...Title: Thoreau and Emerson In today’s society each individual has the ability to thinks for themselves, but the inception of different ideas and thoughts has led to a population that’s dominated by the majority . We live in a society where a media, television and internet are the sources of manipulating a person’s mind. It also creates their mindset to determine how one think about themselves or and different view point on topic. In this particular essay I am going to be talking about two main people who had similar argument about how to be individual and not let government take control over your lives. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were most influential writers of their time. They both had encouraged and practice individualism and nonconformity. In Ralph Waldo Emerson essay “Self Reliance” and Henry David Thoreau essay “Resistance to Civil Government” both spoke about how to become individual and what improvements needed to be made in American society. Emerson’s writings focus more on the self part of humanism and independence from society. On the other hand, Thoreau focused on writing on matters of the self but tended to have more of a political overtone in his argument. They both wanted to attack the dominant religious, political and cultural values of American society in order to make people aware that the individual is more important than the government and society. Thoreau and Emerson tried to incorporate the idea of relying on others to determine...
Words: 1674 - Pages: 7
...and Thoreau’s key theme in their writings was to help one reconnect with nature and gain a simpler understanding of life. For instance, Henry David Thoreau experiments the transcendentalist beliefs about nature by living at Walden Woods in a small cabin on Emerson's property. Here Thoreau discovered the simplicity in nature and the exposure it brings to our mind. Both Emerson and Thoreau believe that nature is what imposes us not to rely on others' ideas but to establish our own. Nature is always changing so we must keep seeking for the meaning of human life. Thoreau wanted to live a simple life, in order to find a deeper meaning of human existence. He writes, "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I...
Words: 1160 - Pages: 5
...As I was reading Into The Wild and all these excerpts from Emerson and Thoreau, I noticed that they have many similarities amongst them. McCandless incorporated these journals into his life and when traveling into the Alaskan wild. I see where McCandless gets his motivation and inspiration from. These transcendentalist writers are so enticing and their writing even stimulated a sense of adventure in me. I pondered about what life is and how beautiful it is. When reading all these passages, I noticed a common theme amongst the book and the other passages. The theme was to appreciate the blessing of nature that we have. We see green grass, trees filled with leaves, angelic flowers blooming, enchanting stars in the sky, an illuminating sun in...
Words: 296 - Pages: 2
...“Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.” As Ralph Waldo Emerson outlined in this quote, those who wish to be present in society, therefore classified as “a man”, must live by a transcendental way of life. Transcendentalism, a political and social movement, takes root in nonconformity. It alo relies heavily on the reflection of the Divine Soul that can be found in all objects, and on the importance of nature. The journey into nature, taken by Chris McCandless, is a direct representation of the views of Emerson, as reflected in “Nature”, and “Self-Reliance”, put into action. Emerson wrote both of these essays in order to show the positive impact transcendentalism can have on one’s live, and why more people should live by it, like McCandless. In his essay entitled “Nature”, Emerson wrote, “The rays that come from those heavenly worlds, will separate between him and vulgar things.” By separating oneself from the material world, all the detrimental aspects of life will be eliminated. In this essay, he also references childhood and the importance of childhood curiosity even as an adult. People should think of their childhood, and about...
Words: 835 - Pages: 4
...Transcendentalism is a pragmatic philosophy, that emphasizes the ideas of individual development and potential. One man who followed the ideas of Transcendentalism was Christopher McCandless- the main character from the movie Into the Wild. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were both influential transcendentalists that preached ideas in their writing. Throughout the movie Chris McCandless followed to large Transcendentalist ideas: living truly to himself, and living with simplicity. Chris does live the life of a Transcendentalist because he chose to leave everything behind him to live his life honestly, and with simplicity to become happy. Living an honest live is acting and believing on what is best for yourself, not what believe or value. Thoreau in Walden in Conclusion, explains the importance of the individualistic lifestyle for everyone. Thoreau says, “Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth” (214). This means knowing the truth is the most important thing to know. Thoreau would rather have truth rather than relationships with others, financial success, and social success. The real truth is hiding and for one to find it must, get away from all of the distractions of...
