Essays - First SeriesAmerican essayist, philosopher and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882) lead Transcendentalism in the early nineteenth century and greatly influenced the later New Thought movement. Summing up his work, Emerson said that his primary principle was "the infinitude of the private man", and advised to "make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you." His First Series collects together the following 12 essays: History, Self-Reliance, Compensation, Spiritual Laws, Love, Friendship, Prudence, Heroism, The Over-Soul, Circles, Intellect and Art. |
From inside the book
Page 30
In splendid variety these changes come, all putting questions to the human spirit. Those men who cannot answer by a superior wisdom these facts or questions of time, serve them. Facts encumber them, tyrannize over them, and 30.
In splendid variety these changes come, all putting questions to the human spirit. Those men who cannot answer by a superior wisdom these facts or questions of time, serve them. Facts encumber them, tyrannize over them, and 30.
Page 37
Yet every history should be written in a wisdom which divined the range of our affinities and looked at facts as symbols. I am ashamed to see what a shallow village tale our so-called History is. How many times we must say Rome, ...
Yet every history should be written in a wisdom which divined the range of our affinities and looked at facts as symbols. I am ashamed to see what a shallow village tale our so-called History is. How many times we must say Rome, ...
Page 50
It seems to be a rule of wisdom never to rely on your memory alone, scarcely even in acts of pure memory, but to bring the past for judgment into the thousand-eyed present, and live ever in a new day. In your metaphysics you have denied ...
It seems to be a rule of wisdom never to rely on your memory alone, scarcely even in acts of pure memory, but to bring the past for judgment into the thousand-eyed present, and live ever in a new day. In your metaphysics you have denied ...
Page 56
We denote this primary wisdom as Intuition, whilst all later teachings are tuitions. In that deep force, the last fact behind which analysis cannot go, all things find their common origin. For the sense of being which in calm hours ...
We denote this primary wisdom as Intuition, whilst all later teachings are tuitions. In that deep force, the last fact behind which analysis cannot go, all things find their common origin. For the sense of being which in calm hours ...
Page 57
Here are the lungs of that inspiration which giveth man wisdom and which cannot be denied without impiety and atheism. We lie in the lap of immense intelligence, which makes us receivers of its truth and organs of its activity.
Here are the lungs of that inspiration which giveth man wisdom and which cannot be denied without impiety and atheism. We lie in the lap of immense intelligence, which makes us receivers of its truth and organs of its activity.
What people are saying - Write a review
We haven't found any reviews in the usual places.
Contents
4 | |
39 | |
Compensation | 80 |
Spiritual Laws | 112 |
Love | 145 |
Friendship | 164 |
Prudence | 188 |
Heroism | 207 |
The OverSoul | 226 |
Circles | 254 |
Intellect | 274 |
Art | 295 |
Endnotes | 313 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
action affection already appear beauty become behold believe better body cause character child circumstance comes common conversation deep divine draw earth eternal existence experience expression face fact fall fear feel force friendship genius give hand hear heart highest hope hour human imagination individual intellect leave less light live look lose man's manner mean meet mind moral nature never object once organs painted particular pass past perfect persons poet present prudence reason relations religion secret seek seems seen sense side society soul speak spirit stand sweet teach thee things thou thought true truth universal virtue whilst whole wisdom wise write young