Man Thinking Rhetorical Analysis

     One of the primary issues that Emerson tried to convey was that one must follow what they believe is true for themselves and not listen to what other people think. He states,

Emerson has issue with society. He believes that the conformity and “encroachment on peoples’ liberties [hindered the individual.] He says people should look for individual freedom, and in finding that freedom, people will achieve self-reliance” (Yanella 4, 13). More so Emerson does not trust the system that governs society. He sees society as a “joint stock company that is in conspiracy with every one of its members” (“Self-Reliance” 535). Society can be seen as a hindrance on individual thought because a lot of times people will do what society or authority tells them to do without thinking of themselves first.

In “Self-Reliance”, Emerson adopts the rhetorical strategy of aphorisms to annex what he thinks by enriching his thesis, while allowing a pause in the reader’s mind to comprehend just what he is saying. Emerson’s honest aphorism advises people to actually believe in themselves in order to be triumphant by saying, “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” (Emerson 1) and “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string” (Emerson 3). The aphorism demonstrates that believing in themselves, and what is important to them, the reader, is what everyone else does, that being an individual is a genius idea. Comparing this to what society, especially the younger individuals with in society, they themselves hear differently, that they

b) This synecdoche helps further explain Emerson’s extreme belief in self-reliance. The quote states that one must trust his or her instincts and not give in to what anyone else might have to say. Emerson believes that when one doubts his or her instincts, he or she is merely giving in to the unreachable standards society has implemented on it’s members.

     Emerson’s writing focused on nonconformity and individuality. In his essay "Self-Reliance," he wrote, "Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind," and, "Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist."

According to “Self-Reliance” and Resistance to “Civil Government”, free thought is the will to think different thoughts and believing in them because they are your own. “Self- Reliance” suggests that free thought is when you can think for yourself and make decisions while believing you can. “Resistance to Civil Government” suggests that having someone else control or affect your thoughts isn’t right. You should think for yourself. In Emerson’s work; “Self-Reliance”, free thought is suggested by saying that if someone can think for themselves and believe in that, it is genius. In other words, Emerson is saying that in order to be “genius” you must trust your own thoughts and not what is true for everyone else. He says, “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….”. In like manner, showing that you can believe in your own thought and not what everyone else wants you to, that is when you are being true to yourself. Furthermore, being true to yourself is important because it showcases your ability to have your own thoughts and to act based on those thoughts. Emerson also suggests that you aren’t being your true self when you follow what other people are doing or thinking. Additionally, Emerson states “envy is ignorance…imitation is suicide”. Meaning that if you’re pretending to be something you are not (following other people’s thoughts/actions), then you’re killing the person who you actually

it is his." In this quote Emerson is elaborating on the idea that we must all exude

From Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay “Self-Reliance”, I drew a genuine sense of self. The essay taught me the value of the autonomy, its connection to the individual, and its role in society. Emerson’s initial assertion of thinking for oneself and the encouragement of personal experience over knowledge gained from books both puzzled and amused me. As Emerson continues, his defense for the common man’s value and the evolution of humankind for the better introduced an unfamiliar sense of gratitude towards my fellow man that I had never experienced before. The final third of this essay inspires me to be a leader rather than a follower, especially after the denunciation of the one thing that inhibits me most in this life: the fear of failure. “Self-Reliance” offered me an unexpected, but pleasant encounter that engaged me in a manner I had not yet undergone.

Emerson thoroughly described the stark contrast between a “thinking man” and “Man thinking”, which demonstrated the differences of the efficacy of intellectuals in a specific state; although an intellectual in a degenerate society would also deteriorate, the ideal “Man thinking” in a flawless society would have a steady education and understand his duties in context of society. Therefore a “thinking man” lacked the required traits needed to become an influential, educated scholar, even though he clearly possessed some intellectual

In the beginning of the essay Emerson says, "To believe in your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, - that is genius." His statement captures the essence of what he means by "self-reliance," namely the reliance upon one 's own thoughts and ideas. He mentions that people like Moses, Plato, and Milton, were so important because they spoke their minds and did not only recite what was written in or memorized from books. Emerson tells his readers to "Trust thyself." Emerson also preaches for people to become nonconformists. In the essay, he explains that for a nonconformist, "No law can be sacred to me but that of my nature. Good

Michael McLoughlin points out the importance of these statements in interpreting the epigram to “Self-Reliance” from Persius: “Encapsulating its themes…’Ne te quaesiveris extra’… when read in the context of the essay as a whole,” means “do not yield your sense of personal identity to the 'conspiracy' of human society” (McLoughlin 63). So the problem, as Emerson views it, is no longer related to the spirituality discussed in “Nature;” rather, man has lost his individuality within a conspiratorial society. Like the members of a joint-stock company, men had become so invested in the whole—society, an arbitrary concept created by man, and companies—that they lost their “liberty” and “culture,” their sense of “manhood.” McLoughlin states that this joint stock company society, “necessitates an ethics of self-trust because it has made us afraid of 'truth,' 'fortune,' 'death,' and 'each other' " (62). Again, by looking at “Man the Reformer,” this idea becomes clearer.

In contrast to Emerson there is agreement on independent thought without the use of knowledge of the world. Particularly in the first two sentences of paragraph five describes civilized man need of knowledge of the world in order to master it. Especially this is important because in general a man that practitioners a certain area of focus will have greater chance of success with more knowledge, (Benjamin Franklin An American Life, by Walter Isaacson). Instances of the previous

Yet, the primary issue with this tone is the ease of creating prominent contradictory statements. Emerson does this often in the essay. As an example, in paragraph four Emerson is describing the structure of "Man" as a collective representation or embodiment of society. Later, he contradicts this statement multiple times in the passage by saying that the individual scholar should embody certain elements. This is not the idea Emerson had originally stated about "Man," but rather an idea about how an individual scholar can think similarly to a collective "Man." This contradicts the entire point of his collective thought argument. If the scholar is not part of "Man," then the scholar is outside of the collective thought of society.

Emerson criticizes that men do not even try to build their own opinion because they blindly trust the thoughts of the majority or they conform to the will of the community because their opinion differs from the common beliefs. They do not have enough courage and self-confidence to express their opinion since they are afraid that other men could look down at them because they do not have the same opinion. This turns them into just one, tiny, unimportant part of billions of people, whose thoughts are basically equal, but exactly the aspect of being different from everybody else, being an individual, being special and having his own personality is what a human being is all about and is necessary for having success.

In the essay Self-Reliance, Emerson addresses his idea on individualism which allows for nonconformity because being a nonconformist in today's mimetic society, can construct an authentic identity. The social conformity in today’s world influences people into conformism, thus eliminating individual thoughts or beliefs. According to Christina Bianca, a creator from At Auburn University, claims that, “In today’s society...it’s become all too easy to let society tell us what to believe through the constant swarm of messages attempting to achieve communication with us.” Society, as stated by Christina Bianca, “attempts to carve beliefs into the human brain by any means possible.” For example, “if you were to log onto any form of social media, you would immediately be exposed to a thousand different beliefs,” which can, “ form wrinkles in the brain.” These wrinkles can potentially alter people’s thoughts, persuading them into changing their beliefs and the way they are. Although one holds the choice whether to believe or not, many leave behind their individuality in order to conform to with others which can mess with the Psyche. Christina argues that: “With the ever-expanding technological advances among us…we are slowly falling into a routine of blissful ignorance.” This is true, as stated by Christina Biance, “we, as humans, are defined by the beliefs we hold in our hearts and minds” not by what others suggest over texts or in person, people should be defined by their own