Words: 835 - Pages: 4
...Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson were both influential people. Thoreau was inspired by Emerson's ideas. They encouraged the people around them to think for themselves, simplify their lives, and enjoy nature. These are the major similarities in their philosophies on life. Thoreau and Emerson both believed in self-reliance. Thoreau thought that people should live their life exactly how they want. He did not want people to live the life that their parents wanted them to. Thoreau said, "pursue his own way." He saw that many people just take the easy route and conform to the world. He wanted people to break tradition and do what they loved. Emerson believed that you should trust yourself. He said, "speak what you think now… and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks… though it contradicts everything you said." He was not afraid to contradict himself, because that meant he had learned from his experiences. He wanted people to say what they thought, whether others agreed with them or not. Thoreau and Emerson's belief in self-reliance also trickled into a life of simplicity....
Words: 449 - Pages: 2
...In Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson was written in 1841 begins his essay with affirmation, “To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, — that is genius.” Meaning that ones thoughts and ideas are unique each individual and we should confidence of these thoughts. Ralph Waldo Emerson states that the “the strongest man in the world is he who stands alone.” This statement refers to trusting one intuition and have the confidence to speak our mind. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were both influential philosophers in society and have brought about brilliant ideas to bring change into society. Both of these brilliant men had similar views on social responsibility, intuition,...
Words: 374 - Pages: 2
...David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson were both influential writers of the transcendentalist movement in the early to mid-nineteenth century. Before moving into solitude, Thoreau had experienced two tragic deaths of close ones: his brother John in 1842, and two weeks later, Emerson’s son, Waldo, who Thoreau had deeply cared about. After not writing for two months following these deaths, Thoreau finally wrote a letter to Emerson in which he attempts to comfort Emerson by connecting himself to Emerson through their similar transcendental beliefs that emotional and spiritual rebirth is a significant function of nature’s glory, that nature is all-powerful so humans should base their lives off of it, and that having life does not mean one...
Words: 1042 - Pages: 5
...updated with happenings and insight into the lives of others. This would likely seem meaningless and idiotic to Henry David Thoreau, a prominent transcendentalist American author. He encourages his readers to live lives “simple and well as Nature”, independent from those of others and society (Thoreau 53). He therefore moved to Walden Pond on July 4, 1845 for two years and two months in order to live a simple and independent life. Thoreau claims that “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I have not lived” (61). In Walden, Thoreau upholds beliefs that he shares with transcendental authors such as Ralph Waldo Emerson. These beliefs include solitude, self-reliance, immersion in nature, and spiritual rebirth. Transcendentalism, a philosophical movement in the 19th century, stood against the individual’s conformity to societies and institutions. Instead, transcendentalism encouraged individuals to rise above society and live free, independent lives. Transcendentalism stemmed from discontent with Calvinism, a popular religion of the 19th century founded by John Calvin. Transcendentalists rebelled against predestination, the theory that individual are predestined at birth to go to heaven or hell. Thoreau brought with him to Walden Pond another transcendental belief, the importance of self-reliance. He...
Words: 1980 - Pages: 8
...transcendentalism as defined by Emerson himself in “The Transcendentalist,” are; respect for intuitions, withdrawal from labor and competition, and pursuit of a critical, solitary lifestyle. Transcendentalism can also be defined as a pursuit of the truth. Fundamentally, truth can be anything that an individual believes to be correct, based on his or her own intuition. All generally accepted social beliefs are to be tossed aside and one is to follow his or her instincts. Emerson rejected labor and any outcomes of labor. He did not believe in competition or government but rather in a self propelled world. Living a solitary lifestyle is thought of as an important feature in transcendentalism. Simplicity is said to stem from self-dependency. “Society is good when it does not violate me; but best when it is likest to solitude” (Emerson). It is believed that is one lives a simple life; all will go well for them. These are just three of the many principles and characteristics of transcendentalism. 4. Explain this statement in Thoreauvian terms: “Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison.” This quote taken from Thoreau’s “Civil Obedience,” is a statement that has made a large impression on countless. Thoreau believed that if the government is committing unjust actions, one should put his or her entire selves into the movement. “Cast your whole vote, not a strip of paper merely, but your whole influence” (Thoreau). He believed that...
