Ralph Waldo Emerson Accomplishments

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Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” Ralph Waldo Emerson, a 19th century poet, essayist, and famous philosopher, was a great influence on writers of his time and even some today. Many of his most famous works such as, “Self-Reliance” and “The American Scholar”, are about past issues that had been going on in his lifetime. Topics such as slavery, ideologies and mankind often fill up his writings. Early Life - Ralph Waldo Emerson, son of Reverend William Emerson, a well known clergyman. His mother, Ruth Haskins, was a fundamentally rooted Anglican. Born in a religious induced family, many of his influences and beliefs were influenced by …show more content…

[Serial No. ]. Education and Beliefs (Ideology) - Emerson’s major theme in philosophy is how the scholar is educated by three things, nature, books and action [Ralph Waldo Emerson (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)]. First, nature, the same laws that are contained in the human mind, the old sayings of, “Study Nature” and “Know Thyself" become one principle [Ralph Waldo Emerson (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)]. The second, books, offer us the knowledge of the past, the sacredness that passes down information, generation to generation. The reader uses books to create his own view of principles, used as a mere drive of inspiration and influence [Ralph Waldo Emerson (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)]. Lastly, action, the only way mere thoughts and ideas can be conceived into consciousness, without action they can not evolve into truth and reality [Ralph Waldo Emerson (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)]. On the topic of education, Ralph Waldo states it “lies in respecting the pupil.” It is not for the teacher to choose what the pupil will know and do, but for the pupil to discover “his own secret.” Ralph Waldo Emerson believes that the key is not to give the student information, but for the student to discover and understand it for themselves, to guide and direct them rather than overwhelming them with information [Ralph Waldo Emerson (Stanford Encyclopedia of