Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 1803-1882
In his book , repeatedly refers to Emerson as "The of the American Religion", which in the context of the book refers to indigenously American religions such as and , which arose largely in Emerson's lifetime, but also to churches that Bloom says have become in the United States more than their European counterparts. In , Bloom compares Emerson to : "The only equivalent reading experience that I know is to reread endlessly in the notebooks and journals of Ralph Waldo Emerson, the American version of Montaigne." Several of Emerson's poems were included in Bloom's , although he wrote that none of the poems are as outstanding as the best of Emerson's essays, which Bloom listed as "Self-Reliance", "Circles", "Experience", and "nearly all of ". In his belief that line lengths, rhythms, and phrases are determined by breath, Emerson's poetry foreshadowed the theories of .
Beth, your analysis of "Education" was very in-depth and helped me to understand the message of the essay better! I strongly agree with Emerson's views on the education system. Children can't really learn a concept or skill if they don't have enough time to practice it. I think the idea of Genius and Drill applies to education today as well. With the new state standards and testing, teachers are being pressured to teach students more material in a shorter amount of time. This could lead to students not having enough time to learn the material which ties back to the idea that teachers must be patient and wait for their students to understand the lesson. I think you did a great job analyzing the rhetorical devices of the text. You had a full understanding of Emerson's message which helped you to understand the devices that worked to convey the message better. I liked how you organized the second paragraph. First, you explained Emerson's idea of Genius and Drill and then you followed it up with examples such as the anecdote about Charles Fellowes. Then you identified another supporting example and explained it thoroughly. Throughout the rest of the blog post, you really dug deep into the text and explained what Emerson was arguing in his essay. Not only did this post show me how well you understood the text and how you interpreted it, but it also taught me how to apply it to myself, as you explained at the conclusion of the post. Keep up the great work!
Major Themes in Emerson’s PhilosophyIn “The American Scholar,” delivered as the Phi Beta KappaAddress in 1837, Emerson maintains that the scholar is educated bynature, books, and action.
("An Analysis of the Essay Education by Ralph Waldo Emerson.")
Later in his life, Emerson's ideas on race changed when he became more involved in the abolitionist movement while at the same time, he began to more thoroughly analyze the philosophical implications of race and racial hierarchies. His beliefs shifted focus to the potential outcomes of racial conflicts. Emerson's racial views were closely related to his views on nationalism and national superiority, which was a common view in the United States at that time. Emerson used contemporary theories of race and natural science to support a theory of race development. He believed that the current political battle and the current enslavement of other races was an inevitable racial struggle, one that would result in the inevitable union of the United States. Such conflicts were necessary for the dialectic of change that would eventually allow the progress of the nation. In much of his later work, Emerson seems to allow the notion that different European races will eventually mix in America. This hybridization process would lead to a superior race that would be to the advantage of the superiority of the United States.
As with many supporters of slavery, during his early years, Emerson seems to have thought that the faculties of African slaves were not equal to those of white slave-owners. But this belief in racial inferiorities did not make Emerson a supporter of slavery. Emerson wrote later that year that "No ingenious sophistry can ever reconcile the unperverted mind to the pardon of Slavery; nothing but tremendous familiarity, and the bias of private interest". Emerson saw the removal of people from their homeland, the treatment of slaves, and the self-seeking benefactors of slaves as gross injustices. For Emerson, slavery was a moral issue, while superiority of the races was an issue he tried to analyze from a scientific perspective based on what he believed to be inherited traits.
Emerson did not become an ardent abolitionist until 1844, though his journals show he was concerned with slavery beginning in his youth, even dreaming about helping to free slaves. In June 1856, shortly after , a , was , Emerson lamented that he himself was not as committed to the cause. He wrote, "There are men who as soon as they are born take a bee-line to the axe of the inquisitor. ... Wonderful the way in which we are saved by this unfailing supply of the moral element". After Sumner's attack, Emerson began to speak out about slavery. "I think we must get rid of slavery, or we must get rid of freedom", he said at a meeting at Concord that summer. Emerson used slavery as an example of a human injustice, especially in his role as a minister. In early 1838, provoked by the murder of an abolitionist publisher from , named , Emerson gave his first public antislavery address. As he said, "It is but the other day that the brave Lovejoy gave his breast to the bullets of a mob, for the rights of free speech and opinion, and died when it was better not to live". said the mob-murder of Lovejoy "sent a shock as of any earthquake throughout this continent". However, Emerson maintained that reform would be achieved through moral agreement rather than by militant action. By August 1, 1844, at a lecture in Concord, he stated more clearly his support for the abolitionist movement: "We are indebted mainly to this movement, and to the continuers of it, for the popular discussion of every point of practical ethics".
Ralph Waldo Emerson died in 1882, but he is still very much with us. When you hear people assert their individualism, perhaps in rejecting help from the government or anyone else, you hear the voice of Emerson. When you hear a self-help guru on TV tell people that if they change their way of thinking, they will change reality, you hear the voice of Emerson. He is America’s apostle of individualism, our champion of mind over matter, and he set forth the core of his thinking in his essay “Self-Reliance” (1841).
Daguerrotype of Ralph Waldo Emerson
As Robinson points out Emerson used his writings to express his spiritual beliefs and challenged others to follow his ideology. To Emerson his writing was his religion and nature was his place of worship. It was a way for him to express his ideas about the divine flowing through nature and self. A professor in the religion department at Miami University by the name of John-Charles Duffy wrote an essay over Emerson’s ideas and religious beliefs. One excerpt that stood out was “When he (Emerson) stood before the Harvard divinity school graduates, he believed that he was declaring the word of God within him to a generation in need of truth restored.
Ralph waldo emerson on education ap essay
As a result of America’s developing youth in the 21st century, it appears that the flaws in our nation’s educational institutions and structures have become increasingly evident. One must question if the foundations which Americans once attempted to build upon have been abandoned, and if so why did our nation’s education not flourish despite our initial pursuits? In 19th century America, Ralph Waldo Emerson drew the nation’s attention to our lack of creativity and innovation as a result of our dependence on other influences. Through his concerns, Emerson utilizes his transcendentalist ideals to illustrate the vitality of the relationship between a scholar, his knowledge, and human nature. In Ralph
Ralph waldo emerson on education ap essay
To begin his essay and to convey an idea, Ralph Waldo Emerson builds up the opening lines with a charismatic gusto; to which his word choice is very particular, because the words he chooses directly influences his tone throughout these three paragraphs. His tone seems friendly and wise, it could be compared to the “old man at the corner-store” type character; on a lazy summer day, always genuine and offering down to earth advice over a cup of lemonade. It creates such an atmosphere for the audience to become comfortable, and in this case the audience can be assumed to be singular in the context of the text, so it can be implied that message will be personal, which is textbook pathos, and because his proposition plays on our emotions, we take his words to heart. Emerson creates a string of beatific phrases that echoes in the labyrinths of our private minds. Our thoughts, our ideas, are indeed important. Speak your