Self-Reliance and Other Essays

Essayist, poet, and philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) propounded a transcendental idealism emphasizing self-reliance, self-culture, and individual expression. The six essays and one address included in this volume, selected from Essays, First Series (1841) and Essays, Second Series (1844), offer a representative sampling of his views outlining that moral idealism as well as a hint of the later skepticism that colored his thought. In addition to the celebrated title essay, the others included here are "e;History,"e; "e;Friendship,"e; "e;The Over-Soul,"e; "e;The Poet,"e; and "e;Experience,"e; plus the well-known and frequently read Harvard Divinity School Address.