Identify Books Toward Self-Reliance and Other Essays
| Original Title: | Self-Reliance and Other Essays |
| ISBN: | 0486277909 (ISBN13: 9780486277905) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Paperback | Pages: 117 pages Rating: 4.14 | 16643 Users | 353 Reviews
Specify Appertaining To Books Self-Reliance and Other Essays
| Title | : | Self-Reliance and Other Essays |
| Author | : | Ralph Waldo Emerson |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 117 pages |
| Published | : | October 13th 1993 by Dover Publications (first published 1844) |
| Categories | : | Philosophy. Classics. Nonfiction. Writing. Essays. Literature. American. Academic. School |
Description In Favor Of Books Self-Reliance and Other Essays
Essayist, poet, and philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) propounded a transcendental idealism emphasizing self-reliance, self-culture, and individual expression. The six essays and one address included in this volume, selected from Essays, First Series (1841) and Essays, Second Series (1844), offer a representative sampling of his views outlining that moral idealism as well as a hint of the later skepticism that colored his thought. In addition to the celebrated title essay, the others included here are "History," "Friendship," "The Over-Soul," "The Poet," and "Experience," plus the well-known and frequently read Harvard Divinity School Address.Rating Appertaining To Books Self-Reliance and Other Essays
Ratings: 4.14 From 16643 Users | 353 ReviewsEvaluate Appertaining To Books Self-Reliance and Other Essays
I read this as a Freshman in High School and it's a challenge, to say the least. It's worth it. You can't miss out on a classic like this. Every sentence is a jewel, and it's really really rich. Beautiful prose and simple philosophy. Don't let the words scare you. This is some of the most beautiful, candid works I've read in a long time.I didn't read this exact edition. Mine had 12 essays in it, including Self-Reliance. I'm not really sure why that particular essay is so popular. I guess people take away the message of: believe in yourself and don't worry about what the critics in your life say. That's great, but Emerson seems more arrogant and extreme than that. For example: "To believe your own thought, to believe that what it true for you in your private heart is true for all men - that is genius." No, it isn't. That's one
Emerson's essays are best read when:A) You're of the thought that the world can transcend its troubles, be changed for the better, and that you, personally, can be the agent of much of the change.B) You've become older and jaded and need to be reminded that at one time you thought the world could be changed for the better and that you could be the agent of much of the change.
"Self-Reliance" is an essay that captures the independent spirit behind many Americans, but it overlooks the sinfulness of people. Emerson calls on each person to listen to his own intuition rather than society, membership organizations, or religious traditions. He believes that each person can achieve his greatest genius by listening to himself. In the middle section of the essay, Emerson presents his arguments for his belief. The support seems to largely be based on a faulty understanding of
Do I always agree with him? Of course not. In particular, his emphasis on 'self-reliance' rather than wisdom handed down and tested through time has always struck me as fool-hardy. But his thinking is so central to American identity and is so beautifully argued that it is worthwhile studying no matter what your perspective.
I reread Self-Reliance shortly after quitting Facebook, and then re-read it again twice more, in disbelief that apparently the issues I have with FB are not so removed from Emerson's times.... this is classic and timeless.
A difficult book to review. Six of Emersons best essays along with his controversial Divinity School Address. History, Self-reliance, Friendship, The Over-Soul, The Poet and Experience are the topics of the essays written around 1841. The recurrent theme throughout the essays is think for your self. The need for each individual to avoid conformity and false consistency, and follow his own instinct. The idea of believing in one's self and one's worth is another key theme. It is the source of one
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