Romanticism:
* William Wordsworth: Emerson admired Wordsworth's emphasis on nature, individual intuition, and the power of imagination. He saw echoes of this in his own philosophy of Transcendentalism.
* Samuel Taylor Coleridge: Emerson was drawn to Coleridge's concept of the "imagination" as a creative force and his exploration of spiritual and philosophical ideas.
* Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Goethe's emphasis on individual growth and development resonated with Emerson's own beliefs. He was also interested in Goethe's literary and scientific achievements.
* Friedrich Schiller: Schiller's emphasis on individual freedom and the importance of art and culture greatly influenced Emerson's thought.
Transcendentalism:
* Immanuel Kant: Emerson was influenced by Kant's philosophy of transcendental idealism, which suggested that our understanding of the world is shaped by the mind's categories.
* German Idealists: More broadly, the German Idealist movement (including figures like Fichte, Schelling, and Hegel) influenced Emerson's ideas about the nature of reality, the power of the mind, and the interconnectedness of all things.
* Other European Writers: Emerson also read and was influenced by writers such as Plato, Confucius, Lao Tzu, and Swedenborg, even though they weren't strictly European in origin.
It's important to remember that Emerson was a highly original thinker, and he synthesized his influences into his own unique philosophy. While he drew inspiration from European writers, he ultimately developed his own ideas about individualism, self-reliance, and the importance of intuition and experience.