The American Scholar.docx
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The American Scholar.docx
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TheAmericanScholar
TheAmericanScholar
byRalphWaldoEmerson
RalphWaldoEmerson
1803-82
RalphWaldoEmersonwasoneofAmerica'smostfamousandinfluentialwritersandthinkers.HewasinstrumentalinthedevelopmentofadistinctAmericanphilosophy.BorninBoston,EmersonwasaUnitarianministerearlyinhiscareer(1829-32)atBoston'shistoricalOldNorthChurch,butheleftduetodoctrinaldifferences.InafamousAugust31,1837addresstothePhiBetaKappaSocietyatHarvard,"TheAmericanScholar,"EmersoncalledforAmericanintellectualandphilosophicalindependencefromEurope.
Mr.PresidentandGentlemen,
Igreetyouonthere-commencementofourliteraryyear.Ouranniversaryisoneofhope,and,perhaps,notenoughoflabor.Wedonotmeetforgamesofstrengthorskill,fortherecitationofhistories,tragedies,andodes,liketheancientGreeks;forparliamentsofloveandpoesy,liketheTroubadours;norfortheadvancementofscience,likeourcontemporariesintheBritishandEuropeancapitals.Thusfar,ourholidayhasbeensimplyafriendlysignofthesurvivaloftheloveoflettersamongstapeopletoobusytogivetolettersanymore.Assuch,itispreciousasthesignofanindestructibleinstinct.Perhapsthetimeisalreadycome,whenitoughttobe,andwillbe,somethingelse;whenthesluggardintellectofthiscontinentwilllookfromunderitsironlids,andfillthepostponedexpectationoftheworldwithsomethingbetterthantheexertionsofmechanicalskill.Ourdayofdependence,ourlongapprenticeshiptothelearningofotherlands,drawstoaclose.
Themillions,thataroundusarerushingintolife,cannotalwaysbefedonthesereremainsofforeignharvests.Events,actionsarise,thatmustbesung,thatwillsingthemselves.Whocandoubt,thatpoetrywillreviveandleadinanewage,asthestarintheconstellationHarp,whichnowflamesinourzenith,astronomersannounce,shallonedaybethepole-starforathousandyears?
Inthishope,Iacceptthetopicwhichnotonlyusage,butthenatureofourassociation,seemtoprescribetothisday,--theAMERICANSCHOLAR.Yearbyyear,wecomeuphithertoreadonemorechapterofhisbiography.Letusinquirewhatlightnewdaysandeventshavethrownonhischaracter,andhishopes.
Itisoneofthosefables,which,outofanunknownantiquity,conveyanunlooked-forwisdom,thatthegods,inthebeginning,dividedManintomen,thathemightbemorehelpfultohimself;justasthehandwasdividedintofingers,thebettertoansweritsend.
Theoldfablecoversadoctrineevernewandsublime;thatthereisOneMan,--presenttoallparticularmenonlypartially,orthroughonefaculty;andthatyoumusttakethewholesocietytofindthewholeman.Manisnotafarmer,oraprofessor,oranengineer,butheisall.Manispriest,andscholar,andstatesman,andproducer,andsoldier.Inthedividedorsocialstate,thesefunctionsareparceledouttoindividuals,eachofwhomaimstodohisstintofthejointwork,whilsteachotherperformshis.Thefableimplies,thattheindividual,topossesshimself,mustsometimesreturnfromhisownlabortoembracealltheotherlaborers.Butunfortunately,thisoriginalunit,thisfountainofpower,hasbeensodistributedtomultitudes,hasbeensominutelysubdividedandpeddledout,thatitisspilledintodrops,andcannotbegathered.Thestateofsocietyisoneinwhichthemembershavesufferedamputationfromthetrunk,andstrutaboutsomanywalkingmonsters,--agoodfinger,aneck,astomach,anelbow,butneveraman.
Manisthusmetamorphosedintoathing,intomanythings.Theplanter,whoisMansentoutintothefieldtogatherfood,isseldomcheeredbyanyideaofthetruedignityofhisministry.Heseeshisbushelandhiscart,andnothingbeyond,andsinksintothefarmer,insteadofManonthefarm.Thetradesmanscarcelyevergivesanidealworthtohiswork,butisriddenbytheroutineofhiscraft,andthesoulissubjecttodollars.Thepriestbecomesaform;theattorney,astatute-book;themechanic,amachine;thesailor,aropeofaship.
Inthisdistributionoffunctions,thescholaristhedelegatedintellect.Intherightstate,heis,ManThinking.Inthedegeneratestate,whenthevictimofsociety,hetendstobecomeamerethinker,or,stillworse,theparrotofothermen'sthinking.
Inthisviewofhim,asManThinking,thetheoryofhisofficeiscontained.Himnaturesolicitswithallherplacid,allhermonitorypictures;himthepastinstructs;himthefutureinvites.
Isnot,indeed,everymanastudent,anddonotallthingsexistforthestudent'sbehoof?
And,finally,isnotthetruescholartheonlytruemaster?
