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.

Contents

Essays (First Series)

Ralph Waldo Emerson

History

Self-Reliance

Compensation

Spiritual Laws

Love

Friendship

Prudence

Heroism

The Over-Soul

Circles

Intellect

Art

Essays (Second Series)

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Poet

Experience

Character

Manners

Gifts

Nature

Politics

Nominalist and Realist

New England Reformers