In New England, Congregational Church grew into one of the biggest movements of religion, literature and philosophy as a reform in the early nineteenth-century in American history. A group of people including former Unitarian ministers made American transcendentalism started its transformation of the American intellect. These people wanted to reform the church because they saw it as a social religion which did not awake the individual’s realization of his own spirituality. These transcendentalists tried to urge their ideas of the significance of the self in spiritual life. American transcendentalism reached its peak in New England in the 1840s under the leadership of Ralph Waldo Emerson. As a former Unitarian minister, Emerson was at the forefront of this movement. He stated the importance of the American individualism in terms of moral and intellectual developments in Self Reliance. His essay supported the essence of the American transcendentalism and urged his readers that the individual is identical with the world and that the world exists in unity with God; therefore, there is no need for an outside institution. His essay did not address a specific group but it actually addressed all sorts of individuals in general. In his essay, he critically discussed the importance of American individualism, necessity of nonconformity and integrity by giving significant examples from the history. Moreover, his ideals which he represented in Self-Reliance became the inspiration for many important people in American history.
Firstly, Self-Reliance was one of the vital keys of writings that represented the ethic of American individualism. In Self Reliance, Emerson urged his readers to stand out when it comes to their individual thoughts witho...
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...ncouraged people to discover themselves away from the society and then confront society as fulfilled individuals. If the people can just embrace the chaos which breaks out because of the class power structure of society, they might be more fulfilled and happy.
Works Cited
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. “Self-Reliance”. Self-Reliance and Other Essays. New York : Dover
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Obama, Barack. “The Inaugural Address 2009”. The Inaugural Address, 2009: Together with
Abraham Lincoln's First and Second Inaugural Addresses and The Gettysburg Address and Ralph Waldo Emerson's Self-Reliance. (Penguin Books, February 4, 2009).
Thoreau, Henry David, “Resistance To Civil Government”. The Bedford Anthology of
American Literature, vol.1. Beginnings to 1865. New York, 2008. (794-809)
Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. Princeton: Princeton UP, 1971. Print.
He writes, “all things real are so by so much virtue as they contain.” Emerson says that things that are unique and individual are real, so therefore people who are mere imitations of society are neither unique nor individual. This makes it impossible for them to have distinct characteristics and qualities. A person with greater self reliance, Emerson’s goal for society, is an individual who brings value to themselves and others. In his closing paragraph, Emerson drives the final point home in his case for self-reliance. “Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles.” The major goal in life is seen as being at peace with oneself, a goal nearly impossible if one is an imitation of someone else. Becoming self reliant is not so simple as making a single decision, it is a journey. Emerson provides crucial explanation and motivation for one to become self-reliant, and leaves it to the reader to take this goal upon
In the essay Self-Reliance, Emerson addresses his idea on individualism which allows for nonconformity because being a nonconformist in today's mimetic society, can construct an authentic identity. The social conformity in today’s world influences people into conformism, thus eliminating individual thoughts or beliefs. According to Christina Bianca, a creator from At Auburn University, claims that, “In today’s society...it’s become all too easy to let society tell us what to believe through the constant swarm of messages attempting to achieve communication with us.” Society, as stated by Christina Bianca, “attempts to carve beliefs into the human brain by any means possible.” For example, “if you were to log onto any form of social
...ed to an optimistic emphasis on individualism, self-reliance, and rejection of traditional authority” (American 1). The major players in the transcendentalist movement are Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. They shared ideas such as self-reliance, and ideas about how there is a divine being that controls every person. They influenced many other writers and they even had an effect on the American society, then and now. Transcendentalism was a philosophy and a way of life. It will continue to be this as long as we have access to the great minds of the transcendental movement.
In “Self Reliance” by Ralph Waldo Emerson, he promotes the importance of self reliance as an individual, and in society. Individuality to Emerson Opposed the traditional ideas of society, and to him it meant to oppose the conformity and consistency in society. He believes that the majority of people have given up their self reliance because of their fear of judgement by society. To be an individual, Emerson stresses that one has to be a risk taker, and disregard all things external.
