Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was born on May 25, 1803 in Boston, Massachusetts. His father died when he was 8, causing Emerson's family to struggle with poverty, but this did not get in the way of his education. When he was 14 he enrolled in Harvard College and later on went to Harvard Divinity school. He soon started his career as a Unitarian minister. After his wife Ellen Tucker died, he gave up on religion. He started to lecture after his ten month tour of Europe. As a transcendentalist, Emerson spoke out against materialism, formal religion, and slavery. He believed in many other things like the "over soul" and to "trust thyself". These beliefs became published in a pamphlet he wrote, Nature, in 1836. Also he issued two volumes of essays, Essays, First Series, in 1841 and Essays, Second Series, in 1844 (Encyclopedia of World Biography).
Passages From Emerson's Essay
"Nothing is... sacred but the integrity of your own mind"
" A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds"
The first quote shows the transcendental belief that you should listen to your own thoughts. Emerson believes one should look to them self for answers is because of the "over soul". He believes God and nature are in you, therefore everything you need is within yourself. The second quote explains the belief that everyone should try new things, otherwise they are not expanding their mind. Emerson is saying that having a scheduled day is foolish, because then you are doing the same thing everyday. People are creatures of habit, and Emerson wanted us to go against that.
" A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds"
The first quote shows the transcendental belief that you should listen to your own thoughts. Emerson believes one should look to them self for answers is because of the "over soul". He believes God and nature are in you, therefore everything you need is within yourself. The second quote explains the belief that everyone should try new things, otherwise they are not expanding their mind. Emerson is saying that having a scheduled day is foolish, because then you are doing the same thing everyday. People are creatures of habit, and Emerson wanted us to go against that.