Date of Award
2010
Document Type
Thesis
Publication Status
Version of Record
Submission Date
October 2026
Abstract
This thesis will reveal a political dimension to Emerson's work, situating itself in the current scholarly movement to analyze Emerson from a different angle. Scholars have long heralded Emerson as a staunch individualist or transcendentalist, yet there has been a recent shift in literary studies to consider him from a social or political perspective. Emerson's emphasis on the individual does not diminish in any of the three essays that I have selected; however, he strongly urges every individual to contribute towards the amelioration of society. He also believes that an individual person has enormous potential to cause both great improvement and great harm, which is why a wise man or scholar is a paramount component to any society. Moreover, this thesis addresses topics that are particularly useful today, as Emerson's words are just as relevant to the political situation in the world now as they were in the 19th century.
Extent
v, 83 p.
Recommended Citation
Gillespie, Elizabeth., "symbiosis between the individual and society in Ralph Waldo Emerson's "The American Scholar," "History," and "Politics"" (2010). Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019. 189.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general_6/189
Identifier
FADT2684307
Comments
by Elizabeth Gillespie.|Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010.|Includes bibliography.|Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.|by Elizabeth Gillespie.