In the article “The Foul Reign of Self Reliance” by Benjamin Anastas the main topic being discussed is the topic of self reliance. It discusses how it is bad and how much the American society has been negatively effected because of it especially in politics because self reliance presents a self centered view. In the article Anastas’s uses rhetorical strategies such as pathos, logos, and to help the readers understand the concept of “self reliance”. Anasta’s uses pathos as well as logos, Anecdote and tone tone to let the reader know that the ideas that Emerson is discussing is not ok. Through out the article he explains that self reliance comes with one having to be selfish and self centered, Anasta uses examples from our society and challenges
I agree with the statement Benjamin Anastas makes about Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “self-reliance” of how it is “the most pernicious piece of literature in the American canon” (Anastas 602-603). One reason why I agree with Anastas is that Emerson believes the people are timid and apologetic and do not have opinions of their own. Another reason why I stand alongside Anastas is that Emerson thinks people are afraid of each other and the truth(s) that others have are but quotes from a saint or sage. My final reason that I believe Anastas is correct is due to Emerson believing our society does not gain anything new that makes life worth living.
“Transcendentalism, An American Philosophy.” U.S. History Online Textbook. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2014.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. The American Scholar ; Self-reliance ; Compensation. N.p.: American Book, 1893. Print.
Douglas Adams once said “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” This quote resembles the idea that is illustrated throughout Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay Self-Reliance. Many people believe that we need to plan out their own life, but God lays out your life in his own unique way. Emerson uses many different types of aphorisms throughout the essay to express how we need to fulfill our own life. He also expresses that we should follow God’s path toward what he wants them to show within their lives. My philosophical values are congruent with Ralph Waldo Emerson’s. Emerson reminds us to stay true to ourselves, avoiding conforming to societies’ expectations, and ultimately listening to our own inner voice.
Emerson, Ralph. "Self-Reliance." The American Tradition in Literature. Eighth Edition. Ed. George Perkins. New York. McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1994.
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emerson is a firm believer of maintaining self-reliance and values rather than following the crowd. He also explains that in order to be truly successful in life, a person must make decisions and trust in his or her judgment. In today’s society, teenagers are more likely to not be self-reliant because the teens feel they will be judged for having different beliefs. People today need to realize that they should not conform to be like the rest of the world, they must not depend on the judgment and criticism of others, and people must refuse to travel somewhere in order to forget their personal problems. Through Emerson’s piece, readers are able to reflect on how people in the world today must try to be independent of others and uphold their personal opinions and philosophy.
In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self-Reliance,” Emerson calls for each person in society to be wholly true to themselves. He claims that it is most rewarding to the individual and the society for people to believe in one’s own thoughts and not in the thoughts of others. Emerson believes that conformity will ultimately lead to an individual’s demise because by living for others, people are not being true to themselves. Therefore in order to have a well-formed society, citizens should focus inward and have confidence in their own ideas before beginning to look towards other individuals; moreover, Emerson calls individuals not only in “Self-Reliance,” but also in numerous essays to act independently from conformity and to live for themselves.
To achieve better success as a whole nation, the economy, the community, the government and the educational system need more of those individuals, people, who are different in their thoughts, who believe in their personal opinion and have the courage to express it, who question political actions, who change and improve the system by being sceptic, the people who make the difference. The more people are self-reliant, the better the success of the country and of all people. Emerson’s “Self-Reliance” is an excellent essay about the own opinion of a human being that describes exactly how men have to think about several aspects of life to be as successful as possible, for their nation and themselves.
If I can successfully shape my life around ideas of self-reliance I can be exactly who I want to be. I look around me and don’t want to conform to society’s standards, I recognize that there is an easy way out, but try my best to remain true to myself by following my heart with pure conviction. Because of my desire to remain true to myself, I closely identify with Emerson in “Self-Reliance”: “To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, - that is genius.”
Transcendentalism was one of the most important movements of the nineteenth century that was forever immortalized by innovative authors such as Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne and their works of literature. The theory embodied ideals that, if taken to heart, had the potential to create a better understanding of the soul. If people could connect their individual soul with the universe, they could fulfill their potential in life. The impact that Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne had on transcendental philosophy and literature brought about a whole new realm of thought and understanding to American intellect and literature. The shape of their philosophies, although altered to reflect the existing modem thought and value, can be seen in the writings of Walt Whitman, Louisa May Alcott, John Burroughs and the teachings of modem day oracles such as Gandhi. The impact, felt by all social institutions, created a new sense of identity and freedom in the American people that can be recognized in the many social movements of the subsequent generations.