Ralph Waldo Emerson

Self-Reliance, for which Emerson is perhaps the most well known, contains the most thorough statement of Emerson’s emphasis on the need for individuals to avoid conformity and false consistency, and instead follow their own instincts and ideas. The essay illustrates Emerson's expertise for synthesizing and translating classical philosophy into a more common way of thought so that his ideas are better understood by all. There are several themes throughout the essay, included are the themes of self-trust, the divinity within, and and nationalism. Self-trust (or self-reliance) is considered one of Emerson’s ultimate statements of his philosophy of individualism. Emerson opens his essay with the claim,“To believe in your own thought, to believe

He encourages individuals to value their experiences, thoughts and opinion higher than the ideas presented by the society, religion and other people. Emerson goes on to say in his essay, “A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages” (269). He is saying that a man should trust in his own thoughts that come into his mind rather than trust what is said by poets and men who say they are wise. Emerson’s idea of individualism comes from his belief that each person is a divinely unique expression of God’s will and creativity. Emerson believes that God made each individual for a particular purpose and to do a certain kind of work that only he or she can do. So one must be self-trusting of him or herself to be able to fully be what God has called them to do. There is a difficulty though to trust our own minds. As a youth, one

As said before Emerson strongly believes in the importance of individuality. Emerson goes on to talk about the divine i.e God,“We lie in the lap of immense intelligence, which makes us organ of its activity and receivers of its truth. When we discern justice, when we discern truth, we do nothing of ourselves, but allow a passage to its beams”(277). Emerson is saying that people have the knowledge of God right before them. As individuals all the things we do in life is by God and the thoughts that we have are through Him. Our intuition emerged from the relationship between our soul and the divine spirit (God). Emerson goes on to say,“The relations of the soul to the divine spirit are so pure that it is profane to seek to interpose help. It must be that when God speaketh, he should communicate not one thing but all things; should fill the world with his voice”(277). Once again Emerson is telling the reader how we have a divine spirit within us that is a pure being and this direct link between divinity and the individual provides assurance that the individual will, when exercised correctly, can never produce evil. Emerson believes our individual will is not selfish but divine. Emerson says living this way of life,“shall be wholly strange and new. It shall exclude example and experience. You take the way from man, not to man”(278). Man must live courageously but also knowing that he or she has the