Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau both discussed the topic of expansion, but they differed in opinion about the issue. Emerson, author of “Self-Reliance”, believed that the future of America was hopeful, while Thoreau, author of “Resistance to Civil Government”, believed that the future of America was despairing.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, author of “Self-Reliance”, had a hopeful view of what America would become. (more here—introduce quote)“… the soul is light; where it is, is day; where it was, was night; and the history is an impertinence and an injury, if it be anything more than a cheerful apologue or parable of my becoming” (277). Emerson suggested that the soul is the most valuable component in moving forward. By comparing the soul to light, Emerson was directly referring to not only the visibility of the soul, but also the almost heavenly aura of the soul and the weightlessness of the soul compared the heaviness of history. Emerson used allegories to present this concept of day and night, which represented the past and future. When he spoke of the day, he was referring to the future. When he spoke of night, he was referring to the past. He believed that Americans should not dwell on past history, but look forward to the future. (looking out west; looking at nature; imagining as we grow; transparent eyeball; looks into future—sees that as we expand)
Emerson encouraged Americans not to conform, to be individuals instead of following what society deemed to be right. Emerson wrote, “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds” (274). In simpler terms, Emerson meant that Americans should not just do what had been done in the past; Americans should think on their own terms and advance society by doing something...
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...y regret, and sometimes they petition; but they do nothing in earnest and with effect. They will wait, well disposed, for others to remedy the evil…at most, they give only a cheap vote” (968). Thoreau felt as though the majority of Americans disagreed with slavery and the Mexican-American War, but the most proactive gesture they make is a vote that doesn’t actually make a difference, considering the government holds all the power. Even though Americans disagreed with the government, they would just wait until someone else did something to alleviate the problem, in this case slavery and the war.
Emerson and Thoreau disagreed on the fate of the nation. Emerson had a hopeful view of how the nation would end up as it was expanding. In contrast, Thoreau had a despairing view of how the nation would end up as a result of expansion, particularly the expansion of slavery.
Henry David Thoreau was a poet, social philosopher, and educator in the early to mid- 1800s (Hampton). He graduated from Harvard University in 1837 and, upon his return to his hometown of Concord, Massachusetts, befriended Ralph Waldo Emerson, also a philosopher and poet (Hampton, “Ralph Waldo Emerson”). Emerson was also the leader of the Transcendentalist movement which was based on the idea that people should lead by example -- social reform begins with the individual, not the government -- and that the movement should be peaceful (Woodlief, Ruehl). Thoreau agreed with this approach until the United States invaded Mexico in May, 1846 (Brown, Witherell). Opposed to slavery, Thoreau saw the invasion of Mexico as an attempt by the government to extend slavery westward. In his essay “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience,” published in 1849 with the original title, “Resistance to Civil Government,” Thoreau protests against the government and states that is a man’s duty to rise up against the government when the government commits a wrong (Thoreau). In his writings, Thoreau uses the three rhetorical approaches of Pathos, Ethos, and Logos in his attempts to persuade his readers to his point of view (Heinrichs).
Both Emerson and Douglass had a huge impact on those who read their work. Their messages were both similar and different in their own ways. Emerson pushed the idea of unification with God through the soul while Douglass stood behind the development of the mind with the ability to read. However, both Emerson and Douglass
In “Civil Disobedience,” Thoreau stated that government should be expedient and conscientious. He started off his essay with his motto, “That government is best which governs least” and “That government is best which governs not at all.” He meant that we did not need a government that made rules and that the government should let the people do whatever they wanted to do. He believed that government should be expedient, not inexpedient. “Government is at best but an expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient.” He used a lot of examples to justify the inexpedient government. One of them was the Mexican-American war. “Witness the present Mexican war, the work of comparatively a few individuals using the standing government as their tool; for, in the outset, the people would not have consented to this measure…” It was inexpedient because war was just a tool for a few powerful individuals and did not have consent of the multitude. He believed that the government should help most of the people, not just a few rich people. In addition, the minority rule, in w...
Human beings all around the world are different in many ways. They all have their unique and physical characteristics, as well as different personalities. They each also have different ideas and thoughts on different topics. America is made up of a great amount of diverse people with diverse, even conflicting opinions and ideas. Diversity is a major component of the foundation of our country. The cliché of American as a salad bowl is extremely true. Every person is different and every person in his or her own way makes up a small part of America. Without the diversity of ideas and beliefs of Americans, the nation would not be nearly as successful as we are. A major similarity between Ralph Waldo Emerson's Self Reliance and J.D Salinger's Catcher in the Rye is a non-conformist ideology that both exhibit, and the idea that one should choose their own individuality above confomity.
In Thoreau’s view, he felt that the government was insufficient. He didn’t need the laws to be just, he used his conscious and morality. He was compelled to do what morally was right, rather than it being based on government issued laws such as the complacent society there is today. People seem to care about justice, yet are immoral. This was the message Thoreau was trying to get across.
