The Spiritual Emerson: Essential Works by Ralph Waldo Emerson

by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Jacob Needleman (Foreword)

This concise volume collects the core writings that have made Ralph Waldo Emerson into a key source of insight for spiritual seekers of every faith—with an introduction by the bestselling philosopher Jacob Needleman.

Here is the essential collection of Emerson’s spiritual thought for those readers who understand the transformative quality of ideas. It is concise and suited to years of rereading and contemplation, offering the essays that trace the arc of the inner message brought by America’s “Yankee Mystic. ”

The Spiritual Emerson features many of Emerson’s landmark works. Yet also included are overlooked classics, such as the essays “Fate” and “Success,” which served as major sources of inspiration to some of the leading American metaphysical thinkers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The introduction by religious scholar and philosopher Jacob Needleman frames—historically and philosophically—the development of Emerson’s thought and explores why it has such a powerful hold on us today.

Genres: Philosophy, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Poetry, Essays, Classics, Religion

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Ralph Waldo Emerson was born in Boston in 1803. Educated at Harvard and the Cambridge Divinity School, he became a Unitarian minister in 1826 at the Second Church Unitarian. The congregation, with Christian overtones, issued communion, something Emerson refused to do. "Really, it is beyond my comprehension," Emerson once said, when asked by a seminary professor whether he believed in God. (Quoted in 2,000 Years of Freethought edited by Jim Haught.) By 1832, after the untimely death of his first wife, Emerson cut loose from Unitarianism. During a year-long trip to Europe, Emerson became acquainted with such intelligentsia as British writer Thomas Carlyle, and poets Wordsworth and Coleridge. He returned to the United States in 1833, to a life as poet, writer and lecturer. Emerson inspired Transcendentalism, although never adopting the label himself. He rejected traditional ideas of deity in favor of an "Over-Soul" or "Form of Good," ideas which were considered highly heretical. His books include Nature (1836), The American Scholar (1837), Divinity School Address (1838), Essays, 2 vol. (1841, 1844), Nature, Addresses and Lectures (1849), and three volumes of poetry. Margaret Fuller became one of his "disciples," as did Henry David Thoreau.

The best of Emerson's rather wordy writing survives as epigrams, such as the famous: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines." Other one- (and two-) liners include: "As men's prayers are a disease of the will, so are their creeds a disease of the intellect" (Self-Reliance, 1841). "The most tedious of all discourses are on the subject of the Supreme Being" (Journal, 1836). "The word miracle, as pronounced by Christian churches, gives a false impression; it is a monster. It is not one with the blowing clover and the falling rain" (Address to Harvard Divinity College, July 15, 1838). He demolished the right wing hypocrites of his era in his essay "Worship": ". . . the louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons" (Conduct of Life, 1860). "I hate this shallow Americanism which hopes to get rich by credit, to get knowledge by raps on midnight tables, to learn the economy of the mind by phrenology, or skill without study, or mastery without apprenticeship" (Self-Reliance). "The first and last lesson of religion is, 'The things that are seen are temporal; the things that are not seen are eternal.' It puts an affront upon nature" (English Traits , 1856). "The god of the cannibals will be a cannibal, of the crusaders a crusader, and of the merchants a merchant." (Civilization, 1862). He influenced generations of Americans, from his friend Henry David Thoreau to John Dewey, and in Europe, Friedrich Nietzsche, who takes up such Emersonian themes as power, fate, the uses of poetry and history, and the critique of Christianity. D. 1882.
Ralph Waldo Emerson was his son and Waldo Emerson Forbes, his grandson.

Reviews

[Yelda Basar Moers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down, Ralph Waldo Emerson is one of my favorite spiritual writers of all time! I also count him to be a prophet of nature, the Self and the Soul.

I believe that any avid spiritual reader should read the classics. For me, that would include Emerson’s writings. Together with Thoreau, he led the 19th century American spiritual movement called Transcendentalism.

Emerson believed that there were two places you could find God, in your own Self (the higher self or soul) and in Nature. He was the head of the Unitarian church, but then not only left it, he broke off from religion altogether to espouse a spirituality that was divorced from any dogma or form.

I love this compilation and edition from Tarcher, which includes his best spiritual writing. His essay The Over-Soul is my favorite. Other favorite essays in this compilation include Self Reliance, Spiritual Laws and Fate. The Spiritual Emerson only offers a small selection of his essays, which makes for a great introduction to his work. For a more comprehensive compendium, try Selected Writings of Emerson, which also includes his poems.

