1.	The essay that I elected to read and analyze was "Self-Reliance" by Ralph Waldo Emerson.
2.	The Transcendental Movement held a strong opinion that one should have complete faith in oneself. Emerson, being an avid transcendentalist, believed in this philosophy. He supported this concept that we should rely on our own intuition and beliefs. "Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string." Emerson, along with the Transcendental Movement, believed in the vitality of self-reliance. One must have confidence and belief in oneself. "…the only right is what is after my constitution; the only wrong what is against it." Once one has reliance upon oneself, he can generate his own set of ideals and morals, not just the ideals bestowed upon him by society. In obeying these principles of life, he has created a constitution of his own. This constitution is the guiding light of his life; it leads the way to truth and ultimate liberation and provides the right path to follow.
This idea brings about the transcendental concept of the belief in the worth of the individual. The individual, in transcendental philosophy, has the power to accomplish anything and everything. Social organization and friendship offer a small satisfaction of companionship and structure in life, but one will ultimately succeed based upon his own skills and conviction. In doing so, he will lose interest in the society and concentrate on more individual dependency as he strives to gain ultimate truth in life. "What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think." Once one considers less the social ramifications of his actions and considers more the personal consequences, he will become more apt to discover what he is looking for; in the transcendentalists’ case, it was the meaning of life.
3.	a).	"To be great is to be misunderstood."
	This statement was used by Emerson to explain the lagging growth of the conception of ideas and thought of his generation. Original and novel ideas were and still are scorned by those who believe that the best method for learning is repetition and memorization. When one comes up with a groundbreaking idea, it is generally disregarded because so-called "experts" do not agree with it. This is because soci...
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...ing is uncomfortable, we should leave. Conformity with society has disabled this aspect of human nature, and I feel that it is something that needs to be addressed.
4.	We should not conform to the preconceived laws of society. When we dislike something, we should not hesitate to be different and oppose. Believe in the power of the individual, and learn to depend on yourself, in order to achieve greatness.
5.	In reading this essay, I saw many viewpoints on life that I have never seen before. They are opinions that are different from what is normal, and they are sometimes abrupt and shocking. Some of the opinions are opinions that I can relate with; others were completely out of the ballpark. I was surprised, and a little excited to read many of the philosophies that Emerson held to be the great truths of this world. Emerson had many ideas that can benefit the world today; they can help societies evolve into better places for people to live. They also provide a call for humans to evolve from conforming automatons to individuals who do and say what they feel. These thought that Emerson conveyed moved me and made me realize how precious our free will and judgement are.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. “Thoreau.” The Atlantic Ideas Tour. Atlantic Monthly Group, n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2013. .
Ralph Waldo Emerson is considered the Father of Transcendentalism because he first introduced the idea of a simplistic and intuitive way of life. He claims, “Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist . . . Nothing is at least sacred but the integrity of your own mind” (“Self-Reliance” 392). Nonconformity is an essential part of Emerson’s definition of a transcendentalist. To be able to live a truly boundless and accomplished life, one must not fall into the daily, busy life of society. He or she must stand out and follow their intuition, even it is not considered the norm. The only way to be content is to trust one’s instinct, not be jaded by the pressures society.
Chris Mccandless and Ralph Waldo Emerson are true followers of transcendentalism. They include all of the concepts in their lives every day. They both are certain, that they must use all of concepts. Including the five I’s of transcendentalism, the way they see nature, how they tried to seek, to find their identity, and lastly their independence.
Emerson is known as the father of Transcendentalism because he was the founder of the movement. His writings appealed to both intellectuals and the general public even if his new ideas were hard for most of society to understand. Emerson’s entire life journey was transcendental. He was constantly thinking outside of society’s norms. Emerson once said “Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist” (Emerson). Emerson means that to be a real man you cannot conform to what society wants you to be. Society tends to want everyone to think the same way and do what they are told to do. A man cannot go around following others and not thinking for himself.
In "Self-Reliance," philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson argues that people shouldn't be reliant on what others in society think. The main point of this essay is for people in society to realize that the only way to be comfortable is to be uncomfortable first. Throughout the essay it can be complicating to understand what Emerson is trying to accomplish. In the first paragraph Emerson states," The soul always hears an admonition in such lines." He also writes," Watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind." Lastly Emerson claims," we shall be forced to take with shame our own opinions from another."
