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Self-Reliance Ralph Waldo Emerson response essay
Transcendentalism philosophers
Transcendentalism philosophers
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Anyone living in today’s world will feel a deep connection while reading two particular texts from the American Renaissance, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self-Reliance (1841) and Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience (1849). These two texts describe not only Transcendentalist ideal’s but specifically how people of the time period could utilize them for their own benefit. These two authors, although mentor and student, followed their individualism and created unique and significant works while building off of each others ideas. Although these two texts make arguments on different subjects (society and government) the underlying theme remains quite similar. In both Emerson’s, Self-Reliance, and Thoreau's, Civil Disobedience, there is a shared …show more content…
theme of anti-conformity for self fulfillment. Emerson's essay was a product of multiple lectures he gave on the philosophy of history.
The ideas of these lectures were written out in his 1841 collection Essays: First Series which included his most famous essay, Self-Reliance. He uses his essay to express the importance of the individual over the whole. Emerson states Quote “Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist. He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind” (Emerson, Ralph W. Self Reliance. p.541) Emerson uses the idea of hidden, untapped genius of the individual to pivot over to non conformist ideals. He believes that the two are one and the same, in order to unlock ones full potential one must first rid themselves of social norm and expectation. His text brought about radical new ideas for the time period, when tradition and religion were the pillars of community. To challenge them was to challenge the people themselves, a necessary yet isolating method. He follows along this theme of nonconformity in order to introduce the populace to ideas outside of their comfort …show more content…
zone. Meanwhile Thoreau wrote his essay from a different context. Not a speech to the public like Emerson but rather a story explaining his thoughts and the events during his night in prison for tax evasion. He fought against the government for its actions in the Mexican American War and it’s stance on slavery, and publicly refused to pay his taxes. His arguments being that the individual must rise above her expectations and trust in herself rather than laws thrust upon her by the government. It is easy to see how Thoreau’s arguments stem from Emerson’s transcendentalist arguments. Thoreau says QUOTE “Cast your whole vote, not a strip of paper merely, but your whole influence. A minority is powerless while it conforms to the majority; it is not even a minority then; but it is irresistible when it clogs by its whole weight.” (22) in reference to the state imprisoning those that are against it. It’s clear here that Thoreau uses an anti-establishment view-point and its quotes like these that also reveal the underlying theme of anti-conformity. Blah blah says QUOTE “Thoreau's great insight was that there is a moral emptiness in government unless it is filled by the actions of citizens on behalf of justice. (http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/i7719.html) This outlook helps to shine more light on the literary connection between Thoreau and Emerson. He uses Emerson’s idea of the individual over the whole to create an image of the ideal government. Where each action is dictated by the individual serving his own moral compass rather than the government as a whole. The individual is allowed to think freely without fear of contradicting his party, or his previous statements, because his one allegiance is to his current outlook. Emerson most repeated quote is QUOTE “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...” Emerson's quote informs the reader that they hold themselves hostage with their predispositions. They fear so much to contradict their public persona, that they will leave their problem solving at the door in favor for an interpretation given to them by their biases. To reject society is to free themselves from judgment, thus allowing them to interpret every moment within the context of itself. Seeking the real truth and not dismissing or accepting based on their political, religious, or traditional beliefs. Rejecting these pillars of human creation seems backwards, yet Emerson claims the true intellectual will find his viewpoint out naturally. QUOTE “There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion...”41 Likening imitation to suicide Emerson further isolates and attacks those who conform. Suicide deemed one, if not the worst crime one could commit in most major religions. Similarly Thoreau speaks with a similar passion within his own work. Thoreau’s and Emerson's texts are deeply intertwined. People directly connect Emerson with this idea of non conformity Quote “Nonconformity: Emerson states, "Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist." He counsels his readers to do what they think is right no matter what others think (Hacht, Anne, ed. (2007). "Major Works" Literary Themes for Students: The American Dream. Detroit: Gale. pp. 453–466 ) This theme of separating from the crowd was possible taught to Thereau during his time spent living on Emerson’s property. Learning and adapting inwards to find the unaltered self by isolating himself. His work shows signs of this non conforming isolation Quote “Thoreau takes a slightly more radical or extreme stance, advocating a literal return to nature—and a disconnection from the madness of the modern world– as a way of understanding oneself and society” (http://www.articlemyriad.com/role-nature-transcendental-poetry) Thoreau and Emerson both took extreme stances against the social norm, to conform was to kill the individual, and it showed within their writing. These texts argued that conformity is cooperation with society's sins, and in a modern world where the upper class uses biases against the common people, lessons from long ago seem more meaningful then ever.
