The Constitution is the founding document for American democracy, and it features many ideas from the time it was written. One set of ideas that are not prominently feature in the constitution are those of Transcendentalism. Transcendentalism is a philosophy that is based around a focus on ideas and feelings, and the belief that individuals can find truth within themselves. The best know Transcendentalist writers include the likes of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, who became well known for their strong political opinions (Brodrick). Issues that are extremely important to the Transcendentalists such as slavery and the forcible removal of Native Americans from their land are not addressed, and barely mentioned in the body of the …show more content…
The first example of this is that while Transcendentalists focus on individualism, the Constitution focus on the majority and not giving too much power to one person. This idea of limiting the power given to one individual can be seen in the different checks and balances that were created to prevent someone from becoming a tyrant (Constitution). Although this is not explicitly anti-transcendentalist, it would contradict the idea that people are inclined to do the right thing and are only made bad by surroundings (Brodrick). The other way the Constitution does not necessarily agree with Transcendentalism is how it creates a republic where leaders are elected to make decision for the people. This idea of having representatives who are elected to make good and rations decision for the people permeates the Constitution. This idea was formed so that decisions would be made by the most qualified individuals, who would make the decision based on facts and principles rather than emotion (Constitution). This runs contrary to the idea of the Transcendentalists about decision making. The Transcendentalists placed more emphasis on the abstract of ideas and emotions when making decisions (Brodrick). Theses two ideas within the constitution, although not blatantly anti-transcendentalist, do serve as a …show more content…
One excellent example of an addition reflecting Transcendentalist value is the Thirteenth Amendment which banned slavery (Constitution). The Transcendentalists are deeply opposed to slavery for a wide variety of reasons. Their dedication to the antislavery mission caused Henry David Thoreau to refuse to pay his poll tax (Goodman). The Nineteenth Amendment which gives woman the right to vote also serves as a reflection of Transcendentalist values and ideas (Constitution). The famous Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson was the vice president of the New England Women’s Suffrage Association, and there are many women involved in the Transcendentalist movement. Theses two additional amendments serve as a reflection of Transcendentist values within the amendments to the