Emerson's Philosophical Argument

The arguments between my mom and me had only increased in vigor and frequency in the last few days. The culmination of such altercations arrived when I stayed out too late one night. I told my mom that I would be back from my friend's house at an "appropriate" time. Although there was no established, specific time, I had created a perception of responsibility and reason. However, when I received a text from my mom, my face twisted into one of annoyance; one that a toddler would make when upset about not being able to control the world. I reverted my attention, then, to my self-enjoyment for the next half hour. It was only interrupted by another text from my mother. Even though my phone was on silent, it buzzed and rattled the floorboards for

Emerson very clearly understands the never ending spiral of ego defense that is present among those that are dependent on the state, as he criticizes those who depend on other institutions other than themselves. As well as giving a real-world example of this, Emerson describes the actions of these people as it pertains to defending their dependency on government institutions. Conclusorily, Emerson generalizes about these people and makes them out to be simpletons who measure other humans solely based upon their material wealth. As well as providing generalizations about such people, Emerson’s philosophical ideas are also present when he states that cultured men understand the difference between inherited and earned wealth, even going so far as to say that they are ashamed of amassed wealth they do not necessarily deserve. Emerson also makes up a term to describe true human value - “living property”. This type of property, as intangible, shows that humans should be valued on more specific attributes rather than on material ones. This goes to the point of independence to critique the current thought, which is that material wealth should indicate strength, not independence and works achieved through self-reliance. Furthering this critique is a reference to political parties, which points to how many identify in a group and place great importance upon this. However, the critique is clear - independence and the self is ultimately more impressive than large groups of people. Emerson also explains how the independent people in the world stand “erect”, and are able to have “command”. These descriptive phrases further his point that independence is the key to individual strength and inner peace. Finally, Emerson personifies chance and rationality, calling them “Fortune” and “Cause and Effect”. This personification allows him to express the two conflicting methods of