Ralph Waldo Emerson's Views On Individualism

Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American poet, Father of transcendentalism as well as one of the most influential thinkers in America till this day. Emerson was an important American Philosopher in the nineteenth century due to supporting individualism which can be seen in his notable to many essays "Self-Reliance" in 1841 where he urges his readers to be who you are and not to let others views on you effect who you are. Ralph Waldo Emerson was an individualist that attacked many dominant values such as religious, political, and cultural in order to make people feel as if they are the most important person in the world. Emerson states that a person is only responsible for themselves and they should not hardcore look into society's views on them which is in terms a principle in Transcendentalism. Transcendentalism was a literary movement in the 1800s, where many of its core values and

Mainly, the idea of thinking for oneself without a set of rules set by the government. That can be seen in the following quotes, "What I must do is all that concerns me, not what people think.." (cook; 76). People constantly are told not to care what other think and just be yourself. This quote states that in Emerson's life he didn't care what other viewed his as he did what he thought was best for him. Till this day, what people struggle with constantly is trying not to let others view of you bring you down from what you are trying to achieve or what you are trying to pursue Another quote is "I shun father and mother and wife and brother when my genius calls me. I would write on the lintels of the door-post, Whim." (Cook; 75). Emerson states that whenever he is thinking he forgets about everyone else and focuses on himself, and his individualism. He second sentence is an analogy, where he wants to be set free from social