A philosophic movement based on an idealistic belief in the essential unity of all things, the innate goodness of man, and the supremacy of insight over logic and experience in understanding reality and ascertaining truths. It is considered to be a part of the Romantic movement and had a powerful impact on the arts, particularly literature. The term generally refers to 19th-century transcendentalism in New England although the movement was found in other countries including Germany and England.