Below is one of my favorite quotes from The Over-Soul:

“The action of the soul is oftener in that which is felt and left unsaid than it that which is said in any conversation.”

[Jeffrey Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emerson has no peer or rival.

Too much wisdom in one person.

Genius flows from his every word.

[J Brandon Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to trick Goodreads to let me add a review to a book that I haven't finished. This book is a collection of Emerson's (I call him Ralphy, respectfully) and I have read so far his essay "Self Reliance", and "Compensation" and both have been 5 star essay's. My only complaint is RWE gets a bit wordy sometimes, like "yeah I get he point, its a good point and I resonate with it I promise, get on to the next thought".

Great book, great guy. My grandfather's middle name is Emerson, and so is my son Enoch's. So I am proud to have some Emerson in me somewhere. One more thing... I am usually reluctant to look up the history of some of my favorite thinkers from pre-now because they usually have skeletons in the closet, or some baggage that makes you want to distantly admire them.. RWE is a rock, and I have been happy to find that he was a man who walked the walk.

I already rated this 5 stars, because I quote this guy now on a weekly basis.. these essays (and poems) have definitely made their mark in my greater philosophical / religious context.

------- Update [05.07.2021]
Over the last few years I have read a few of the essays in this collection, specifically Self Reliance, and Compensation multiple times. Overall, I would say my favorite chapters (essays) are "Self Reliance", "Compensation", and "The Oversoul". As mentioned earlier (whenever my part way review was written) I am rating this 5 stars. I rate great books, that I thoroughly enjoyed 4 stars, I write books that change my life, and enrich my thinking to a "more lofty sphere" 5 stars.

[Jacob Fure · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read these essays often. It is one of the books that I continually come back to. The writing is intellectual and meditative. It always makes me have good articulate thoughts and puts me in the present moment. You really have read it a few times to fully understand what it is saying.

My favorite essay is the one on Compensation. Fate is also really good one.

Any student of philosophy must read Emerson.

[Zoe Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved Emerson, and this particular collection of essays is the best I've seen. It contains a wide variety of his writings over time chronicling his journey with Transcendentalism. It has become a beloved book that I will read over and over again, or grab to read snippets for inspiration or when I need some spiritual food for my mind as well as my heart and soul.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emerson’s collection of essays are still relevant today, more than 150 years later. This anthology wonderfully shows threads linking essays to one another over a 30 plus year span of time. You can clearly distinguish the development of Emerson’s ideas. It is interesting to see how Emersonian concepts of unity, self and God are precursors to some of the positivist spiritualism of the later 20th century. A very wide spectrum of religious thinkers owe much to Emerson. Whether its Oral Roberts seed faith or Brian McLaren’s higher life, Emerson tilled the land earlier. In Compensation he gives a case for dualism (symmetry) and that all actions have expected responses (e.g. you get what you give). In his Divinity School Address, Emerson infamously promotes moving away from religion to the preferred position of personal guidance from the Source or Being (God). He even has the practical application of his philosophical statements in The Fugitive Slave Law, where he rails against the evil 1850 law and advocates for those in the Union to side with the Universe’s truth over Congress’. There are many gems thorough out this collection of writings. I have a selection of quotes below that I want to highlight and holdup for more reading later.

Nature
“The production of a work of art throws a light upon the mystery of humanity. A work of art is an abstract or epitome of the world. It is the result of expression of nature, in miniature. For although the works of nature are innumerable and all different, the result or expression of them all is similar and single. Nature is a sea of forms radically alike and even unique. A leaf, a sunbeam, a landscape, the ocean, make an analogous impression on the mind. What is common to them all,—that perfectness and harmony, is beauty. The standard of beauty is the entire circuit of natural forms,—the totality of nature; which the Italians expressed by defining beauty ‘il più nell’uno.’ Nothing is quite beautiful alone: nothing but is beautiful in the whole. A single object is only so far beautiful as it suggests this universal grace. The poet, the painter the sculptor, the musician, the architect, seek each to concentrate this radiance of the world on one point, and each in his several work to satisfy the love of beauty which stimulates him to produce. Thus is Art a nature passed through the alembic of man. Thus in art does Nature work through the will of a man filled with the beauty of her first works.” p33