Emerson’s consistency argument shows that people become so blinded by their allegiances that they can actively fight their own growth. While Thoreau's similar accusation of government show their forced sacrifice of public good in favor of their own comfort. The lessons these texts seem to impart, are the importance of the journey of the self, because if the individual does not have a clear sense of self, they will lose themselves to society corruptions. The individual will be lost, either to pray for a god given by another, days spent working for the benefit of a government that exploits them, or simple fear in the streets because society deemed the world unsafe. These texts help us find the goodness in the individual and recognize the evil that society brings to their
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A transcendentalist whom strongly urged passive, non-violent resistance to the government’s policies to which an individual is morally opposed wrote his ideas in his essay,“On the Duty of Civil Disobedience” in the year 1849. Thoreau’s transcendentalist belief is seen in his text continuously, “In most cases there is no free exercise whatever of the judgment or of the moral sense; but they put themselves on a level with wood and earth and stones; and wooden men can perhaps be manufactured that will serve the purpose as well. Such command no more respect than men of straw or a lump of dirt. They have the same sort of worth only as horses and dogs”(Thoreau 4). As a white male who was given the right to vote, Thoreau’s writing is more direct and
To conclude, Thoreau believed that people should be ruled by conscience and that people should fight against injustice through non-violence according to “Civil Disobedience.” Besides, he believed that we should simplify our lives and take some time to learn our essence in the nature. Moreover, he deemed that tradition and money were unimportant as he demonstrated in his book, Walden. I suggested that people should learn from Thoreau to live deliberately and spend more time to go to the nature instead of watching television, playing computer games, and among other things, such that we could discover who we were and be endeavored to build foundations on our dreams.
In the early 1900s, a philosophical movement emerged known as Transcendentalism. Its, including renowned writers such as Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, believe in five main principles: non-conformity, self-reliance, free thought, self-confidence, and the importance of nature. These principles inspired Henry David Thoreau’s essay entitled “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience”. This is a bold, powerful piece of work that is very progressive for its time period, and has sparked a fire in the hearts of all those who have indulged in its words.
In his essay, “Resistance to Civil Government,” often times dubbed, “Civil Disobedience,” Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) argues against abiding to one’s State, in protest to the unjust laws within its government. Among many things, Thoreau was an American author, poet, and philosopher. He was a firm believer in the idea of civil disobedience, the act of refusing to obey certain laws of a government that are felt to be unjust. He opposed the laws regarding slavery, and did not support the Mexican-American war, believing it to be a tactic by the Southerners to spread slavery to the Southwest. To show his lack of support for the American government, he refused to pay his taxes. After spending a night in jail for his tax evasion, he became inspired to write “Civil Disobedience.” In this essay, he discusses the importance of detaching one’s self from the State and the power it holds over its people, by refraining from paying taxes and putting money into the government. The idea of allowing one’s self to be arrested in order to withhold one’s own values, rather than blindly following the mandates of the government, has inspired other civil rights activists throughout history such as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Both these men fought against unjust laws, using non-violent, yet effective, methods of protest. From these three men, we can learn the significance of detaching ourselves from the social norm; and instead, fight for our values in a non-violent way, in order to make a change in our government’s corrupt and unjust laws.
An influential literary movement in the nineteenth century, transcendentalism placed an emphasis on the wonder of nature and its deep connection to the divine. As the two most prominent figures in the transcendentalist movement, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau whole-heartedly embraced these principles. In their essays “Self-Reliance” and “Civil Disobedience”, Emerson and Thoreau, respectively, argue for individuality and personal expression in different manners. In “Self-Reliance”, Emerson calls for individuals to speak their minds and resist societal conformity, while in “Civil Disobedience” Thoreau urged Americans to publicly state their opinions in order to improve their own government.
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 society-centered world that has existed for thousands of years, Emerson's and Thoreau's recommendation of living as a self-reliant individual can be a difficult task to accomplish. Society puts pressure on its members to conform to its standards. Nonconformists are shunned by society and as a result have difficulty retaining their nonconformist position. According to Emerson's Self-Reliance, though, this nonconformist, independent stance is the only thing that can bring a person peace. Emerson believes a truly great man lives in the world, but at the same time trusts himself, believes in himself, and is, in a word, independent.
