I Am Transcendentalism

Ralph Waldo Emerson, a lecturer and poet who led the Transcendentalist movement in the nineteenth century, once stated, “Great souls are they who see that spiritual is stronger than material force, that thoughts rule the world.” In the movie I Am, written and directed by Tom Shadyac, he poses two questions. These questions address the problem with human nature and how we as a society can attempt to fix it. Society’s difficulties are greed and not realizing an individual’s true meaning because it focuses too much on materialism and immediate satisfaction. Shadyac’s major themes of man’s search for happiness, greed, and the nature of man in relation to man’s meaning, purpose, and end, and happiness will aid in answering the questions that he poses. As Shadyac explains, today many people are searching for happiness in all the wrong places. Some are searching for happiness by material objects, money, and approval from others. However these individuals are not aiming for something that will truly give them happiness. According to Aristotle, happiness is the “meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim, and end of human existence.” Through this definition we can conclude that happiness cannot be found through material objects, money, or approval from others.

These questions speak on the many issues in society because of human nature and how we as a community can attempt to fix the problems. Society’s difficulties are greed and not realizing an individual’s true meaning because it focuses too much on materialism and immediate satisfaction. In this movie, Shadyac’s major themes include: man’s search for happiness, greed, and the nature of man in relation to man’s meaning, purpose, and end, and happiness will assist in answering the questions that he poses. Through the many discussed themes in class and throughout the movie, there are several ways to solve these vast