The basic tenets of Transcendentalism involve the relationships between one’s self and the world at large. First, the search for truth in Transcendentalism begins with the individual. The thoughts of Transcendentalist writers must come from themselves and not from others. They could study previous works for inspiration, but they could not take the ideas of others. Transcendentalist writers have complete self-reliance in their ideas. Transcendentalism called for literary, philosophical, and theological independence from Europe, earning the Transcendentalist era the label “American Renaissance.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson is also known for his powerful quotations, most of them motivational and philosophical. I was impressed by his simple but powerful thoughts about life: “It is not the length of life, but the depth.”...
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.
...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.
These beliefs of Transcendentalists were unofficially brought forth in Emerson's Nature. Emerson went on to be the main source of most of transcendental belief's exposure to the world by writing poetry and other forms of literature. He even founded the transcendental magazine, known as The Dial. In his collection of essays known as Self-Reliance, Emerson discusses the reasons for being a nonconformist, the proper reasons for travel, and the needless reliance on property. In his essay A Nonconformist, he states, "Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. Absolve you to yourself, and you shall have the suffrage of the world." In this statement Emerson resolves to say that those who conform to follow the institutions of life can not be able to listen to the intuition which lies inside them.
The relatively obscure release of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s first book, Nature, in 1836, gave few clues to the celebrity and influence which would later be enjoyed by its author. The piece was originally published anonymously but did mark the beginning of Emerson’s future role of mentor, lecturer, and teacher. His scope was wide, attracting a number of admirers across Massachusetts, reaching audiences from both his literary works, as well as his numerous appearances on the university lecture circuit.
Transcendentalism is widely known throughout the world and some people believe themselves to be transcendentalists even to this day. Most know transcendentalism to be a movement started in the nineteenth century; it is a idealistic philosophical and social movement. Beliefs of a transcendentalist consist of but are not limited to: being a nonconformist, nature is spiritual, inspirational and symbolic, self-reliance is important and following personal beliefs is the key to a happiness and leads to a fulfilling life. To show, in Self-Reliance written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Civil Disobedience and Walden, both by Henry David Thoreau, focus on the topic of transcendentalism and share their own opinions towards the subject. However, Christopher
Thus, it is essential to stop being a follower and experience life for one’s own self. It is easy to follow a regulated path yet I agree that it is an obligation to the self to be able to break free from the footprints of society and form one’s own footprints. Emerson argues that high thinkers, such as Moses or Plato, are highly acclaimed because they were able to break free from conformity and act upon their own thoughts and ideas. Instead of being accustomed to everyday life, I believe that in order to live meaningfully, one must challenge the self and be able to experience life differently in a new way.
Emerson's message is one of non-conformity and individuality. He views every man as unique within, and feels society, exterior elements and tradition are man's downfall. He urges us to be a product of ourselves, to live in the present, rather than measure our worth against man's past accomplishments or live by old ideas.
He appealed to people by sharing his essays, lectures and poetry. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s first book was titled Nature, this book consisted of the very thoughts that best depicted Transcendentalism. Emerson spoke of society and how it is corrupting the minds of humans by making materialism common and undermining self-reliance. He believed greatness could be achieved through oneself. I agree with Emerson when he talks about people being the best versions of themselves when independent and away from society in nature. The most significant aspect about Ralph Waldo Emerson is his involvement and importance to the Transcendentalist movement. He is known as the father of transcendentalism, the movement took place during the late 1820’s and 1830’s in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It began with the founding of the Transcendental Club and the purpose of the organization was to think spiritually as opposed to thinking scientifically. This movement became popular to other scholars in nearby areas of Cambridge. Thus, Emerson met new people through the Transcendental Club such as: Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Thomas Carlyle, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Theodore Parker and others. “In 1836 and later, a club of perhaps a dozen thoughtful persons, men and women, formed the habit of meeting at each other’s houses for the informal discussion of such topics as mysticism, pantheism, personality. Nobody knew who first dubbed them the “Transcendental Club”: the culprit observed a prudent anonymity” (Firkins, 1915, p.66). In the Transcendentalism chapters of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Firkins goes into depth on one piece of writing from the Journals that Emerson wrote during the transcendental period. Firkins then goes on to explain the relationships between Emerson and Thoreau, Hawthorne and a few others. He has meticulous opinions about the personal affairs of Emerson in his review when referring to both Emerson’s