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was a philosopher and writer who is well known for his criticism of the American government during the time. During Thoreau’s life, there were two major issues being debated in the United States: slavery and the Mexican-American War. Both issues greatly influenced his essay, as he actually practiced civil disobedience in his own life by refusing to pay taxes in protest of the Mexican War. He states that the government should be based on conscience and that citizens should refuse to follow the law and has the duty not to participate and stay as a member of an unjust institution like the government. I argue that the notion of individualism and skepticism toward government is essential in the basis of many important reform movements in the modern society.
The first way Emerson shows self-reliance today is through the society. Emerson's perspective is that the world “world whips you with its displeasure” for nonconformity. This implies that if a person does something society does not think is normal then they get tormented for it. Today people get laughed at if they look a different way than society wants them to look or if they do something that is not seen as normal. Martin Luther King Jr tried to give African Americans the same rights as everyone else but society thought they were “less” than everyone else. He was sent to jail and eventually murdered for not complying with society. In schools today if a student comes in with purple hair and a tail on, people laugh at them and make jokes about them because society does not normally see this behavior. He also argues that “the other terror” that scares people from trusting himself is consistency. When a person is constantly consistent then they will not be able to trust theirself, preventing them from trying new things in life. They limit theirself to what they can do. A person who avoids flying on an airplane by always driving to their destination no
To start off, individualism was a major ideal of living, for each of the men. In his essay, Self-Reliance, Emerson stated, “Trust thyself: Every heart vibrates to that iron string,” (Emerson 210) which describes an essential value that Emerson, McCandless, and Thoreau believed in; because with a self-motivated mindset and self-confidence, they were able to able listen to their instincts, mind, and heart without concern of
Ralph Waldo Emerson was one of the most influential leaders in the Transcendentalist movement that began in nineteenth century New England. Transcendentalism began as a new social ideal in which it was suggested that “men and women equally, have knowledge about themselves and the world around them that “transcends” or goes beyond what they can see, hear, taste, touch, or feel. This knowledge comes through intuition and imagination, not through logic or the senses” (ushistory.org). His beliefs were shared among the likes of Henry David Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott, and John Muir. Emerson’s most significant themes detailed in “Self-Reliance” included non-conformity, independent
The way in which government should perform has been a long standing debate. Many different authors and social figures have presented their viewpoints on the way in which the people should be governed. Most notable are John Steinbeck in “The Grapes of Wrath” and Henry David Thoreau in “Civil Disobedience.” Specifically, in chapter 17 of “The Grapes of Wrath” Steinbeck comments on the birth of civilization from physical needs to government issues. Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” analyzes the function of government. Although Steinbeck reflects some of the ideas expressed in “Civil Disobedience” in his novel, many of his ideas contradict that of Thoreau’s as well.
Emerson used his literary work, “Nature” to help guide others through the transcendental movement. He has been through many tragedies of losing family members and loved ones, along with the historical events of the Civil War. Although, he remained an optimistic writer through it all, he didn’t just ‘get by’ - he never quit, and he never gave up on himself. Individualism is the habit or principle of being independent and self-reliant. Emerson’s work is all about individualism. He fought for people to be different in their own way. Without Emerson, what would this world be like if everyone was exactly the same?
Thoreau and Emerson are the same in many ways, the both have the things they stand against. Emerson wants us to be ourselves by being independent, he thinks you have to be yourself to be great. Thoreau wants you be be yourself by not following the government blindly, if you know the law is unjust don't follow it. Although Thoreau and Emerson may have their similarities, they also have things that set them apart. Thoreau is fighting is individuality with the government and its unjust laws. In his essay “Civil Disobedience’ he states “That government is best which governs least” (Thoreau 390). In Emerson’s story “Self Reliance” he is fighting his individuality with the part of society who doesn't think or act for themselves. In Emerson’s essay he states “...But God will not have his work made manifest by cowards” (Emerson 225).
...re very close to Emerson’s description in “Self – Reliance.” It satisfies Emerson’s ideal of a self – reliant person as closely as I can imagine possible. I am negating the fact that Thoreau obviously takes these ideas from Emerson and they are not his own, because one cannot follow Emerson’s guidelines without studying and learning them. Following the guidelines of “Self – Reliance” is impossible due to the fact that accepting these rules as your own means you are taking Emerson’s ideas and not your own. In my opinion Emerson does not want everyone to move out into the woods and live alone. Just to stay wherever you are and find your own genius in your own mind. Do not worry about what the world says about what you do. Thoreau did not have to move to the woods to achieve self – reliance, however I feel as if Emerson wanted to let him realize that on his own.