Romanticism: Class 10/12/17

In class today we left 'Rationalism' behind and opened up our minds to the concept of 'Romanticism'. Our objective was to analyze how the products of rationalism encouraged the backlash of romanticism. Romanticism is the polar opposite of rationalism in every way. People who believe in romanticism believe in the value of feeling and intuition over reasoning, placing faith in inner experience and the power of imagination, and shunning the artificiality of modern civilization. Seeking 'unspoiled' or undeveloped nature is also a component of romanticism, along with the preference of youthful innocence to educated sophistication. Championing individual freedom and the worth of an individual are important points as well as using nature's beauty as a path to spiritual and moral development. Romanticists also use the past as a learning tool and they distrust progress.We learned about the Industrial Revolution of 1760 to 1840, which caused more jobs in the economy and more goods being produced cheaper. Romanticists rejected the idea of factories and industrialization, thus their distrust of progress. The idea of 'Manifest Destiny' caused many people to go west in search of jobs, money, and land. This movement along with the large population of immigrants coming into the country caused a change in culture and beliefs which in turn caused citizen's minds to turn from rationalism to romanticism.
 Romanticism, although we may not know it, is everywhere in modern culture. Today it can still be found in literature as well as art pieces and music, but also in beauty and food products and how they are used. With a rise in self awareness and people looking more and more for natural ways to do things in their everyday life, it seems as if romanticism is on the rise within typical American households. More and more people are using natural hair products, eating organic foods, spending time outdoors, and even using essential oils for medicinal purposes, while yoga and meditation are being prescribed by doctors. All of these things promote romanticism because they are all natural products and are used for natural self wellness.