Self Reliance Essay - 1678 Words

The Transcendentalist movement flourished in New England, and proposed a revolutionarily new philosophy of life. This new philosophy drew upon old ideas of Romanticism, Unitarianism, and German Idealism. Some of these ideas pertained closely to the values of America at the time. These values included nature, individualism, and reform, and can be noted in the essay â€Å"Self Reliance,† by Ralph Waldo Emerson. In this essay, Emerson states his values and incorporates them into his philosophy of self-reliance. In the past 170 years, some of the ideas stated by Emerson in his literary work â€Å"Self-Reliance† have weathered the test of time. However, since his archaic examples no longer apply to modern life, other sources of transcendentalism must†¦show more content†¦Intertwined into this discussion is the major theme trust. Emerson explicitly states his theme of trust in paragraph 18, where he explains who the Trustee is. â€Å"The magnetism which all original action exerts is explained when we inquire the reason of self-trust. Who is the Trustee? ...† (S.R. Paragraph 18). This theme continues throughout the course of the essay, where Emerson repeatedly emphasizes trusting the gut-feeling to make the correct decisions. Some major values that Emerson advocates are self-trust and isolationism. Emerson believes that everyone should trust their intuition by disregarding consistency and conformity. In order to do this, Emerson draws upon the topic of isolationism, where each person should mentally remove his/herself from society to keep his/her intuition at its purest; â€Å"†¦but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude (S.R. Paragraph 6).† To further isolate oneself, Emerson hints that a person should become more selfish. Adopting this behavior, Emerson believes, will ensure that a person will not lose his or her money to unnecessary causes. Emerson states â€Å"Then, again, do not tell me, as a good man did to-day, of my obligation to put all poor men in good situations. Are they my poor?† (S.R. Paragraph 5). These unnecessary expenditures would only detriment self-reliance, and no such actions are permissible to achieve the greatest intuition. Therefore, Emerson’sShow MoreRelatedSelf-Reliance636 Words   |  3 PagesSanaya Williams PH-221 Professor Bradley Final Paper- Ralph Waldo Emerson Self-Reliance â€Å"Self- Reliance† is considered one of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s best-known essays. The essay was first published in 1841 in his collection, Essays: First Series. This essay 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. This essay shows Emerson’s ways for making and translating classicalRead MoreSelf Reliance Is Beneficial Or Beneficial1222 Words   |  5 PagesAn issue regarding thinking has been on the importance of self-reliance, the notion of relying on oneself for ideas and knowledge. Some people argue that self-reliance is harmful. From this perspective, self-reliance generates bad thoughts and ideas, and people should conform to society instead. However, others argue that self-reliance is extremely important for society. 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On the other hand, there are people who are unique and self reliant, a nd they are the ones who â€Å"set the trends†. American culture values self-reliance to the extent that although the majority of peopleRead MoreThe Spiritual Emerson : Introduction And Chapter 1 Summary894 Words   |  4 PagesThe Spiritual Emerson: Introduction and Chapter 1 Summary Emerson s essay on self-reliance unearths a plethora of distinctive lessons that serve to guide the people of society in each of our pursuits to become fully human. Serving as the overall driving idea behind the essay, Emerson details the significance of man valuing and acting upon his own ideas and judgement. He writes, â€Å"To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men,—that isRead MoreSelf-Reliance Essay946 Words   |  4 Pageswhere everyone does as he or she wanted, much chaos would be present. In Emersons Self-Reliance, he shares his version of an ideal society where nobody conforms to one another. Even though his ideas maintain influential in modern society, his impractical world contradicts with human nature and ceases to encourage any nation to establish such a society. I have recently read Ralph Waldo Emerson’s, Self –Reliance, and have many different thoughts about the essay. I personall y think he is a weirdRead MoreEmersons Self Reliance5249 Words   |  21 PagesR.W. Emersons Self-Reliance The essay has three major divisions: the importance of self-reliance (paragraphs 1-17), self-reliance and the individual (paragraphs 18-32), and self-reliance and society (paragraphs 33-50). As a whole, it promotes self-reliance as an ideal, even a virtue, and contrasts it with various modes of dependence or conformity. Self-Reliance Paragraphs 1-17. The Importance of Self-Reliance. Emerson begins his major work on individualism by asserting the importance of