Please read Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay on Self-Reliance
Come to our next seminar with an understanding of Emerson’s key arguments and with a critique of his argumentation.
We might begin with these questions:
How does (and should) a person define his/her place in society? (what does Emerson mean by “society” anyhow?)
What are the two major barriers to self-reliance ? Who is the “aboriginal Self,” the “Trustee”? How does this concept modify the egotism of self-reliance?
What are the implications of self-reliance for business? for religion (prayers, creeds)? for travelling? for art? for property ownership and government?
