Ralph Waldo Emerson, the greatest of the Transcendentalists, is often considered to be the central thinker in American history. In essays such as "Self-Reliance" and poems such as "Concord Hymn," he gave voice to ideals that Americans have held dear ever since.
Critical Companion to Ralph Waldo Emerson is a reliable and up-to-date resource for students interested in this prolific author. This illustrated volume examines Emerson's life and 140 of his most important works, including all of his major essays and 60 of his poems.
Emerson essays are like the orphic and Eleusinian celetial odes that inspire and guide every awakened intellect. Similar to Plutarch essays which are divine physicians for the Soul. They never leave the reader where he found himself initially, The writtings uplift one to a higher Elysian sphere.
How do I live a good life, one that is deeply personal and sensitive to others? John T. Lysaker suggests that those who take this question seriously need to reexamine the work of Ralph Waldo Emerson. In philosophical reflections on topics such as genius, divinity, friendship, and reform, Lysaker explores "self-culture" or the attempt to remain true to one's deepest commitments. He argues that being true to ourselves requires recognition of our thoroughly dependent and relational nature.
