Romanticism Archives

Loneliness in Nature and Threshold Places Erraticus Emerson Thoreau

(Derek Parsons)

Alone in One of Nature’s Threshold Places

July 1, 2020April 28, 2021 10 min read Derek Parsons Essential Reading, Henry David Thoreau, Nature, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Romanticism, Transcendence

The most fortifying experiences in nature are often found in lonely, transitional zones. But what is the reality of these threshold places?

Choosing Pessimism Over Romanticism Review The School of Life Sean Kong Erraticus

Essays Psychology

‘The School of Life’ Preaches Pessimism over Romanticism

November 5, 2019April 17, 2021 13 min read Jeffrey Howard Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Well-Being, Emotions, Romanticism, Schooling

‘The School of Life’ is on a crusade to avail us of our emotional ignorance. Philosopher Alain De Botton seeks to remedy the shortcomings of contemporary education systems and the institutions that have failed to instruct us in how to approach the big questions in life.

(Philippe Siguret)

Essays Philosophy

Ecstatic Experience: How the West Can Find Itself by Losing Control

December 17, 2018March 27, 2021 18 min read Jeffrey Howard Ecstatic Experience, Essential Reading, Nature, Romanticism, Transcendence

In the West, we resist ecstatic experience, fearful of losing control—this hyper-rationalistic mindset excludes us from crucial paths to insight and connection. But there is a dark side to ecstasy.

("Sea of Ice" by Caspar David Friedrich)

Ideas Philosophy

What is the Sublime? (According to Kant and Schopenhauer)

December 4, 2018June 1, 2020 7 min read Sandra Shapshay Nature, Romanticism, Transcendence

For Kant and Schopenhauer, scientific understanding deepens our experience with the Sublime, elevating our spiritual strength.

A New Romanticism Erraticus Albert Bierstadt Storm Rocky Mountains

("Storm in the Rocky Mountains, Mt. Rosalie" by Albert Bierstadt, 1866)

Ideas Science & Tech

‘Enlightenment Now’ Demands a New Romanticism

July 31, 2018June 3, 2020 5 min read Jim Kozubek Environmentalism, Nature, Neuroscience, Romanticism, William James

There are many who say that Romanticism is dead. But the tensions between Romanticism and the soldiers of the original Enlightenment are rising up again.