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What are the differences between Transcendentalism and Puritanism?

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The primary differences between Transcendentalism and Puritanism lie in their views on salvation, human nature, and the divine. Puritanism believes in salvation for the elect and views humans as inherently sinful, while Transcendentalism holds that everyone can reach ultimate truths through spiritual intuition and sees the human soul as inherently good. Additionally, Puritanism values practicality and industriousness, whereas Transcendentalism emphasizes idealism and self-reliance.

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Both Puritanism and Transcendentalism have evolved from religious doctrine and pervaded the American culture, politics, and identity, becoming more secular in their visions. However, Puritanism possesses a darker perspective from that of Transcendentalism. Here are some of their differences.

  • Puritanism holds that there is salvation only for God's chosen, the elect; Transcendentalism maintains that every person can reach ultimate truths through spiritual intuition that transcends reason and sensory experience.
  • One of the proponents of Transcendentalism, Ralph Waldo Emerson, based his philosophy partly on that of Idealism in which nature is a doorway to a mystical world holding important truths. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of each individual, and his outlook was optimistic whereas the Puritans believed that human beings are sinful by nature.
  • Transcendentalism is a religion of revelation, not of history as is Puritanism. By going into nature, man feels the presence of the Sublime and is enlightened...

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  • to truths, whereas in Puritanism, church doctrine is handed down in the form of covenants that parallel God's covenant with His people in the Bible.
  • In Puritan thought, hard work and worldly success are signs of God's grace. For the Transcendentalists, God is present in every aspect of Nature including every human being.
  • In Puritan thought, grace from God makes people "reborn" as a member of the community of saints; Transcendental thought holds that Nature is divine and symbolic of the spirit, so the human soul is inherently good and evil is virtually non-existent.
  • Puritanism is based upon practicality and industriousness; Transcendentalism is based upon idealism and self-reliance. 
  • Puritanism has greatly affected American culture whereas the affects of Transcendentalism have not been as widespread.

This Puritan notion of election, divine sanction, and high purpose has pervaded American identity, politics, and culture ever since [the Puritans arrived in America], although it has evolved over several centuries from a specifically religious vision into a much more secular one: rather than exemplifying a pure church, America's mission became exemplifying a free, egalitarian, democratic society. (Enotes) 

Over time, Puritanism came to value self-reliance, industriousness, temperance, and simplicity. Ironically, these are some of the same values of Transcendentalism.

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