Nature

I absolutely loved Nature. Being a tree-hugger myself I completely agree that "nature never wears a mean face." Even a powerful storm possesses beauty that must be acknowledged. I also agree with his assertion that most people, especially adults, do not see the beauty in nature. As we grow older we often overlook or even ignore the elegance of nature. When is the last time that any of us stepped outside to just look at the stars?

Francesca's

Self-Reliance

Emerson writes "There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till." In writing this, Emerson is stating that every person reaches a point (if pursuing knowledge) where they figure out that their thoughts are just as important as everyone else's thoughts. In fact, others' thoughts are in a way toxic to the thought process, restraining the mind from reaching its true ability. No bit of intellectual benefit extracted from outside sources can compare to the benefit of searching one's own thoughts and knowledge, thus depending on others' philosophy can lead one to become intellectually handicapped, unable to discern their own thoughts. It is by working one's own "plot of ground" in the mind that allows them to truly form their personal grasp of understanding.

P.S. I commented on Francesca's post.

Self-Reliance

I particularly enjoyed Emerson's essay, Self Reliance. It speaks of how important it is for someone to be independent and to not have to rely on the help of others. This hits home for me especially as and introvert, I don't ask for people's help even when I desperately need it. Self-reliance is really key to survival in today's society and it's a skill that more people need to posses. Emerson definitely hit the nail on the head with this one.

Nature

I think this reading is interesting. Emerson reminded me of Socrates a little when he spoke of the separation of Nature and the Soul. I also enjoyed the Statement about how people such as Miller and Locke are not the owners of the fields of nature, but merely are tending to the fields. I also enjoyed how it described the human eye as the greatest artist of all, as we can see and perceive the world around us and enjoyed its majesty as we could an actual painting. Overall, I enjoyed reading this and found it to be very enlightening, and even a bit beautiful.

I commented on Francesca M. Garcia's post.

Similarities

Emerson believes that everybody has something to offer to the "joint-stock company"-like society.  And every man must believe this in order to think meaningfully about himself.  Self-Reliance has many introspective, existentialist tendencies; "What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think," he says.  Each individual ought to be solely responsible for his own thinking, without allowing others to influence him too much.  Descartes' ideas permeate this piece, although it is not as philosophically heavy as Meditations.

His Nature, discusses similar Wordsworthian themes of nature, and yet where he seems to go as far as Wordsworth, he withholds such a view of nature in Self-Reliance.  It appears that Emerson finds a balance between Cartesian methods and those of Wordsworth.

I'll comment on Brannon's or Caleb's whenever they post

Transparent Eyeball

In Emerson's short book, Nature, the idea of being a "transparent eyeball" is first introduced. I agree, if we are made from dust and made from the earth, we are in fact part of nature. Emerson goes so far to say that we must not just see nature, but must be able to feel nature. That is when we are fully aware of God and ourselves. The only way we are different from nature is because the existence of our Spirit. Then on the other hand, in "Self-Reliance," Emerson seems to be saying that each person much think for himself. So it seems that he is stating the opposite of what Wordsworth and "Nature" are stating... That one can not understand everything through nature.

I believe there must be a balance between the two. We must think for ourselves and we must also learn through and from nature.

I commented on Jeremy's.

Mean Old Mother Nature

Emerson’s Nature was interesting. One statement that really stuck out to me was in Chapter 1 where he says ,” Nature never wears a mean appearance.” I disagree with this statement as Nature has shown time after time that it is horrible, destructive, and catastrophic. A example would be Hurricane Katrina that devastated New Orleans in in 2005. Waters flooded the whole city, lives where lost , and reconstruction seemed almost impossible at the time, thanks to Mother Nature. I believe Emerson must have never seen a hurricane, tornado, or tsunami and its effects in his life to make such a statement.