佐久間 みかよ
和洋女子大学紀要 56 17-27 2016年3月 査読有り
This paper aims to reconsider the establishment and ultimate demise of the Transcendentalist Club in terms of the period's political background and burgeoning journalism. In particular, it focuses on one of Emerson's lectures, "The Young American," and its subsequent publication to consider the contradiction inherent in American thoughts and transformation of 19th century American journalism. Emerson delivered a lecture titled "The Young American" in 1844. The original lecture indicates that his understanding of isolationism was inspired by political discourse; it was not explicitly political but was intended to influence politically minded American citizens. While Emerson was away to Europe, American foreign policy began to adopt principles of expansionism, supported by the Young America movements whose center was in New York. At that time, New York became a metropolis for culture that surpassed Boston and Philadelphia and its journalism tended to be political. Emerson's former nationalistic view encountered this new dimension and he omitted nationalistic parts of his lecture "The Young American" when he republished it in 1849. It marked the transformation of Emerson's thoughts and also revealed the contradiction inherent in the project seeking "American thoughts."