The Divinity School Address
“Let me admonish you, first of all, to go alone; to refuse the good models, even those which are sacred in the imagination of men, and dare to love God without mediator or veil. Friends enough you shall find who will hold up to your emulations Wesleys or Oberlins, Saints and Prophets. Thank God for these good men, but say, ‘I also am a man.’ Imitation cannot go above its model. The imitator dooms himself to hopeless mediocrity. The inventor did it because it was natural to him, and so in him it has a charm. In the imitator something else is natural, and he bereaves himself of his own beauty, to come short of another man’s.
Yourself a newborn bard of the Holy Ghost, cast behind you all conformity, and acquaint men at first hand with Deity. Look first and only, that fashion, custom, authority, pleasure, and money, are nothing to you,—are not bandages over your eyes, that you cannot see,—but live with the privilege of the immeasurable mind. Not too anxious to visit periodically all families and each family in your parish connection,—when you meet one of these men or women, be to them a divine man; be to them thought and virtue; let their timid aspirations find in you a friend; let their trampled instincts be genially tempted out in your atmosphere; let their doubts know that you have doubted, and their wonder feel that you have wondered. By trusting your own heart, you shall gain more confidence in other men.” p79

Self-Reliance
“A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than a luster of the firmament of bards and sages. Yet he dismisses without notice his thought, because it is his. In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty. Great works of art have no more affecting lesson for us than this. They teach us to” p89
“It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.” p90
“Prayer that craves a particular commodity, anything less than all good, is vicious. Prayer is the contemplation of the facts of life from the highest point of view. It is the soliloquy of a beholding an jubilant soul. It is the spirit of God pronouncing his works good. But prayer as a means to effect a private end is meaness and theft. It supposes dualism and not unity in nature and consciousness. As soon as the man is at one with God, he will not beg. He will then see prayer in all action. The prayer of the farmer kneeling in his field to wed it, the prayer of the rower kneeling with the stroke of his oar, are the true prayers heard throughout nature, though for cheap ends.” p102
“Do that which is assigned you, and you cannot hope too much or dare too much. There is at this moment for you an utterance brave and grand as that of the colossal chisel of Phidias, or trowel of the Egyptians, or the pen of Moses or Dante, but different from all these.” p106

Compensation
“An inevitable dualism bisects nature, so that each thing is a half, and suggests another thing to make it whole; as, spirit, matter; man, woman; odd, even; subjective, objective; in, out; upper, under; motion, rest; yea, nay.” p115
“All things are double, one against another.—Tit for tat; an eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth; blood for blood; measure for measure; love for love,—Give, and it shall be given you.—He that watereth shall be watered himself.—What will you have? quoth God; pay for it and take it.—Nothing venture, nothing have,—Thou shalt be paid exactly for what thou hast done, no more, no less.—Who doth not work shall not eat.—Harm watch, harm catch.—Curses always recoil on the head of him who imprecates them.” p121
“The good are befriended even by weakness and defect. As no man had ever a point of pride that was not injurious to him, so no man had ever a defect that was not somewhere made useful to him. The stag in the fable admired his horns and blamed his feet, but when the hunter came, his feet saved him, and afterwards, caught in the thicket, his horns destroyed him. Every man in his lifetime needs to thank his faults. As no man thoroughly understands a truth until he has contended against it, so no man has a thorough acquaintance with the hindrances of talents until he has suffered from the one and seen triumph of the other over his own want of the same.” pgs125-6
“Thus do all things preach the indifferency of circumstances. The man is all. Every thing has two sides, a good and an evil. Every advantage has its tax. I learn to be content. But the doctrine of compensation is not the doctrine of indifferency. The thoughtless say, on hearing these representations,—What boots it to do well? There is one event to good and evil; if I gain any good I must pay for it; if I lose any good I gain some other; all actions are indifferent.
There is a deeper fact in the soul than compensation, to wit, its own nature. The soul is not a compensation, but a life. The soul is. Under all this running sea of circumstance, whose water ebb and flow with perfect balance. Lies the aboriginal abyss of real Being. Essence, of God, is not a relation or a part, but the whole. Being is the vast affirmative, excluding negation, self-balanced, and swallowing up all relations, parts and times within itself. Nature, truth. Virtue, are the influx from thence. Vice is the absence or departure of the same.” p127
“There is no penalty to virtue; no penalty to wisdom; they are proper additions of being. In virtuous action I properly am; in a virtuous act I ass to the world; I plant into deserts conquered from Chaos and Nothing and see the darkness receding on the limits of the horizon. There can be no excess to love, none to knowledge, none to beauty, when these attributes are considered in the purest sense. The soul refuses limits, and always affirms an Optimism, never a Pessimism.” p128

The Over-Soul
“It is of no use to preach to me from without. I can do that too easily myself. Jesus speaks always from within, and in a degree that transcends all others. In that is the miracle.” p144

