Ralph Emerson Satire

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“All successful men have agreed in one thing,—they were causationists” (Emerson Power). This quote from Ralph Emerson 1860 proposal The Conduct of Life, submits that great men do not rely on good fortune, but forge personal triumph through attitude and action. Emerson openly uses this work to show support for trust of individual power and resources, free enterprise, and fellowship with liberal thinking, to name a few. A critic might suggest that this lecturer and philosopher’s writing reads more like a political platform for potential voters. Now, there is no fact to support this hunch, but it may be reasonable to think that Emerson was in-tune with the issues political candidates address in modern day elections. This year, United States …show more content…

This quote from Emerson’s The Conduct of Life, suggests that confidence in personal ability and wherewithal guides personality disposition. In the political arena, Emerson’s might simply state that character is built on self-reliance. He could take this summary further with a humble journey of his life, starting with his moral compass. The greatest influence is his father, who was a Unitarian minister, with liberal intellect, and the creator of the Philosophical Society (Dole). When he was eight years old, Emerson’s father died and his mother took up employment to support the family and educate her son. Excelling at academics and writing from a young age, Emerson also takes on odd jobs to help pay for his schooling and household expenses. After graduation from Harvard College at eighteen, Emerson works as a professor while training to be minister. Personal tragedy strikes again with the death of his first wife and later a young son. Emerson decides to travel the world, self-examine and attempt to answers questions about life and loss in his journals, speeches and essays (Dole). All-in-all, Emerson shows voters that he lives by his words and radiates success in the use of self-reliance to build his outstanding …show more content…

He fails to make his place good in the world, unless he not only pays his debt, but also adds something to the common wealth” (Emerson Wealth). Another quote from Emerson’s essay The Conduct of Life, proposes worthiness and freedom from outside control is achievable when people work for their money; the actual job is secondary. In a political debate, Emerson may state that his ideal economic system is capitalism. Since most of the current world is a mixed-economy (Amadeo), Emerson will need to educate the crowd on how this enterprise works. Private owners run farms that meet supply and demand, reputable merchants direct trade, personal debt is repaid, and profit is reinvested back into the capitalist system. When it comes to the workers, machines will not replace humans, slavery is illegal and women have equal right as men (Emerson Wealth). Unwavering in his support for free trade, Emerson will be convincing that employment in this economic system creates rich lives that are free from the demoralization of poverty. Since individuals decide commodity, services, and products without any outside regulation (Hessen), skeptics may wonder what will happen to the state and federal government. Emerson will explain that these organizations will take on the new role as owners of goods and chattels so that every citizen can bond over their preservation and enjoyment (Emerson Wealth). By the end of the political debate,

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