Buttheoldoraclesaid,`Allthingshavetwohandles:
bewareofthewrongone.'Inlife,toooften,thescholarerrswithmankindandforfeitshisprivilege.Letusseehiminhisschool,andconsiderhiminreferencetothemaininfluenceshereceives.
I.Thefirstintimeandthefirstinimportanceoftheinfluencesuponthemindisthatofnature.Everyday,thesun;and,aftersunset,nightandherstars.Everthewindsblow;everthegrassgrows.Everyday,menandwomen,conversing,beholdingandbeholden.Thescholarisheofallmenwhomthisspectaclemostengages.Hemustsettleitsvalueinhismind.Whatisnaturetohim?
Thereisneverabeginning,thereisneveranend,totheinexplicablecontinuityofthiswebofGod,butalwayscircularpowerreturningintoitself.Thereinitresembleshisownspirit,whosebeginning,whoseending,henevercanfind,--soentire,soboundless.Far,too,ashersplendorsshine,systemonsystemshootinglikerays,upward,downward,withoutcentre,withoutcircumference,--inthemassandintheparticle,naturehastenstorenderaccountofherselftothemind.Classificationbegins.Totheyoungmind,everythingisindividual,standsbyitself.Byandby,itfindshowtojointwothings,andseeinthemonenature;thenthree,thenthreethousand;andso,tyrannizedoverbyitsownunifyinginstinct,itgoesontyingthingstogether,diminishinganomalies,discoveringrootsrunningunderground,wherebycontraryandremotethingscohere,andfloweroutfromonestem.Itpresentlylearns,that,sincethedawnofhistory,therehasbeenaconstantaccumulationandclassifyingoffacts.Butwhatisclassificationbuttheperceivingthattheseobjectsarenotchaotic,andarenotforeign,buthavealawwhichisalsoalawofthehumanmind?
Theastronomerdiscoversthatgeometry,apureabstractionofthehumanmind,isthemeasureofplanetarymotion.Thechemistfindsproportionsandintelligiblemethodthroughoutmatter;andscienceisnothingbutthefindingofanalogy,identity,inthemostremoteparts.Theambitioussoulsitsdownbeforeeachrefractoryfact;oneafteranother,reducesallstrangeconstitutions,allnewpowers,totheirclassandtheirlaw,andgoesonforevertoanimatethelastfibreoforganization,theoutskirtsofnature,byinsight.
Thustohim,tothisschool-boyunderthebendingdomeofday,issuggested,thatheanditproceedfromoneroot;oneisleafandoneisflower;relation,sympathy,stirringineveryvein.AndwhatisthatRoot?
Isnotthatthesoulofhissoul?
--Athoughttoobold,--adreamtoowild.Yetwhenthisspirituallightshallhaverevealedthelawofmoreearthlynatures,--whenhehaslearnedtoworshipthesoul,andtoseethatthenaturalphilosophythatnowis,isonlythefirstgropingsofitsgigantichand,heshalllookforwardtoaneverexpandingknowledgeastoabecomingcreator.Heshallsee,thatnatureistheoppositeofthesoul,answeringtoitpartforpart.Oneisseal,andoneisprint.Itsbeautyisthebeautyofhisownmind.Itslawsarethelawsofhisownmind.Naturethenbecomestohimthemeasureofhisattainments.Somuchofnatureasheisignorantof,somuchofhisownminddoeshenotyetpossess.And,infine,theancientprecept,"Knowthyself,"andthemodernprecept,"Studynature,"becomeatlastonemaxim.
II.Thenextgreatinfluenceintothespiritofthescholar,is,themindofthePast,--inwhateverform,whetherofliterature,ofart,ofinstitutions,thatmindisinscribed.Booksarethebesttypeoftheinfluenceofthepast,andperhapsweshallgetatthetruth,--learntheamountofthisinfluencemoreconveniently,--byconsideringtheirvaluealone.
Thetheoryofbooksisnoble.Thescholarofthefirstagereceivedintohimtheworldaround;broodedthereon;gaveitthenewarrangementofhisownmind,anduttereditagain.Itcameintohim,life;itwentoutfromhim,truth.Itcametohim,short-livedactions;itwentoutfromhim,immortalthoughts.Itcametohim,business;itwentfromhim,poetry.Itwasdeadfact;now,itisquickthought.Itcanstand,anditcango.Itnowendures,itnowflies,itnowinspires.Preciselyinproportiontothedepthofmindfromwhichitissued,sohighdoesitsoar,solongdoesitsing.
Or,Imightsay,itdependsonhowfartheprocesshadgone,oftransmutinglifeintotruth.Inproportiontothecompletenessofthedistillation,sowillthepurityandimperishablenessoftheproductbe.Butnoneisquiteperfect.Asnoair-pumpcanbyanymeansmakeaperfectvacuum,soneithercananyartistentirelyexcludetheconventional,thelocal,theperishablefromhisbook,orwriteabookofpurethought,thatshallbeasefficient,inallrespects,toaremoteposterity,astocontemporaries,orrathertothesecondage.Eachage,itisfound,mustwriteitsownbooks;orrather,eachgenerationforthenextsucceeding.Thebooksofanolderperiodwillnotfitthis.
Yethencearisesagravemischief.Thesacrednesswhichattachestotheac
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