NEW PARADIGM

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The Modern Transcendentalist Movement must withstand a modern evolution to ensure that it does not meet the same fate as the original vision did. Transcendentalism was picked apart, other movements grabbing pieces of flesh from its dying carcass, to ensure its demise.  The Modern Transcendentalist Movement has placed new paradigms in the midst of the philosophy, as armor against another such fate, and to ensure a holistic and efficient response to our current times.

New paradigms:

Collective Action vs. Individualism

While classic transcendentalism was deeply focused on individual awakening and moral self-governance, this modern version prioritizes collective liberation and action. The Modern Transcendentalist Movement supports and encourages individual awakenings, and moral self-governance. However, instead of retreating from society to find transcendence, The Modern Transcendentalist Movement actively engages in dismantling unjust systems, emphasizing the interconnectedness of individuals within society. 

Systemic Overhaul

Original Transcendentalists were critics of industrial society and institutional oppression, but largely focused on personal moral reform and withdrawal from corrupt institutions. The Modern Transcendentalist Movement takes this further, calling not only for personal transformation but also for active disruption and restructuring of society to reflect more just, equitable systems. 

Moral Justification for Forceful Resistance

Unlike the peaceful disobedience advocated by many early transcendentalists (such as Thoreau’s civil disobedience), The Modern Transcendentalist Movement accepts forceful methods if needed, recognizing that entrenched powers often require radical disruption. This is not a far cry from the thoughts of Emerson and Thoreau, as Thoreau supported John Brown’s methods. He delivered a famous speech, “A Plea for Captain John Brown,” in 1859, defending Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry and calling him a hero for his actions against slavery. Ralph Waldo Emerson himself called John Brown a “new saint.” 

Spiritual and Material Interconnectedness

Original Transcendentalism placed a strong emphasis on the spiritual, often separating it from material concerns. In The Modern Transcendentalist Movement, the spiritual awakening is deeply intertwined with social, economic, and environmental justice, recognizing that true transcendence includes not just individual spiritual enlightenment but also the transformation of material conditions for all. 

Integration of Global and Indigenous Wisdom

The Modern Transcendentalist Movement draws from indigenous and global philosophies that emphasize harmony with nature, community empowerment, and the rejection of Western individualism and consumerism. This is a broader scope than original Transcendentalism, making it a more inclusive, globally-conscious movement. 

Modern Transcendentalism as Radical, Collective Awakening

While rooted in the Transcendentalist ideals of breaking free from societal constraints and seeking a higher moral or spiritual truth, The Modern Transcendentalist Movement is collectively focused and actively engaged in dismantling oppressive systems. It values and promotes individual spiritual awakening as an imperative task, but The Modern Transcendentalist Movement emphasizes that true transcendence comes through collective liberation, systemic change, and, if necessary, resistance.