Self-Reliance

Alex Cassilly

Mrs. Raeder

English 11 IB, Block __

"Self-Reliance"

In this essay I will discuss the Ideas that Emerson valued most and wished for people

The reasons why Emerson, admires child's youth is because they are so free spirited they conform to no one when someone tells them to stop throwing something they stop and when no one is looking they start throwing it again. Children and youth in general live to break the rules they love doing things there no supposed to or expected to. If kids always did what people told them to they would never get to discover how great trying new things out are.

When we are first born in to this world we hear voices that tell us to be an individual and that we should think for ourselves. Unfortunately as time passes we age and that voice becomes fainter away and we think we have to fit in but truly all you really need to do to fit is to be yourself. So if people think they should be wearing the latest trends of fashion they should try to wear their own style of clothing, and even though we cannot be completely non-conforming we should try to be our own person.

Essay Question #5

Emerson says "The doctrine of hatred must be preached as the counteraction of the doctrine of love when that pules and whines" paragraph seven. Read the whole paragraph. In context what do you think Emerson means. Discuss how this relates to society.

"The doctrine of hatred must be preached as the counteraction of the doctrine of love when that pules and whines" what Emerson is saying in this phrase is that good and bad are just names we should make judgments according to our constitutions or conscious and not what every what else believes to be right and wrong. We need to think for ourselves we should make decisions with our heart because though you might not be right in the eyes of the beholder you are self- reliant about the decisions you make. In society you are supposed to dress a certain way, act a certain way, and talk a certain way: if you ever want to get somewhere in life you must strive to be different and if not you will be the average Joe somebody, that why Emerson is

Even if people think you are crazy for how you judge and make decisions, it should not matter to you because people will always believe you are sick in the head if you are not conforming to what society expects. In society you are supposed to dress a certain way, act a certain way, and talk a certain way: if you ever want to get somewhere in life you must strive to be different and if not you will be the average Joe somebody, that why Emerson is trying to stress the fact that you should try to distinguish yourselves in your life and not conform to other peoples actions.

Essay question #6

Paragraphs 21 and 22 express an important part of Emerson's philosophy. Explain what Emerson means by intuition. Emerson says, "The individual soul exists in the Over-soul, a supreme being or spirit which both transcends and is one with the individual soul." What evidence do you find in paragraph 21 and 22 of his belief in the Over-soul?

When Emerson makes a reference to intuition he is telling us that intuitions is our instinct our thought process. Our intuition is made up form different ideas such as our essences, which are genius, virtue of life, and or primal instinct. Intuition by definition means: "the power or faculty of attaining to direct knowledge or cognition without evident rational thought and inference" Webster dictionary.

In paragraph 21 and 22 Emerson gives hints to his self-believing in the over-soul when he says, "Here is the fountain of action and of thought. Here are the lungs of that inspiration which giveth man wisdom, and which cannot be denied without impiety and atheism"; in that statement he is saying the over-soul is staring us in the face when we look at other creatures in this world and that we very easily forget to se the things right in front of us. He says though his actions may be rash he still respects what is above and what is part of us, inside each and every soul is where the over-soul presides.

Essay Question #7

Some readers have interpreted Emerson's doctrine as a means to act entirely as he pleases, accepting no restraints whatsoever. What evidence can you find in the essay (paragraphs 28, 30, 31, 32) to show that Emerson does not propose irresponsible actions? In order to come to this conclusion, Emerson must have assumed what about human nature?

In paragraphs 28,30,31, and 32 he is just saying even though we must be self reliant and think for ourselves he does not want us to go against all logic he is saying rules are there to better serve us to keep balance and order even though some rules make no wince they are put their for a reason, just because we should not conform to everyone else's beliefs does not mean we should not follow the rules in place in our age and time, he wants us to try different ways of think