that marked of optimism, it was a dark period in American history with the force removal of American Indian, slavery, working classes and violent political climate.
***Emerson declared that he would become a naturalist and become one with nature.
***Transcendentalism was Emerson's belief of the unity of world with God. In Emerson speech "The American Scholar" he attacked American education for being influenced by the old world.
***Emerson and Franklin champion the self, they brought new power to the autobiography and moral essay, both let their lives as example and inspired readers.
In this video selection, we see the new ideas that developed when America became a new nation. Two of the most famous characters in American history and literature, Benjamin Franklin and Ralph Waldo Emerson, called for a literature that represented America. America was not independent culturally. The new nation has been rested from its colonial rulers, and now it needed to create its own identity. *** It was the time to define American character, "Who are Americans?" The problem that faced the United States at the time of the revolution was that how this nation could become something other than a cultural colony. Leaders of the new nation were struggling with this question. Many writers like Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, and Ralph Waldo Emerson also explored such questions. *** Between the arrival of the Puritans in 1620 and the late 1700's, God-centered thought had moved into man-centered thought. The person who best symbolizes the Enlightenment in America was Benjamin Franklin. His conception of himself that if one were self-confident and willing to work hard, one would come to have what is called today the American dream. When Franklin wrote his autobiography, he represented himself as a model for the self-made man. He believed that the individual could strive for improvement for the sake of bettering the community. In Franklin's time, there was a narrowly accepted definition as to who counted as an American. Americans practiced slavery, and women had few legal rights, and Franklin's autobiography inspired writers to widen a definition.*** By the 1820's romantic writers like Emerson would challenge the rationalism Franklin represented, and insisted that logic needed to be tempered with human emotion and that individual development was not solely for the benefit of a larger community. For Emerson, the landscape is a place where the nation can achieve a kind of spiritual power which will energize it politically, elevate it morally, and makes it something unique in the world. The early 1800's marked a time of optimism, yet it was a dark period in American history. This includes the American Indians removal, suppression of women, and slavery. During this period, Emerson's writings marked him as a prophet of hope. He had a revelation as to the relationship of God, nature, and man *** Emerson formed a group that was active in Transcendentalism, the belief in the unity of God and the world. Emerson argued that while reason was important, one must also use intuition. He says that each of us has a spiritual obligation to understand our relationship with nature. If we do not do that, we will not understand our potential as human beings and our human nature. In industrialized America, Emerson and many of his colleagues distinguished themselves by criticizing America for greed, for neglect of the natural world and human nature.*** Emerson delivered a lecture at Harvard College. In his speech called "The American Scholar," he criticized the American education for being too influenced by the Ancient World. Emerson was trying to create a declaration of intellectual independence. Emerson wrote an essay titled "Self-reliance" written in a forceful language. He defended individualism that was different from the idea of Franklin. Emerson says that what you need to achieve is the triumph of your own principles. Franklin authenticates self-development at the practical level, while Emerson theorizes it. *** The idea of getting in contact with nature and of having mystical relationship with nature around you is something that goes back to Emerson. Franklin and Emerson brought new powers to the genres of autobiography and the moral essay. They both lived their lives as examples and inspired readers to look inward and trust themselves. They improved the idea that America can be a place connected to the world but not dependent upon the world spiritually or intellectually. They helped American public to realize that they can create what they need in order to be a healthy, coherent, and affirmative culture.
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