Over the past few months, I've embarked on a study of philosophy, beginning with the classics such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and continuing down the line of historical greats. It is quite amazing to understand the progress of thought; politically, spiritually, and socially, and to see how it has brought us to this present day. Of the many philosophers that I read, there were two in particular who really grabbed my interest, Immanuel Kant and Arthur Schopenhauer. Both philosophers went beyond the explainable and into deep theories of metaphysics, aesthetics, and idealism. Their German philosophy went on to inspire many other greats such as Richard Wagner, Albert Einstein, and one of my favorite authors, Leo Tolstoy.
This tree of thought, also inspired the great American thinker,
Ralph Waldo Emerson, who created his own vision of Transcendentalism and Individualism. Beginning in the 1830s, Emerson embarked on a literary career, writing essays, poems, and giving lectures all across America. To this day he is regarded as one of the fathers of American free-thinking, and went on to inspire other acclaimed writers such as Henry David Thoreau, Emily Dickinson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Robert Frost. His philosophy has greatly influenced me, and in this post I will briefly describe some of his key ideas.
His first claim to fame was his essay about Nature, written in 1836. In this essay Emerson began to lay out his foundation of the concept of Transcendentalism, and the relationship between nature and the soul. The outdoors are to be seen as a source of supernatural energy, full of beauty, history, and idealism that can elevate the body, mind, and especially the soul.
Another one of his significant essays was on the subject of Self-Reliance written in 1841. In this essay, Emerson began to describe his concept of individuality and non-conformity. That people should put the utmost faith in oneself, into their ideas, and their actions. He also emphasized that self-reliance is extremely important, but should be seen as a starting point, and not a final goal.
In the Over-Soul, written in 1841, Emerson describes the importance of the soul and it's relationship to this world. He describes the existence of the soul, it's connection with personal ego's, it's connection to other human souls, and it's relationship to God. This is perhaps one of his deepest and most poetic essays, in which Emerson states that the soul is everlasting.
He wrote essays on many different topics, such as The American Scholar, Circles, The Poet, History, Politics, Experience, The Transcendentalist, and Fate. All of his essays, revolve around a central concept of individuality and the importance of the soul. He was especially influenced by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the famous French writer Michael de Montaigne. Emerson was also a keen admirer of writer, Henry David Thoreau, who both shared similar visions.
Some Famous Emerson Quotes
What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.
Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.
Nothing can bring you peace but yourself
Thought is the seed of action
It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion, it is easy in solitude to live after your own; but the great man is he who, in the midst of the world, keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
Peace cannot be achieve through violence, it can only be attained through understanding
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds
All I have seen, teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen
This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we know but what to do with it.
This tree of thought, also inspired the great American thinker,
Ralph Waldo Emerson, who created his own vision of Transcendentalism and Individualism. Beginning in the 1830s, Emerson embarked on a literary career, writing essays, poems, and giving lectures all across America. To this day he is regarded as one of the fathers of American free-thinking, and went on to inspire other acclaimed writers such as Henry David Thoreau, Emily Dickinson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Robert Frost. His philosophy has greatly influenced me, and in this post I will briefly describe some of his key ideas.His first claim to fame was his essay about Nature, written in 1836. In this essay Emerson began to lay out his foundation of the concept of Transcendentalism, and the relationship between nature and the soul. The outdoors are to be seen as a source of supernatural energy, full of beauty, history, and idealism that can elevate the body, mind, and especially the soul.
Another one of his significant essays was on the subject of Self-Reliance written in 1841. In this essay, Emerson began to describe his concept of individuality and non-conformity. That people should put the utmost faith in oneself, into their ideas, and their actions. He also emphasized that self-reliance is extremely important, but should be seen as a starting point, and not a final goal.
In the Over-Soul, written in 1841, Emerson describes the importance of the soul and it's relationship to this world. He describes the existence of the soul, it's connection with personal ego's, it's connection to other human souls, and it's relationship to God. This is perhaps one of his deepest and most poetic essays, in which Emerson states that the soul is everlasting.
He wrote essays on many different topics, such as The American Scholar, Circles, The Poet, History, Politics, Experience, The Transcendentalist, and Fate. All of his essays, revolve around a central concept of individuality and the importance of the soul. He was especially influenced by Napoleon Bonaparte, and the famous French writer Michael de Montaigne. Emerson was also a keen admirer of writer, Henry David Thoreau, who both shared similar visions.
Some Famous Emerson Quotes
What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.
Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.
Nothing can bring you peace but yourself
Thought is the seed of action
It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion, it is easy in solitude to live after your own; but the great man is he who, in the midst of the world, keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.
Peace cannot be achieve through violence, it can only be attained through understanding
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds
All I have seen, teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen
This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we know but what to do with it.
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