Emerson Self Reliance Essay

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The beauty of American literature extended beyond borders by the immersion of the Transcendentalism movement in the eighteenth century. Beginning its formation of the American intellect through a circle of friends in a modest way, the American transcendental movement drew upon the philosophies and religions of the world to bring into play their ideas of the importance of the self in spiritual life. With the leadership for the rethinking of the American Spirituality, Ralph Waldo Emerson was at the front of the movement. As one of the most influential literary figures of the nineteenth century, Emerson shaped the American philosophy which embraces optimism, individuality, and mysticism (“Emerson”).
He was the first truly American thinker and most of his philosophy highlights the presence of continuing creation and revelation by God. Emerson embraced a movement with the goal to reform the church and he transformed the movement through his writings into an authentic revolution of the American way of thoughts and philosophy. Individualism being one of the fundamental ideas of Transcendentalism, Emerson endowment was a sense of American self-reliance. Most of Emerson’s writing inspires free thought and actions based on a person 's own value and not the values of …show more content…

Emerson let us know that self reliance is hard and the hardship of trusting our own mind lies in the conspiracy of society against the individual because our society valors conformity. Self reliance requires an individual to return the neutrality and to be nonconformist. According to Emerson self reliance must apply to all aspects of our lives. In “ Self Reliance” Emerson argued that society never advance and civilization has not led to any improvement of our society. In all Emerson’s writings, he holds onto his belief firmly as the right path for all

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