Benjamin Franklin and Henry David Thoreau have been thought of as two powerful philosophers in history. Both men were alive centuries ago, but their unique ways of life and ideas still exist in some of history’s most admirable figures. Each man had a judgment that went beyond the era they existed in, but is still obvious in today’s culture. Even though both men are credited for their wise principles, their beliefs do not always coincide with one another. However, one thing they do have in common is that they both revolutionized America through their thoughts, actions, and distinctive opinions on how to improve the world around them.
know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my
There are times throughout the history of the United States when its citizens have felt the need to revolt against the government. Two such cases occurred during the time of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry David Thoreau. Both men courageously confronted the mighty us government; both spent time in jail as a result of their defiant actions; both men stood for a belief in a better future, and both presented their dreams through non-violent protest and civil disobedience. The similarities in their course of action are undeniable, but each man used different terms on which they based their arguments. Martin Luther King Junior's appeal through the human conscience, and Henry Thoreau's excellent use of patriotism, present similar issues in very dissimilar ways.
“What I must do, is all that concerns me, not what the people think.” (Emerson, 552) demonstrates that Emerson wants individuals to discover their true self that have unique way of thinking and should have a strong sense of self; The strong sense of self is also presented by “A great man is coming to eat at my house. I do not wish to please him: I wish that he should wish to please me.” (Emerson, 555) while stating that nobody’s ideas should be less valued. Through “The one thing in the world of value, is, the active soul, --the soul, free, sovereign, active.” (Emerson, 539) he shows his preference of resisting influences thinkers in past brings because he believes individuals nowadays can come up with better ideas and reading old ones will hold creativity back. In case that Emerson sticks with the stand that everybody can look into themselves carefully and bring up brand new and great thoughts to contribute to the world, he has no compassion toward poor people. If each individual has ability to be self-reliant, and then the only reason why poor people are poor is that they do not even try to manage their destiny. Therefore, unlike Franklin, Emerson questions “Are they my poor?” (Emerson, 552) to blame poor people.
Thoreau was a very dedicated abolitionist. Majority of his works was for the abolishment of slavery. Thoreau even defended Captain John Brown, who was charged with treason for the uprising against slavery in Virginia. Thoreau expressed his feelings in a way that is still relevant in society today. His most radical work is his writing on “Civil Disobedience” in his essay Thoreau states, “government is best which governs not at all”(1).This powerful statement means that government is too corrupt to lead people in the right way so they need to take a step back and let society govern itself. Thoreau also explains, how without change society itself will always be the government 's machine (6). His statement iterates that government will always have power over people that do not rebel to make change; due to the fact that laws will be followed because people are often ignorant of the situation. Individuals have to understand that society can not just vote for a law and expect chang. Thoreau believed that explains to vote against their government, a simple vote is not enough(Civil Disobedience). People that rebel need to back up their vote with their actions to make a difference in
Henry David Thoreau’s work stated that people shouldn’t blindly follow the government but instead think if the law is right or wrong. In the case of the time slavery and the Mexican war was waging on and Thoreau’s says if you don’t feel
Both Thoreau and Emerson argue that asserting one’s opinions is crucial to attaining a better society. Emerson decries the danger of societal conformity and challenges the reader to “speak what you think now in hard words” in order to remedy it (Emerson 367). Likewise, Thoreau speculates that if “every man make known what kind of government would command his respect” it would be “one step toward obtaining it” (Thoreau 381). With these remarkably similar statements, both transcendentalists appeal to the reader’s patriotism by using language evocative of the agitated and outraged colonial Americans who demanded the people’s voice be heard in government. Although published roughly a half century later, “Self-Reliance” and “Civil Disobedience” mirror the sentiments of famous Revolution-era leaders such as Thomas Paine and Patrick Henry.
Emerson was a prominent writer and philosopher of the time famous for his transcendentalist view on life and God. Transcendentalism divided the universe into "Nature and Soul" and classified people as either "Materialists or Idealists" (Schneider, 1987). Transcendentalists disagreed with John Locke's "blank slate" theory of human development believing rather that we are, "born with certain innate ideas that provide a direct connection between the child and God." Therefore, a transcendentalist should "hold oneself above merely material concerns and to focus one's energies on attaining moral and spiritual excellence." (Schneider, 1987). Thoreau held these ideals very close to his heart. Even as a boy he had...
It is a writer’s job to clarify ideas, employ allegories or other scholarly devices, and convince their audience of a belief. However, not all writers share the same perspective or poetic hypotheses. According to David D. Anderson, “Both Ralph Waldo Emerson and Edgar Allan Poe have left essays in which they attempted to make articulate their philosophies of poetic composition”(471). Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American savant that drove the transcendentalist development. He is responsible for writing "The American Scholar" and "The Poet." In his address, "The American Scholar," Emerson states that the time has come to make another American social character. He supposes it is time for the United States and American culture to break free from European impact.
...y, considering citizenship and working for the benefit of society, while Henry Thoreau emphasizes the illusory nature and imperfection of the state and sees individual freedom in unity with nature and rejection of pseudo-needs enslaving people.