Circles
“Therefore we value the poet. All the argument and all the wisdom is not in the encyclopedia, or the treatise on metaphysics, or the Body of Divinity, but in the sonnet or the play. ” p158
“The difference between talents and character is adroitness to keep the old and trodden round, and power and courage to make a new road to new and better goals.” p162
“The one thing which we seek with insatiable desire is to forget ourselves, to be surprised out of our propriety, to lose our sempiternal memory and to do something without knowing how or why; in short to draw a new circle. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” p163

The Fugitive Slave Law
“He only who is able to stand alone is qualified for society. And that I understand to be the end for which the soul exists in this world,—to be himself the counterbalance of all falsehood and all wrong. ‘The army of the unright is encamped from pole to pole, but the road to victory is known to the just.’” p201
“Whenever a man has come to this mind, that there is no Church for him but his believing prayer; no Constitution but his dealing well and justly with his neighbor; no liberty but his invincible will to do right—then certain aids and allies will promptly appear: for the constitution of the Universe is on his side. It is of no use to vote down gravitation of morals. What is useful will last, whilst that which is hurtful to the world will sink beneath all the opposing forces which it must exasperate.” p201-2

Worship
“But the official men can in nowise help you in any question of to-day, they deriving entirely from the old dead things. Only those can help in counsel or conduct who did not make a party pledge to defend this or that, but who were appointed by God Almighty, before they came into the world, to stand for this which they uphold.” p215
“Every man takes care that his neighbor shall not cheat him. But a day comes when he begins to care that he do not cheat his neighbor. Then all goes well. He has changed his market-cart into a chariot of the sun. What a day dawns when we have taken to heart the doctrine of faith!” p216
“Man is made of the same atoms as the world is, he shares the same impressions, predispositions and destiny. When his mind is illuminated, when his heart is kind, he throws himself joyfully into the sublime order, and doss, with knowledge, what the stones do by structure.” p230

Character
“Morals is the direction of the will on universal ends. He is immoral who is acting to private end. He is moral,—we say it with Marcus Aurelius and with Kant,—whose aim or motive may become a universal rule, binding on all intelligent beings; and with Vauvenargues, ‘the mercenary sacrifice of the public good to a private interest is the eternal stamp of vice.’”p244
“’Let no intruder come between thee and me; deal Thou with me; let me now it is they will, and I ask no more.’ The excellence of Jesus, and of every true teacher, is, that he affirms the Divinity in him and in us,—not thrusts himself between it and us. It would instantly indispose us to any person claiming to speak for the Author of Nature, the setting forth any fact of law which we did not find in our consciousness.” p246-247
“The Divine Mind imparts itself to the single person: his whole duty is to this rule and teaching. The aid which others give us is like that of the mother to the child,—temporary, gestative, a short period of lactation, a nurse’s or a governess’s care; but on his arrival at a certain maturity, it ceases, and would be hurtful and ridiculous it prolonged. Slowly the body comes to the use of its organs; slowly the soul unfolds itself in the new man.” p247
“And one sees with some pain the disuse of rites so charged with humanity and aspiration. But it by no means follows, because those offices are much disused, that the men and women are irreligious; certainly not that they have less integrity or sentiment, but only, let us hope, that they see that they can omit the form without loss of real ground; perhaps that they find some violence, some cramping of their freedom of thought, in the constant recurrence of the form.” p252
“Mankind at large always resemble frivolous children: they are impatient of thought, and wish to be amused. Truth is too simple for us; we do not like those who unmask our illusions. Fontenelle said: ‘If the Deity should lay bare to the eyes of men the secret system of Nature, the causes by which all the astronomic results are affected, and they finding no magic, no mystic numbers, no fatalities, but the greatest simplicity, I am persuaded they would not be able to suppress a feeling of mortification, and would exclaim, with disappointment, “Is that all?” ’ And so we paint over the bareness of ethics with the quaint grotesques of theology.” p253

[Matt Merlino · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you haven't read Emerson's essays on self reliance or commerce or any at all then put down your false modern guru hippy text nonsense secret pile of hobgoblin lore and read Emerson for the love of reason and emotion.

[Bruce Leeds · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a nicely bound book (readable font) that contains what the editor considers the best of Emerson's statements on spirituality. I might have thrown in a couple of others, but for what this book advertises itself to be it can't be beat--having the essential spiritual essays in one volume without having for example ALL of the first and second series. It also includes a couple of essays at the end that the reader may not be familiar with and that sort of encapsulate Emerson's late thinking on what spirituality means. The book also contains an intelligent introduction that puts Emerson's thinking on spirituality in historical (historical with reference to his line of thinking) perspective. The essays by the way are conveniently ordered by date of publication. Nice volume. If you love Emerson, get it for your shelf.

