Islam and transcendentalism/Emerson

[-Elle-]

:sl:

I have recently been doing some reading on Ralph Waldo Emerson, a man who was considered one of the greatest American thinkers, essayists and poets.

He put forth the notion of transcendentalism, here's the definition:

"any system of philosophy emphasizing the intuitive and spiritual above the empirical and material "

Now consider this notion put forth but a website I found,

" Islam is transcendentalist. Although God created the universe, God is still absolutely separate from creation—to postulate that God was part of the changeable world would be to contradict the unity, singularity, and unchangeableness of God. Transcendentalism, however, postulates more than just an absolute separation. It also describes a relationship between the creator god and creation. In a transcendental relationship, the transcendent term (God) is absolutely independent of the non-transcendent term (creation); however, the non-transcendent term (creation) only has existence, meaning, or value in relationship to the transcendent term (God). To say that God is transcendent in Islam is to say that God is separate, distinct, and independent from the created universe, but that the created universe, though entirely separate from God, is nonetheless dependent on God for its existence and value. "

Do you agree or disagree with the above statement? and why?

As well, have you heard of Ralph Waldo Emerson, and what could you tell me of him?
Do any of his theories/lectures relate to Islam and its teachings? His view on Christianity?Judaism? Buddhism?


Please feel free to express your opinions on transcendentalism/Emerson even if you are not Muslim, any info appreciated.

Jazak'Allah kher in advance

[Trumble]

Do you agree or disagree with the above statement? and why?

I think you would really have to pin down exactly what you mean by 'transcendentalist' and 'transcendental' in this context before making that assessment. You really could pick definitions that would suit either position. Emerson's definition of 'transcendentalism' covers an awful lot of ground and he's by no means the only philosopher to use the term 'transcendental' (often meaning something totally different).

[siam]

He put forth the notion of transcendentalism, here's the definition:

"any system of philosophy emphasizing the intuitive and spiritual above the empirical and material "


----I like philosophy, but one of the problems I tend to have with western philosophy is that it tends to be "either/or" type. The Quran on the other hand has the perspective of a unified whole. ----so the Quran emphasises both the intuitive and spiritual as well as the emperical and material.

[selsebil]

Assalaam Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,

I don't know so much about Ralph Waldo Emerson and his philosophy.But I want to express my opinion in the view of Quran:

1."Indeed, His command when He wills a thing, is, “Be!”, and it is." Qur’an, 36:82
" And We are closer to him than his jugular vein." Qur’an, 50:16.
" And know that God comes between man and his heart," Qur’an, 8:24.
" God has created you and what you do," Qur’an, 37:96.
" God has willed this! There is no power but with God " Qur’an, 18:39.
Allah SWT's being beyond space and yet present everywhere, His infinite exaltedness together with being close to all things, and His being One and yet Himself holding all matters in His hand, are among the truths of the Qur’an.
For example: The sun is closer to you than the pupil of your eye, which is the window of your spirit and its mirror, since you are restricted and imprisoned in materiality, you are extremely distant from it. You can make contact with it only through some of its reflections and shadows, and meet with it through a sort of its minor and particular manifestations, and draw close to its colours, which are like a category of attribute, and to its rays and manifestations, which are like a class of its names. If you want to approach the sun’s essential level and meet with the sun’s essence directly in person, then you have to transcend very many restrictions and traverse very many levels of universality. Simply, after abstracting yourself from materiality, becoming enlarged to the extent of the earth, expanding in the spirit like the air, rising as far as the moon and resembling the full-moon, only then can you claim to meet with it in person without veil and to draw close to it to any degree.
In just the same way, the All-Glorious One of Perfection, the Peerless One of Beauty, the Necessarily Existent One, the Giver of Existence to All Beings, the Eternal Sun, the Monarch of Pre-Eternity and Post-Eternity, is closer to you than yourself. Yet you are infinitely distant from Him.
2. The Glorious Creator of the universe is Self-Subsistent, that is, He subsists, continues, endures of Himself. All things subsist and continue through Him, they remain in existence and have permanence. If that relationship of Self-Subsistence was cut off from the universe for even the fraction of a second, the universe would be annihilated.
Furthermore, as the Qur’an of Mighty Stature decrees, together with the All-Glorious One’s Self-Subsistence,
"There is nothing that is like unto Him." Qur’an, 42:11.
That is, neither in His essence, nor in His attributes, nor in his actions has He like, equal, peer, or partner. Indeed, for a Most and Holy One Who takes the universe with its circumstances and functions in the grasp of His sovereignty and Who regulates, administers, sustains and nurtures it with perfect order as though it was a house or a palace to have any like, equal, partner, or peer is not possible; it is impossible.