Transcendentalists - Charlie Smallshaw

Some reading that I’ve done recently has dived into early environmental literature, including works done by transcendentalist authors such as Emerson and Thoreau. I think that these works are still very important because they set the precedent for what is environmental advocacy today. These authors were essentially the foundation for what we talk about today, and every time nature and spirituality is discussed in class I think about how these authors and their works were so revolutionary in establishing that connection. I also think that these works bring about nuance and questions concerning the accessibility of environmental advocacy, as they wrote during a time where the opinions of anyone who wasn’t a white man wasn’t as valued. They also spoke from a position of privilege in that they had the luxury to enjoy nature without care for other responsibilities, which many couldn’t and still can’t afford.

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