Waldo Ralph Emerson (1803-1882) was a famous American writer and poet in the
19th century. He was also an educational thinker, who advocates reform and progress.
As a representative of transcendentalism, he advocated the doctrine of individualism,
emphasizing that the power of the spirit is far more than material, and that the potential
of individual potential is infinite. Around him, gathered a group of people of insight,
who were determined to transform the society, such as Amos Bronson Alcott
(1799-1888), Margaret Fuller (1810-1850), Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), Henry
David Thoreau (1817-1862), etc. All of the above had once been teachers, and they
were deeply saddened by the rigid education system and the old-fashioned education
methods at the time, and firmly believed that the progress and improvement of society
must be based on personal education and moral self-improvement. They actively participated
in the mainstream of educational reforms that opened people’s mind, innovated
their ways of thinking, and created a new culture with reformed educational
system in New England. At the same time, transcendentalism has become an important
part of American educational thought.
Components of the Book:
- Head Page
- Copyright
- To My mother
- Content
- Introduction
- Chapter 1: Emerson’s Educational Thought
- 1.Emerson as a Teacher
- 2.Cultural Background of Emerson’s
Educational Thought
- 3.Emerson’s Philosophy of Education
- Chapter 2: American Educational Thought Heritage
- 1.Education in New England in Colonial Period
- 2.Puritanical Education Thought in New England
- 3.Franklin’s Pragmatic Educational Thought
- 4.Thomas Jefferson on General Education
- Chapter 3: The Contemporaries of Emerson
- 1.Alcott on Children’s Education
- 2.Margaret Fuller on Women’s Education
- 3.Henry David Thoreau’s Uncommon Education
- 4.Horace Mann’s on Public Education
- Chapter 4: The Influence of Emerson’s Educational Thought
- 1.“Transcendental Club”
- 2.John Dewey on Democratic Education
- 3.Hutchins on Higher Education
- Conclusion
- Appendix: Emerson and Chinese Culture
- Bibliography
- Epilogue
Readership:
Readers who are interested in Emersonian Transcendental
Yang Jing
Yang Jing, Ph.D., Professor of literature at English Department, Nanjing Normal University. He has published several books and dozens of research papers concerning British and American literature, history, and philosophy. Now he lives in Nanjing.