Words: 818 - Pages: 4
...Emerson and Thoreau share many of the same beliefs and are key components of the transcendentalism movement. These beliefs are easier to compare than to contrast. The way Emerson thinks of society relates to Thoreau's views on government, and both men have similar views on nature. The fundamentals of transcendentalism are rooted in the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson. In "Nature", Emerson says "Standing on the bare ground - my head bathed by the blithe air and uplifted into infinite space - all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eyeball" (Nature 367). Here, He is saying nature's simplicity allows him to think clearly and have deeper thoughts. As for society, Emerson states "Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members," Society plans to take what makes us individuals by making us into conformists "Self-reliance is its aversion"(Self-Reliance 369). With this quote, individuals are shown how Emerson believes that to combat this conformity people need self-reliance. The ideas of transcendentalism are expressed in Thoreau's In Walden. Thoreau explains his thoughts on nature similarly:"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what It had to...
Words: 407 - Pages: 2
...aspects of transcendentalism. In Walden, Henry David Thoreau moved to the woods by a pond to live simply and the way he wanted to with nature. In “Nature”, Ralph Waldo Emerson, who was Thoreau’s friend, writes about how nature brings us back to who we really are. In the excerpt from “Self-Reliance”, Emerson writes about how the only person you can really trust or need is yourself in order to have a simple, happy life. Thoreau and Emerson both believed that in order to have a happy life, you need to live simply. In the excerpt from Walden called “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For.” Henry Thoreau writes that he “moved to the woods to live deliberately”. This means he willingly wanted to live in the woods to find himself in nature. He also wanted to “front only the essential facts of life, and see if...
Words: 654 - Pages: 3
...has been practiced for over 200 years. Some of the most reknown transcendentalists include Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. I share a personal connection to the ideal of integrity in that as I grow older, it's crucial to my future self that I establish myself as an individual with personal morals, regardless of the status quo. The concept of integrity being the path to internal success is expressed in both Emerson’s, Self Reliance, and Thoreau’s, Civil Disobedience, although perceived in different forms, the notion of individual thought is evidently the common theme. In...
Words: 819 - Pages: 4
...Society Through Thoreau’s and Emerson’s Eyes Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau are considered two of the most influential and inspiring writers of their time. Ralph Waldo Emerson, who was an essayist, and poet, was born on May 25, 1803, and is generally considered the father of American philosophy that rejects the idea that knowledge can be fully derived from experience and observation rather, truth exists in the spiritual world. Henry David Thoreau is his student, who was also a great essayist and critics. Both men extensively studied and embraced nature, and both men encouraged and practiced individualism, nonconformity and freedom. In Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay “Self Reliance” and Henry David Thoreau’s essay “Civil Disobedience”, both composure thinkers speak about being individual and what changes need to be made in society. Ralph Waldo Emerson and his follower, Henry David Thoreau, both individualists, attacked the religious, political, and cultural values of American society in order to make people aware that they are more important than everything, including government and society. According to Emerson, society is an obstruction against the individuality of its members, “Society is a joint-stock company, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater. The virtue in most requests is conformity”. The solution, for Emerson, is self-reliance, meaning that man is only responsible...
Words: 781 - Pages: 4
...circulate through me I am a parcel of god (nature 391) Emerson believes that individuals in nature share a common purpose with god ,i.e,the”over-soul” In the woods we return to reasons and faith(nature 390) When the individual is removed from the stresses of everyday life ,he is able to focuses on true understanding of himself There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the convection envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide’ (from self-reliance 393) Emerson means that if you envy someone or something you are being “a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds (from self-reliance 394) Don’t let The little things bother you in life If we do not get out sleepers and forge rails and devote days and nights to the work but go to tinkering upon our lives to improve them who will build the railroads (From Walden’411) I think thoreau was trying to say Don’t let life pass you by go out and live the way you choose I think the richest vein is somewhere hereabouts so by the dividing rod and thin rising vapors I judge and here I will begin to mine (From Walden’411) I think thoreau was trying to say Don’t trust what you hear go with your gut That government is best witch governs the least ( from civil disobedience 416) I think thoreau was trying to say a minimal government is the best The standing army is only an arm of a standing government ( from civil disobedience 416) I think thoreau was trying to say he doesn’t want a standing army no less...
Words: 1120 - Pages: 5
