Ralph Waldo Emerson's Self-Reliance

Emerson’s idea of individualism was so intense that it uprooted years of social acceptance and norms. It was a very egotistic way of thinking, almost self-worship. He spoke of nature as though it was the handwriting of God, and that those who could read nature were able to understand its teachings. According to Emerson, forests, streams, meadows, and lakes were all sources of spiritual and mental pleasure. He proposed that an individual’s intellect is what renders forms and shapes into spiritual visions. Although Christianity, America’s most popular religion, shares like-minded values with Calvinism, and Puritanism, America itself relates more to transcendental thought espoused by writers like Emerson.

In his work “Self-Reliance,” he advocates that following one’s own personal belief system is more correct than following what the rest of the world believes is right. Emerson’s individualism lends advantage to personal will over intellect. Feeling is more important than logic in Emerson’s view of things.

As a new nation looking to characterize itself, America followed two opposing mindsets, those of Calvinism and transcendentalism. Calvinism proclaimed that the self of man was bad by nature and was only saved by the grace of God. Transcendentalism declared quite the opposite, that man was blessed with the special ability to deduce God’s residence in the world. Calvinists believed that human urges came from an inner evil, while transcendentalists thought they were moral insight that came before common society’s unjustified code.

Through Emerson’s eyes, man’s will is predominant, as it is the impetus that drives the intellect to create. He believes that if we do not trust our will and intuition, but rather let society dictate our l...

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... crowd. Articles are consistently published calling people to promote themselves ‘as a brand’, all following perfectly suit to Emerson’s ideals. His ideas are so rampant in today’s American society that conformity is often feared and looked down upon. Even the most radical of figures agree with Emerson’s individualistic principles, as is evident in the Imperial Wizard and Emperor of the Ku Klux Klan in 1926’s assertion that the United States should “insure to every child [the] opportunity to develop its natural abilities to their utmost.” Emerson’s beliefs could not be more pertinent to America’s society today, in which the individual is celebrated highly and encouraged to shine. Emerson’s dependence on solitary influence marks an imperative change in American perspective, not only in his time, but in ours and America’s eternally.

Works Cited

Ralph Waldo Emerson