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Nature
Nature is an essay that puts forth the foundation of transcendentalism, a belief system that espouses a non-traditional appreciation of nature. Transcendentalism suggests that the divine, or God, suffuses nature, and suggests that reality can be understood by studying nature. Chapters include: Nature; Commodity; Beauty; Language; Discipline; Idealism; Spirit; and, Prospects. Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 - April 27, 1882) was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champion of individualism and a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society, and he disseminated his thoughts through dozens of published essays and more than 1,500 public lectures across the United States.
30 pages, Paperback
Published February 5, 2018
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June 28, 2024A great essay that I keep coming back to. Emmerson because of his great affinity with nature has a metaphorical vocabulary that wrenches at something deeper than intellect (indeed that is one of the ends of nature described in this very essay). This time around I was particularly struck by a passage that highlights the progress we have made as a species, something that lately seems wholly out of vogue:
" The private poor man hath cities, ships, canals, bridges, built for him. He goes to the post-office, and the human race run on his errands; to the book-shop, and the human race read and write of all that happens, for him; to the court-house, and nations repair his wrongs. He sets his house upon the road, and the human race go forth every morning, and shovel out the snow, and cut a path for him. "
It's a simple, even banal, observation but one that I so often overlook: the great majority of human enterprise advances my interest in a most direct way. The world transcends when looked at through such a romantic lens: abundance and optimism is ubiquitous and free.
It is a tonic to the pervasive pessimism of the 21st century, prompting us to take seriously the great British maxim: "always look on the bright side of life".
" The private poor man hath cities, ships, canals, bridges, built for him. He goes to the post-office, and the human race run on his errands; to the book-shop, and the human race read and write of all that happens, for him; to the court-house, and nations repair his wrongs. He sets his house upon the road, and the human race go forth every morning, and shovel out the snow, and cut a path for him. "
It's a simple, even banal, observation but one that I so often overlook: the great majority of human enterprise advances my interest in a most direct way. The world transcends when looked at through such a romantic lens: abundance and optimism is ubiquitous and free.
It is a tonic to the pervasive pessimism of the 21st century, prompting us to take seriously the great British maxim: "always look on the bright side of life".
Displaying 1 of 1 review