Ralph Waldo Emerson

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that New England Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson believed in the power of nature so strongly that it influenced his thoughts on religion, self-reliance and the role of the scholar. The author points out that Emerson's belief in human nature determined his view that people must be individual and rely completely on their own understanding and truth; however, paradoxically, he also believed that nature makes everyone part of a universal being or truth. The paper concludes that Emerson was certain that human nature is perfect within all people and must be allowed to have a free voice unfettered by the opinions of societies, the restrictions of organized religion and the weight of scholarship.

From the Paper:

"Emerson loved the beauty of nature and found the presence of the sublime when he contemplated the pure air and scenery. He frequently describes nature in terms that prove his delight. Comparisons to the sophisticated life of the city always show the superiority of the natural world in his writings. The most powerful aspect of nature is that it is not concerned with the past or the future, it is simply content to be what is in its nature. Emerson insisted that man should feel the same way."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "Nature." Reprinted in The Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson. New York: The Heritage Press, 1841.
• Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "Self-Reliance." Reprinted in The Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson. New York: The Heritage Press, 1841.
• Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "The American Scholar." Reprinted in www.bartleby.com/5/101.html.
• Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "The Divinity School Address." Reprinted in www.bartleby.com/5/102/html.

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