[Himanshi Yadav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t you just love rare editions of collected works of your favourite writers especially when they have the same essays/ poems you long for in a compiled form? I do and this is hands down my favourite. I am not sure where I ordered this from back in 2017 but im so glad I did. This pocket book has probably the best essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson, who is my all time favourite American philosopher. As written in the introduction, “Reading Emerson can awaken a part of the psyche that our culture has suppressed”, and to elaborate on this thought, I’d like to add that as you bring about this inner change it gets hard to believe in our ordinary selves and we transcend the barrier to discover our true human element.

[Altanzul Davaa-Ochir · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this compilation of essays and lectures given by Emerson, I find myself feeling immersed by a universal force that's the truth, that which we feel every day as human beings. Emerson's thorough explanation of his point of view serves as a nice palette of refreshing perspective on how things are in their nature and how things could be. Sometimes it can be hard to strike a balance for people who are spiritually and creatively inclined to be more of a cog in the machine that is the society, whose only expected result is undisturbed production. But in those times, reading Emerson might help you to cope better through his understanding of the nature of 'so it goes', if not provide much more than that.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Self-Reliance” & “Success” spoke to me, but the rest of the essays seemed to be recycled ideas from eastern religion. I have heard of similar concepts already (many of us have) but I fail to see the purpose of these points! If they are indeed the truth, then what? I think we’d go on living the same way.

And well, I’m just not sure that I’m even convinced.

Emerson uses analogies and pretty prose, but I guess when it comes to spirituality, I’m more interested in evidence (even anecdotes count! People believe what they say for the most part). I’m not sure what I expected but it was mostly underwhelming.

“Self-Reliance” was pretty great though; it was rather edifying.

[Michael Y. · Rating 4 out of 5]

emerson is beautiful writer in his constant metaphors and rhetoric—he can evoke rebuttals to personal thoughts like no other can. his notion of simplicity is quintessential of the transcendentalist movement, and pretty much the antithesis to inspections into the complexities of life, or so it seems.

i cannot seem to agree with him on many of his notions though—although i try to read with an open mind, many of his concepts are simply too ignorant of life’s complexities to satisfy me. however, his perspective is one that should be utilized often. simplicity truly is the key to contentness. perhaps i will revisit this book in the future

[Clurtle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this might get added to my yearly reading list right next to Drucker. The message was very timely for where I’m at in life, especially when he says don’t read books for answers. There’s a lot of philosophy ij each like, and I plan to read up on some of the referenced people in the near future. The prose is extremely difficult to parse, but there’s a beautiful cadence that develops creative images that linger in the back of your mind for days. My spiritual journey through the book was great. At times, it felt a bit like the modern hype-man who’s telling you to “get out of bed and just do it!” Overall enjoyed the read and look forward to getting more nuggets from my future reads.

[Mairi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not the easiest read but it is worth reading several times. It is very thought provoking. A few chapters of motivational, wise words that should be essential reading.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great read.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes very insightful, sometimes absurdly naive, sometimes purposefully blind. Tons of underlining and things I'd enjoy discussing in a book club

[Sarah Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written. In fact, it was so well written, I had to take a alot of breaks to give my brain a break. Emerson writes beautifully, and you can tell he was a spiritual man.

[LaShana Claude]

The Spiritual Emerson
Project Gutenberg
Bag sales
Harvard
Valley College

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection is excellent. I was quite fond of the chapter on "Fate". Emerson's wisdom is timeless.

[Joscha · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be great is to be misunderstood

[Elvalo · Rating 5 out of 5]

That book is really cool.

[Panama Judas]

Quite possibly the most important book I've had the pleasure of reading. Emerson's prose carries his thoughts so damn beautifully. Adorned with insight and plenty to question and consider. The spiritual writings just strolled right in to my top ten.

[Mar · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you like emerson and are interested in religion and spirituality, then this is the way to go.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of americas finest contemplative writers. essays such as nature, self-reliance, and the over-soul are included.

[Windy · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest, I don't think I finished all of this book. It's just so boring! I'm sorry. I tried to make myself like it.

[Pam Marcello]

"Accept the place the divine providence has found for you..."

[Morning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another incredible read. Wow-------a weath of wisdom.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Pilgrim at Tinker Creek x 10. Every sentence provokes insight.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring and hopeful, a look into one of the great minds of the 19th century. It is as a breath of fresh air in the smoke filled world of today. Truly, one of my all-time favorites.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such resonant, beautiful writing. A soaring call to become more in touch with our best selves and the best of the world around us.