Emerson's Maxim Analysis
As Shakespeare had once said in the past, "To thine own self be true." During the Transcendentalist era of American literature, many writers took on the liberal mindset of the time, with no exception to Ralph
Waldo Emerson. During his time, Emerson compiled a list of 9 maxims, or universal truths/themes on life, and used these as an approach to life. One of such maxims is "Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind." This maxim, while ironically mocking the hold of religion upon the society of the time, serves to display Emerson's values on the originality of one's thoughts. In literal translation, the maxim states "The only sacred thing in this world is the integrity of a person's mind." However,
Emerson's maxim does not …show more content…
Humans are set apart by their individuality, or as
Emerson calls it, "integrity of the mind," and this is regardless of any dogma or religion in his opinion.
Emerson's Transcendentalist affiliation made his emphasis self-reliance and keeping the mind one's own, and that is seen with how he uses the word "nothing" at the start of his maxim to showcase the scale of his idealism for the world having a safeguard to conformity.
In the novel "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail," we take a look at Henry David Thoreau, who seems to be the living embodiment of Emerson's mindset. Henry approaches religion from an anti-authoritarian perspective, and instead focuses on living as a non-conformist. Henry even suggests that God may be an atheist at one point, saying, "I've often wondered, Deacon Ball, if atheism might even be popular with God himself." (19) While Henry is not rejecting religion with this statement, he is trying to convey that blindly following anything without stopping and questioning yourself is no way to achieve true intelligence - and that God himself disregards those who lack self-actualization. As Emerson's maxim emphasizes as well, Henry is trying to push society to realize that the only way to achieve "integrity
Waldo Emerson. During his time, Emerson compiled a list of 9 maxims, or universal truths/themes on life, and used these as an approach to life. One of such maxims is "Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind." This maxim, while ironically mocking the hold of religion upon the society of the time, serves to display Emerson's values on the originality of one's thoughts. In literal translation, the maxim states "The only sacred thing in this world is the integrity of a person's mind." However,
Emerson's maxim does not …show more content…
Humans are set apart by their individuality, or as
Emerson calls it, "integrity of the mind," and this is regardless of any dogma or religion in his opinion.
Emerson's Transcendentalist affiliation made his emphasis self-reliance and keeping the mind one's own, and that is seen with how he uses the word "nothing" at the start of his maxim to showcase the scale of his idealism for the world having a safeguard to conformity.
In the novel "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail," we take a look at Henry David Thoreau, who seems to be the living embodiment of Emerson's mindset. Henry approaches religion from an anti-authoritarian perspective, and instead focuses on living as a non-conformist. Henry even suggests that God may be an atheist at one point, saying, "I've often wondered, Deacon Ball, if atheism might even be popular with God himself." (19) While Henry is not rejecting religion with this statement, he is trying to convey that blindly following anything without stopping and questioning yourself is no way to achieve true intelligence - and that God himself disregards those who lack self-actualization. As Emerson's maxim emphasizes as well, Henry is trying to push society to realize that the only way to achieve "integrity