Ralph Waldo Emerson's Philosophy Of Nature

Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American transcendentalist poet, lecturer, essayist, and philosopher of the 19th century was well known for his famous work Nature(1836), where he expresses his newly developed philosophy. In his thought provoking essay of Nature, Emerson states his philosophy on how we can discipline ourselves to nature and the multiple ways in which nature helps us discover what is important within our soul rather than what is on the outside and creating an overpowering enviroment for the soul. Emerson believes that nature can help man submit themselves and view nature in a different perspective for their life by simplifying the uses into four sections; Beauty, Commodity, Language, and Discipline. The significance of Nature to Emerson involves primarily the soul. Therefore, the soul to Emerson is the main key to understanding the importance of man and nature and the idea that man has the power to achieve anything if it involves a more spiritual nature rather than a materialistic
Beginning with Beauty, Emerson states "The world thus exists to the soul to satisfy the desire of beauty" (1836). In other words, Emerson believes that beauty is a method that human beings can use to understand their soul and "no reason can be asked or given why the soul seeks beauty. Beauty, in its largest and profoundest sense, is one expression for the universe" (1836). So too, Emerson seems to have a perfect vision of nature in which he relates it to the second section of uses of nature. He insists that nature is something that is at the service of man because it surrounds them at all times. Therefore, it benefits the human when they are in need of something. because "all the parts incessantly work into each other's hands for the profit of man" (1836). As an illustration of the past quote, Emerson