Emerson and Thoreau
Both Thoreau and Emerson …show more content…
A key difference between the philosophies of Emerson and Thoreau as articulated in “Self-Reliance” and “Civil Disobedience” is their vision of how individuals should shape society and government. Emerson believes that one should only follow his own conscience and intellect not the opinions of the crowd. Emerson argues that it is not only possible to successfully defy the common practices and beliefs of society, but that “to be great is to be misunderstood”
(Emerson 367). However, Thoreau believes that in a democracy the voice of the people as whole should be followed. Thoreau desires a “better government”, not anarchy devoid of the law where every individual follows his own set of rules (Thoreau 381). Although assuredly in favor of individuality, Thoreau recognizes that a democracy requires public consensus and popular support.
While Emerson and Thoreau certainly have difference of opinions, they recognize the need for public discussion and discourse. Emerson declares “a foolish consistency” to be “the hobgoblin of little minds” (Emerson 367). This is shown in their essays “Self-Reliance” and “Civil Disobedience” in which they support individuality and personal expression. Despite their contrasting views of society and government, the two most
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Indian Thought in Emerson Thoreau and Whitman
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1532 Words | 7 Pages“To be awake means to be alive”, and to be awake during the time of Romanticism meant one could witness literature as an intellectual achievement. Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Walt Whitman were three authors during this time that wrote about an idea that would later become the theme of many papers, discussions and lectures, Wakefulness. Though some may not have recognized the significance of these authors’ work at the time, their ideas and beliefs have captivated the minds of many…
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Views On Emerson 's And Thoreau
2508 Words | 11 PagesViews on Emerson´s and Thoreau´s Works Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau are definitely two of the most influential writers in the 19th century. Thoreau was born in Concord, and Emerson in Boston. They both attended Harvard; Thoreau decided to pursue the career of teaching because of his brothers, while Emerson decided to become a Unitarian minister just like his father. These two writers lived during the transcendentalism period and both of them used this philosophy as way of living their…
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Emerson and Thoreau Represent American Identity
1511 Words | 7 PagesCompare and contrast the way in which Emerson and Thoreau represent American Identity. “Identity means who a person is, or the qualities of a person or group which make them different from others,” (Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, Third Edition). Every individual, group and country has their own identity which makes them different from others and it shows uniqueness of oneself. Reaction against the existing philosophy takes place when there is conflict in interest amongst the philosophers…
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The True Transcendentalist: Thoreau and Emerson
775 Words | 3 Pagestranscendentalism began to start two people played a major role Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, but who is truly a transcendentalist. Ralph Waldo Emerson was born in Boston, Massachusetts on May 25, 1803. His father was a minister as well as seven of his male family members. He graduated from Harvard University at the age of eighteen. Then he taught school with his brother William for three years. Which Emerson was unhappy teaching so he decided to go and change his life.Which was…
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971 Words | 4 PagesRalph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were the giants during the 19th century American Transcendentalism movement. Their influential work brought upon shared beliefs on concerning spiritual perspectives, government interference, and the ideology of cultural values in American society. Nature has a multitude of meaning if looked at it from all angles, but deeper within nature is the reflection of what you exert while in it. However they agree on the human condition, the two authors speak with…
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The Views Of Nature Expressed By Emerson And Thoreau
848 Words | 4 PagesAnalyze the views of nature expressed by Emerson and Thoreau in this week’s readings. Then compare and contrast them to one another. You might also want to apply these themes of nature overall thought of the Transcendentalists as a genre or discipline. Transcendentalism reports an easy idea that people fairly and evenly have ability about themselves, what’s around them and that goes above, “transcends” what people can do beyond their five senses. There are people that believe in themselves to endure…
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Relation between Men and Nature in Emerson and Thoreau
680 Words | 3 PagesRalph Waldo Emerson was born in 1803 May 25 in Boston and died in 1882 April 27 Concord and Henry David Thoreau was born in 1817 July12 in Concord and died in 1862 May 6th in Concord. (C-SPAN)Emerson was graduated from Harvard and so was the Thoreau. Henry David Thoreau was young poet of only 20 years old and Emerson was older than him. Thoreau wrote Walden in 1854 and Emerson wrote American scholar in 1837 not only that they have written many articles which was anti government such as ‘American…
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Essay on Emerson And Thoreau
811 Words | 4 Pagesfrom Thoreau’s quote, “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.'; Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau changed our lives. How? Well, the answer is not so simple as the statement. To understand fully how they affected our lives, we have to understand the philosophy of Emerson and Thoreau, and the relationship between the two. So let’s begin with the relationship between Emerson and Thoreau. Emerson was born…
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Emerson Thoreau and Individualism in Society Essay
1370 Words | 6 PagesRalph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau are still considered two of the most influential writers of their time. Ralph Waldo Emerson, who was a lecturer, essayist, and poet, 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 and nonconformity. In Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Self Reliance" and Henry David Thoreau's book "Walden" and essay "Resistance to Civil Government…
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