Individualism and Nonconformity in Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance"
Faculty Mentor
Paul Lindholdt
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
10-5-2023 9:30 AM
End Date
10-5-2023 9:50 AM
Location
PUB 323
Department
English
Abstract
My presentation utilizes the etymology of the word genius to explore Emerson’s “Self-Reliance.” Emerson would empower the individual in a conformist society to find harmony through nonconformity. The etymology of genius as a spiritual guide reinforces his stance on individualism, namely by qualifying the spirit, or the individual’s discretion, as all-powerful and constant. The word is rooted in the belief that a “spirit attendant” overlooks and guides the host body of each individual. Genius has also been defined as the “personification of a person’s natural appetites.” In terms of Emerson’s genius, man’s inherent appetite to belong to a collective reinforces the necessity of self-reliance. In an article from the Berkeley-based Greater Good Magazine, Zaid Jilani explains that "The power of conformity . . . has deep implications for polarization.”
Recommended Citation
Roof, Brendan, "Individualism and Nonconformity in Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance"" (2023). 2023 Symposium. 1.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2023/res_2023/os4_2023/1
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Individualism and Nonconformity in Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance"
PUB 323
My presentation utilizes the etymology of the word genius to explore Emerson’s “Self-Reliance.” Emerson would empower the individual in a conformist society to find harmony through nonconformity. The etymology of genius as a spiritual guide reinforces his stance on individualism, namely by qualifying the spirit, or the individual’s discretion, as all-powerful and constant. The word is rooted in the belief that a “spirit attendant” overlooks and guides the host body of each individual. Genius has also been defined as the “personification of a person’s natural appetites.” In terms of Emerson’s genius, man’s inherent appetite to belong to a collective reinforces the necessity of self-reliance. In an article from the Berkeley-based Greater Good Magazine, Zaid Jilani explains that "The power of conformity . . . has deep implications for polarization.”
