Resources about Experimentalism in Early American Literature
1. Kurtus, Ron. "Philosophies of Education." School-for-Champions.Com. 26 Feb. 2001. 16 June 2007 <http://www.school-for-champions.com/education/philosophies.htm>.
The main purpose of the website is to offer definitions of philosophies of education. The website states that experimentalism believes that things are constantly changing. It is based on the view that reality is what you experience. It believes that truth is what works right now and that goodness comes from group decisions. Thomas Paine wrote about how the early American colonist should revolt against England. Thomas Paine tried to show the colonists the “goodness that comes from group decisions.” This resource is helpful in reading and interpreting the theme because it provides the definition of the theme. The website is credible because the author is clearly indicated.
2. Childs, John Lawrence. Experience, Hypothesis and Education. Education and the Philosophy of Experimentalism. Google Book Search 17 June 2007.
< http://books.google.com/books?id=zqhcdsqKZykC&dq=experimentalism&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=
0YWOEKw3qk&sig=2afAOsydPL5T5y_ShAlFvve0OVs#PPA96,M1 >.
The website is hosted by Google.com and includes a copy of the Childs text. In the "Education and the Philosophy of Experimentalism" by John Lawrence Childs, in chapter five, in the first subtitle, is the definition of experimentalism. Experimentalism is defined in the text that "ordinary human" experiences in the human world are sources to understand the unnatural world. It also notes that "life is its own sanction" which the Child interprets as the acceptance of life by finding the understanding in the human experiences instead of a "supraempirical source." This relates to Transcendentalism by the opposition of views. Transcendentalists believe in the "supraempirical" world.
The website is a search engine created to provide numerous information on a subject, whether it be a definition, application, or other. -D.R
3. 8 June 2007. < http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=experimentalism >.
This citation was a simple, web-based word search that gave me a more clearly focused idea on what experimentalism is. It states that experimentalism is “an orientation that favors experimentation and innovation.” Simply put, it is the idea of using new methods and means in literature to achieve the same goal.
4. West, Cornel. 1987 “Between Dewey and Gramsci: Unger’s Emancipatory Experimentalism”. Northwestern University Law Review. http://www.robertounger.com/west.pdf
This website is a review of the law of social theory. The purpose of the website is to define experimentalism further by explaining the “fundamental aim to free Marxist conception of human society-making from evolution, deterministic, and economistic encumbrances” (Cornel). The criteria I used to check if Christopher Pearse Cranch was a radical that used his experimental views in conveying his message on his transcendental views. This resource was helpful in reading for interpretation, because the time period of Transcendentalism was a change for radical reform. This is a credible website because it talks about how experimentalism “promotes permanent social transformation and perennial self-development toward ever increasing democracy and individual freedom” (Cornel).
5. “Experimentalism.” The Ism Book. Accessed June 23, 2007. < http://www.ismbook.com/experimentalism.html >
This website is designed to give definitions for words that end with an “ism”. The literary term is defined by the dictionary definition in this case. This website is helpful in interpreting and understanding this word because it give the meaning of the word. The website is credible because it is a dictionary.
6. “Experimentalism.” MSN: Encarta. 24 June 2007 < http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861609861/experimentalism.html >.
This website provides an online dictionary and encyclopedia. Here, experimentalism is defined as “the use of new techniques.” These new techniques can be in forms such as artistic, literary, or musical. Walt Whitman took decades to finish his poetry collection called “Leaves of Grass,” constantly revising his work and experimenting with new forms. His work experiments with a new kind of voice: “free, strong, at ease with himself, learned yet unbiased against the illiterate, proud, friendly, and honest—in short, American.” Whitman used experimentalism to reach a new kind of American poetry.
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