AP Success - AP US History: Emerson and Transcendentalism
“The Transcendentalist,” Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1842.“What is popularly called Transcendentalism among us, is Idealism; Idealism as it appears in 1842. As thinkers, mankind have ever divided into two sects, Materialists and Idealists; the first class founding on experience, the second on consciousness; the first class beginning to think from the data of the senses, the second class perceive that the senses are not final, and say, the senses give us representations of things, but what are the things themselves, they cannot tell. The materialist insists on facts, on history, on the force of circumstances, and the animal wants of man; the idealist on the power of Thought and of Will, on inspiration, on miracle, on individual culture.”
Question 1
According to Emerson in 'The Transcendentalist,' what distinguishes Idealists from Materialists?
Materialists focus on the power of Thought and Will, while Idealists focus on sensory data.
Idealists believe in the power of Thought and Will, beyond the data of the senses.
Idealists rely solely on historical facts and circumstances.
Materialists deny the existence of the physical world.
Question 2
In the context of the 1840s, Emerson's 'The Transcendentalist' can be seen as a response to which of the following intellectual movements?
Realism, which emphasizes the depiction of everyday life in art and literature.
Existentialism, which focuses on individual freedom and choice.
Empiricism, which emphasizes knowledge derived from sensory experience.
Rationalism, which values reason over sensory experience.
Question 3
Emerson's distinction between Materialists and Idealists in 'The Transcendentalist' reflects a broader debate in which area of philosophy?
Aesthetics, the study of beauty and taste.
Epistemology, the study of knowledge and how it is acquired.
Logic, the study of reasoning and argument.
Ethics, the study of moral principles.
Question 4
Which of the following best summarizes Emerson's view on the limitations of the senses as expressed in 'The Transcendentalist'?
The senses are the only reliable source of knowledge about the world.
The senses are infallible and provide direct knowledge of the truth.
The senses should be completely disregarded in the pursuit of knowledge.
The senses provide representations of things, but they cannot convey the essence of things themselves.
Question 5
Emerson's 'The Transcendentalist' is most closely associated with which of the following intellectual or cultural movements?
The Enlightenment, which emphasized reason and science over superstition and religion.
Transcendentalism, which emphasized individual intuition and the inherent goodness of people and nature.
The Great Awakening, which focused on religious revival and emotional experiences of faith.
The Progressive Era, which aimed at social reform and addressing problems caused by industrialization.
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