Essay in Essays: First Series (1841); its argument that a person's highest duty is to trust their own conviction over inherited opinion is the single most anthologized piece of American nonfiction prose.
Facts
Classification
Original Language Composed, From (Year) Composed, To (Year)Sourced to the subject's own account FAQs
Does Emerson say that consistency is a bad thing?
In the text of Essays, First Series on Project Gutenberg, Emerson writes: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do."
Connections
Associated With
Source Robert D. Richardson, Emerson: The Mind on Fire (1995)
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Authored By
Source Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays: First Series (1841)
In Genre
In the Other Atlases
Original Language
Also in Language Atlas: the original language of this subject.
Originated In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Self-Reliance
WikipediaLead
"Self-Reliance" is an 1841 essay written by American transcendentalist philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Lead paragraph
"Self-Reliance" is an 1841 essay written by American transcendentalist philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. It contains the most thorough statement of one of his recurrent themes: the need for each person to avoid conformity and false consistency, and follow their own instincts and ideas.
View the Source 2. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays: First Series (1841)
Robert D. Richardson, Emerson: The Mind on Fire (1995)
Associated With: The Essay
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.Associated With: TranscendentalismView the Source Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.