Ralph Waldo Emerson
Essays--First and Second Series
Reading notes--Adam Kissel
We are not enough aware of nature’s truth around us, and
cannot circle it, 267-68
Wisdom, poetry, and virtue build up in processes, 268
We don’t see the poetry in our own place, 268
Where truly are individuals, actions, opinions? Too much copy and routine, 268-69
Suffering does not yield extra truth [though it builds
character; see above], nor does it yield entrée into reality, 269
on death of his son between these essays and the last, 270
perhaps only our own death is real enough to yield extra
truth/reality, 270
problem is the same with all objects, actually: our soul cannot
directly touch them as such, 270
Temperament is vital to good perception, 271-72
yet it holds firm, inhibiting growth of moral sentiment, seemingly,
272
Exception: virtue holds
temperament in abeyance, 273 [this vs. phrenologists]
provides liberation from mere physical necessity,
273 [also vs. sensualism, 274]
we succeed through variety and association, 274
even so, we’re mostly stuck in old ideas, 275
the power of expansion is external to man, though it passes through
us, 275-76
“Life is not dialectics,” 276--theory is not practice of life
on idea that reform does not help; culture seems to, but it
also dead-ends, 276
such criticisms of reform and culture avail not; they ring hollow,
276-78;
rather, let us do justice without complaint; indeed all men have
some sensibility to extraordinary merit, 278
Emerson can accept his circumstances gladly, good and less good, 278-79
Don’t be sidetracked by analysis, nor by sensualism, nor the
commandments; rather live with Nature’s strength, 280;
Live, while others make laws, 280-81
Keep proportion between power and form/will, 281, 282
The scholar at least should become an artist, 281-82
make the moment great, 283
Thoughts of genius hold surprise against old and set ways,
283
moral sentiment is called “the newness,” 283
all comes from God, not us (will), 283-84 [best we can do is not
inhibit God’s working]
Problem: life is multiform, which makes it hard to draw
forth the unity, 284
hope for unity becomes religious, 284-85
we do have a background unity: consciousness, 285-86; or
Being.
a universal impulse to believe motivates our advance, 287
we believe a variety of things, 288
we make contact fleetingly with others, 289
intellect qualifies moral judgments, esp. re
ourselves, 289-90
moral “bad” equals
intellectual “less,” 290
Be complete in what you are, as you enlarge, 290-91
self-trust in morals, 291-92
don’t get sidetracked by others and their frivolous ideas, 292
two irreconcilable spheres: real life vs. sensual sphere, 292
Summary: illusion/temperament/succession/surface/surprise/reality/subjectiveness, 293
Knowing is quite wonderful, if only one can know, 294
the other choice is doing
Very hard step: to transform genius/ideals into practical power/practice, 294-95