George Kateb’s analysis of Ralph Emerson life and values
were clearly demonstrated in "Self-Reliance and the Life of the Mind". He thought very highly of Emerson and analyzed
nearly every significant quote that Emerson spoke. He explained how Emerson’s essay “Self –Reliance”
was the best example of Emerson’s individuality. The concept of self- reliance is now linked
with individuality due to Emerson’s work.
George Kateb’s essay about Emerson proved to be packed full of quotes
and evidence to back up every statement he gave.
Kateb clearly admired Emerson because he shared many
similar values. “I believe, to our own
thought about individualism—especially the sort of individualism that I have
been calling democratic individuality” (Kateb).
This form of individuality is more complex than it seems. Kateb goes on to connect Emerson’s ideas of individuality
with both actions and thoughts. In order
to have democratic individuality, one must believe it and then live it. Kateb explains that “Emerson as a theorist of
self-reliance is a theorist of democratic individuality.
One topic that George Kateb brings up
is that Emerson seems to contradict himself at moments. “It is well to emphasize at the start
Emerson's difficulty and elusiveness. He is full of assertive sentences that
may seem unconditional. Every sentence seems a declaration of faith. He seems
to stand behind every utterance with his whole being, and risks his being by
the completeness of his candor. His variety of declarations tempts us to say
that he contradicts himself, but even if we resist the temptation, we are still
not sure where he finally stands” (Kateb).
Even in this example he managed to make it seem like Emerson was still
right. Kateb does not really criticize
Emerson in any section of the essay. He
highly regards Emerson’s individuality.
George Kateb also addressed Emerson’s
attempted theory of the universe. He
explains it more as a code that is a flexible line. It is not definite in any way. “His theory is not complete or self-evident.
One man thinks he means this, and another that; he has said one thing in one
place, and the reverse of it in another place” (Kateb). This way of thinking fits the tone of
individualism that Emerson demonstrated.
“His belief in the possibility of
truth requires him, he thinks, to commit himself only for a time to a
particular value, principle or idea (or to any practice or institution
derivative from them), and then to a contrasting one for a time, trying at the
same time to withhold a final judgment, a definite assent, whenever possible” (Kateb).
Kateb’s analysis of Emerson’s vision of
self-reliance was well written and well structured. There were good transitions between different
topics and it flowed well. The numerous
quotes added in as support aided in making it a reliable and established essay. Kateb backed
every opinion with quotes from various works either written by or about
Emerson. Even with being as long as it
was, very little information was repeated, making it an interesting and well
written essay.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "Self-Reliance and the Life of the Mind." In Emerson's Transcendental Etudes.
Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. 2003.
Quoted as "Self-Reliance and the Life of the Mind" New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online.
Facts On File, Inc.
http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin=
MCVRWE011&SingleRecord=True (accessed December 9, 2012).
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