Emerson Nature

Protagoras was a Pre-Socratic philosopher who stated that "Man is the measure of all things." After reading the essay "Nature" by Ralph Waldo Emerson, it is clear that his essay is actually an ode to man and correlates to Protagoras’ quote. According to the ideas of Transcendentalism, there is believed to be an oversoul or a God that is ever present and everywhere. This oversoul or God is present in all of nature, and therefore present in all people's consciousness, allowing the person to sense their wholeness and connection with God. Therefore in nature, which is part of God, man can find qualities parallel to his own. There is a special relationship between man and nature that can be described as sympathy, a common understanding. Nature

It educates man in both the rational, cogent understanding and the intuitive, mystical reason. Nature as a discipline is a mode of attaining cognition. In regards to the rational and cogent aspect, as man assimilates the fundamental physical rules, he becomes closer to grasping the ordinances of creation, as well as the limiting notions, "time and space" (Emerson 38). Emerson then highlights the significance of human will — the articulation of human power — in harnessing nature. Man takes what is convenient from nature so that he can configure an idea of the universe, giving more or less significance to explicit parts to suit man's needs. This includes even formulating nature in compliance to man's own image of it. Emerson then goes onto explain how intuitive reason gives insight into the moral and spiritual meaning behind nature. He states that "all things are moral" (Emerson 38) and therefore, all of the characteristics of nature bear the laws of morality and transgressions. Also in this chapter Emerson uses personification towards nature by giving it a voice. He says "“She pardons no mistakes. Her yea is yea, and her nay, nay” (Emerson 37). Here he is saying that nature pardons no mistakes. He personifies nature here to give nature more importance and emphasis on the topic and makes it easier to relate things to because it is acting like it has actions, and thought, and