Whitman’s self is described as kosmos and democratic, aligning with which philosophical tradition?

• A. Calvinism
• B. Realism
• C. Romanticism
• D. Transcendentalism

Answer: (D)

This reflects Transcendentalism, with its belief in a universal spirit and the sacred value of each individual. Whitman’s idea of the self as kosmos shows the person as part of a vast, interconnected cosmos rather than an isolated ego. His democratic impulse—celebrating every person and experience as worthy—embodies the Transcendentalist conviction that truth comes from inner insight and the divine in nature, not from rigid institutions. This blend of cosmic scale and inclusive humanity is what sets it apart from Calvinism’s focus on predestination, Realism’s emphasis on depicting everyday life, or Romanticism’s emphasis on individual imagination without the same explicit democratic-spiritual universalism.