Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson, who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, minister, abolitionist, and poet who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champion of individualism and critical thinking, as well as a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society and conformity. Friedrich Nietzsche thought he was "the most gifted of the Americans," and Walt Whitman called Emerson his "master".
Career Journey
Background
- Born in
- Boston
- Educated at
- Harvard CollegeHarvard Divinity SchoolHarvard University
- Awards
- 🏆 Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Trending & Selected Quotes
Trending topics shown first"He who is in love is wise and is becoming wiser, sees newly every time he looks at the object beloved, drawing from it with his eyes and his mind those virtues which it possesses."
"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
"Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better."
"Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood."
Works & Publications
No works or publications documented yet.
Timeline
1803
Born
Birth1882
Died
Death
Influenced By
Thinkers whose ideas shaped Ralph's philosophy
Influenced
Thinkers whose work was shaped by Ralph's ideas
Source Attribution
Information about Ralph Waldo Emerson is sourced from curated knowledge bases and cross-referenced for accuracy. Influence relationships are scored by thematic overlap and historical plausibility.
Related Thinkers
See all →
Explore Further
Related Quotes
"That is the nature of free will. We have the full ability to make a selection; we can press any button we p…"
— Bhakti Tirtha Swami"A Puritan born in France by mistake."
— Walter Bagehot"The smart gun is a hoax. It's a very seductive hoax, but nevertheless it's a hoax. At bottom, this is a plo…"
— Tom Diaz"It is possible for you to project to a future event in which you will be involved and by an act that you ma…"
— Jane Roberts"Love is our freedom."
— Milan Kundera"No." Magnus strode toward him. "I didn't call you because I'm tired of you only wanting me around when you …"
— Cassandra Clare
