Thursday, September 23, 2010
Self-Reliance and Society
Raplh Waldo Emeron's essay titled "Self-Reliance", talks about how being a non-conformist is the best way to live. He also talks about society and what role self-reliance has in it. Emerson defines society as, "Society is a joint-stock company, in which the members agree for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater. The virtue in most request is conformity." Clearly Emerson thinks society is totaly against his idea of self reliance because he says people who rely on society fall into conformity. He also thinks when people live and rely on a soceity, their liberty and culture is lost. Emerson thinks a man shouldn't rely on soceity or even be an intrical part in it. In fact, it seems He thinks a man should not define soceity, but live as his own man and make his own decisions.
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I completely agree. People in society are relying on others to get ahead instead of relying on themselves. A man should not define society but should at least be a part of it. Society is just a constant pressure that people undergo and must fight against. By making his own decisions, man is fighting against society. Also how is liberty and culture lost when people live and rely on a society? Are you saying people don't express their freedoms or stay true to their cultural backgrounds once they conform to society?
ReplyDeleteEmerson is very much against society, but i dont think that being an individual is always right. If everyone were to only go by thier own thoughts and beliefs, then no one would agree and nothing is to be acomplished. I think a society needs to be a mix of both conformists and non-conformists.
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