Ralph Waldo Emerson
The founding figure of American Transcendentalism, Emerson created a religion of self-reliance and the Over-Soul in essays of prophetic power. Nature announced the program of American Romanticism; The American Scholar declared American intellectual independence. His influence on subsequent American culture is incalculable.
Works
- EssaysEssays on self-reliance, nature, individuality, and transcendental philosophy
- NatureEssay celebrating nature as spiritual teacher and divine manifestation
- The Over-SoulEssay on universal spirit transcending individual consciousness and selfhood
- Collected PoemsLyric poems expressing transcendental philosophy and natural spirituality
- Representative MenEssays celebrating heroic individuals and great figures of history
- Self-RelianceEssay on individual autonomy, nonconformity, and moral integrity
- The American ScholarEssay on intellectual independence and the scholar's role in society
- Essays: First and Second SeriesComprehensive collection of Emerson's major philosophical and cultural essays
- Essays: First SeriesEarly essays establishing transcendental themes of nature and individualism
- Essays: Second SeriesLater essays exploring history, society, and personal development
- The Conduct of LifeEssays on success, power, culture, and the conduct of human life