Transcedentalists VS Anti-Transcedentalists

JTizzel Wed May 13, 2009 12:25 am

Melville, the author of Moby Dick, portrayed the story via the narrator Ishimael who is starting to learn what’s going on after his arrival on the ship. As we may classify it in class, transcendentalists are more optimistic than anti transcendentalists. Transcendentalists believe the unlimited human potential to expand, to grow while anti transcendentalists believe the limitations of human beings with set rules and physical boundaries. Emerson and Thoreau stand on the infinite side of possibilities. Melville and Hawthorne rest on the side of limited potential.

A very important character in Melville’s book, Moby Dick, is the Captain Ahab. As realistic as a seems, Captain Ahab’s objective in this voyage is to not only kill the white whale for luxury and pride, his real purpose is to take vengeance on the vigilant being who took away the convenience of having a leg. Yet, transcendental qualities are implied throughout the description of his purpose. His hopes were up. Ahab was ready to get what he wanted. The first law of attraction was evident within this fearless man. The objective was to kill a white whale. The captain was going to hunt a whale that consists of many rows of houses and stories of a building. Many may say he is naïve, yet I would say he is determined. These are qualities of transcendentalist thinking.

During the second parts of the excerpt, Captain Ahab was no longer the determined, passionate man whose incentive was to accomplish a task but to take revenge. Revenge is generated from hatred, thus, being a negative feeling. Anti-transcendentalists firmly believe in the innately evil qualities within humans. Melville comes in the story via Ishimael an attitude of hopelessness over a man overwhelmed by hate. Hopelessness for a man that is naïve enough to take over a whale. Hopelessness for a man who lost himself through the process of revenge.
The transition between transcendental and anti transcendental qualities can be interpreted as the naivety of the human race in the beginning of time and literature. In the end, humans finally come to their senses where it is the limits and physical doctrines that encapsulate the potential.

Hawthorne shows hope within Hester. He displays her as a nonconformist with a good character. She shows up as a contrast towards the other characters in her era, Chillingsworth and Dimmesdale who hold a sense of evilness and darkness within them. The display of characterization greatly differs between the two sides: transcedentalists and anti transcendentalists. Hence the difference in theme between the two sides.

Michael Chen Wed May 13, 2009 12:38 am

uhh.. why does a white whale consist of many rows of houses and stories of a building? o.0
anyways I agree that hope, being a positive force, drives our expansion in potential. I agree that this illustrates the transcending quality of the spirit and soul. But in the end, Ahab's goal still falls short. In a transcendentalist view i guess we can say that it being driven by a negative energy puts limits to its complete effect but it could also be that the spirit transcends but only by itself. the physical is still caged by "reality". But hey what is reality right? Anyways good job overall. But do you really think that the physical encapsulates the potential in the end? Because I think that the physical is governed by science and logic and our potential isn't which to some extnet or no extent at all gives it freedom. Or is it physical potential that you are referring to?

JTizzel Wed May 13, 2009 12:46 am

Physical encapsulating potential meaning the science, gravity, and the laws of nature limiting our physical body to funtion as freely as our being which is not governed by any sort of law which makes it unlimited. Yet, it is unlimited in a way when we take off this physical coating and expand it. I reckon the only way to free the being is to pass through the mind having the thought of self relience. Look at it this way. The the mind governs the physical. I am going to movie my arm and wiggle my fingers to type, hence, letters appear on my screen. In order for the physical to reach the being, i theorize that it must go through the mind. and the mindset on has to have inorder for the events to occur, for the connection of physical and being to occur, the mindset of self relience. Humans tend to fear the unknown. The mind is i guess not familiar with the being functioning and making more decisions than the mind. Thus, trust, or self relience is key to trusting the being, for the being to goverm the physical. Then, the physical can be said to be unlimited, maybe.

kathy Thu May 14, 2009 7:32 pm

hey, your discussion about the physical being a boundary caught my eye cause that has been a question of mine too. The law of attraction states that as long as you believe and really feel it, the things you want will naturally fall in to place. So this leads to the transcendentalist belief of unlimited human potential because of the freedom of thought to go anywhere. But i think this only works in the spiritual (essence) world of the individual, in other words, this doesn't apply to the physical because there are limits to the physical world. Maybe your inner being has unlimited potential and can go anywhere it wants, but it is caged in your body (the physical boundary). This is like Anti- Transcendentalism and Transcendentalism coexisting at the same time, because in the mind, you are free and boundless, but in the body, you are cagged. This is like trying to distinguish between the grey areas because theres a balance between how much we can do. Would this physical boundary be counted as being Anti-Transcendentalist because it does not fit in with the freedom of transcendentalist ideas? or is it just facing reality?

**Ajk** Fri May 15, 2009 1:40 am

JTizzel wrote:Melville, the author of Moby Dick, portrayed the story via the narrator Ishimael who is starting to learn what’s going on after his arrival on the ship. As we may classify it in class, transcendentalists are more optimistic than anti transcendentalists. Transcendentalists believe the unlimited human potential to expand, to grow while anti transcendentalists believe the limitations of human beings with set rules and physical boundaries. Emerson and Thoreau stand on the infinite side of possibilities. Melville and Hawthorne rest on the side of limited potential.

A very important character in Melville’s book, Moby Dick, is the Captain Ahab. As realistic as a seems, Captain Ahab’s objective in this voyage is to not only kill the white whale for luxury and pride, his real purpose is to take vengeance on the vigilant being who took away the convenience of having a leg. Yet, transcendental qualities are implied throughout the description of his purpose. His hopes were up. Ahab was ready to get what he wanted. The first law of attraction was evident within this fearless man. The objective was to kill a white whale. The captain was going to hunt a whale that consists of many rows of houses and stories of a building. Many may say he is naïve, yet I would say he is determined. These are qualities of transcendentalist thinking. Indeed, they are. Save for the vengeance motive.

During the second parts of the excerpt, Captain Ahab was no longer the determined, passionate man whose incentive was to accomplish a task but to take revenge. Revenge is generated from hatred, thus, being a negative feeling. Here you go; whilst it's a generalization, it's nonetheless applicable. Anti-transcendentalists firmly believe in the innately evil qualities within humans. Melville comes in the story via Ishimael an attitude of hopelessness over a man overwhelmed by hate. Hopelessness for a man that is naïve enough to take over a whale. Hopelessness for a man who lost himself through the process of revenge. be interpreted as the naivety of the human race in the beginning of time and lite. But we do need to consider, in the rhetoric of Melville's Moby Dick and Transcendentalism vs. Anti, that the Transcendentalist belief centered on the power of a human through the thoughts a human has. And the power to connect to a Higher Being for inspiration and wisdom, as well as guidance for virtue. So that our thoughts have the power to trump fate, and to instead, exert the magnetism of Original Action. If my mind is filled with the thoughts and process of revenge, then what kind of magnetism am I exerting out there into the universe, according to both Emerson and The Secret, and so therefore, what will I get back?The transition between transcendental and anti transcendental qualities can rature. In the end, humans finally come to their senses where it is the limits and physical doctrines that encapsulate the potential. So then by your saying, "finally come to their senses" you're implying your Anti-Transcendentalist view, by saying believing in unlimited potential is nonsensical?
Hawthorne shows hope within Hester. He displays her as a nonconformist with a good character. She shows up as a contrast towards the other characters in her era, Chillingsworth and Dimmesdale who hold a sense of evilness and darkness within them. The display of characterization greatly differs between the two sides: transcedentalists and anti transcendentalists. Hence the difference in theme between the two sides.

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