Question

Why might the idea of utopian communities appeal to the transcendentalists?

Answer 1

See explanation (last two paragraphs if you don't want to read the whole thing).

Explanation:

Let's first define what the utopias were and what transcendentalism was.

Utopia: A group designed to become a "perfect" society, where members of the same interests and beliefs could join to live together in peace and harmony.

Transcendentalism: A philosophy that the spiritual world, including beliefs and moral values, are more important than the law and should be followed with heart, and emphasized self-reliance and independence in the 1800s (a notable transcendentalist would be Henry David Thoreau).

Transcendentalists believed in values that argued for independence and spiritual values, and utopias that offered these specific environments would appear "perfect" to transcendentalists.

These people did not want to follow laws that messed with their beliefs and usually demonstrated civil disobedience (the act of disobeying laws with nonviolence). This, a community in which similar people came together may just spark interest in them.