Romanticism: The Best Ideology

The ideas of conservatism, liberalism, romanticism, and nationalism all have certain positive factors and drawbacks which are significant to each person’s opinion. Of all four, the strongest ideology is definitely romanticism. By definition, romanticism is an ideology with emphasis on promoting individualism and emotion. Romanticism can also be characterized by its dedication to appreciation of nature, glorification of the past, and engagement for farthing ideals of social emancipation and progress. This ideology was significant to European history due to the fact it has impacts on political thinking, arts, music, and societal philosophy in general. Being at its peak in the mid-1800s, romanticism impacted outlook on multiple significant events throughout the 19th century, such as the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution. These events also alluded to the publishing of multiple famous works depicting their existence, such as the painting Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix and the poem The Chimney Sweeper by William Blake. The artists, writers, and musicians of this time were considered to be “at least at the beginning, literary and academic outsiders. Many were loners, without established professional positions, overwhelmed by what they considered the tragedy of their unrequited search for individual fulfillment because less-gifted people did not comprehend their brilliance” (Merriman 595-596). These traits characterized many of the celebrities of this period, such as Beethoven and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Other significant works of romantic art, literature, and music which emphasize the ideas behind romanticism include the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the piece Symphony No. 9 in D minor, op. 125 by Ludwig Beethoven, and the artwork Landscape Near Paliano by Joseph Anton Koch. The period of romanticism produced a multitude of significant works of art, literature, and music, making it one of the most influential periods for the arts since the period of humanism. Romanticism provides an exceptional outlook on the true, raw emotions of a person- something that its ideology counterparts do not provide. Being able to express the feelings encapsulated by one’s self is integral to the genuine happiness of the individual. While liberalism promotes the further development of social and political ideas, and conservatism attempts to promote the retention of historical ideas, romanticism takes the best of both of the ideologies. The ideology theorized that the best way to conduct societal change is through advocating for change to benefit those suffering poverty or discrimination on the side of liberalism, but also through rejecting the ideas of the enlightenment and 18th century rationalism, and physical materialism of the industrial revolution. In terms of nationalism, the theory emphasizes that loyalty to one’s nation-state is of utmost importance, no matter the situation. This can promote dangerous thinking, as it is not always that a country fights with the best intentions for its people. Romanticism does agree with some ideologies of nationalism, such as how romantic thinker Johann Gottfried von Herder “argued that it was through the passionate identification with the nation that the individual reached his or her highest stage of development” (Merriman 595). Being connected to one’s culture and background helps a person grow in their identity, but extreme loyalty can take away individuality. Thus, romanticism is the most impactful idea out of the three to promote societal standards for people in the early-to-mid 1800s.