Andrew Levitt
Mr. Eddlem
US History H1
2-18-16
Ralph Waldo Emerson and G.K. Chesterton were both important American author’s. Both of them wrote about religion in their writings Orthodoxy (Chesterton) and Self-Reliance (Emerson). However, the views and philosophies expressed in the writings oppose each other in many ways. Each author had other accomplishments besides these two pieces of literature, but these two will be focused on as they express the discussed view-points. While both men were regarded as different from their contemporaries, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s work was and still is questioned of its quality (Wilson), while Chesterton was even respected by his disagreeing contemporaries, and is considered a respected yet lesser-known author …show more content…
Another essay he wrote was called Nature. It was on one of his new philosophies at the time that he wrote it. ("Ralph Waldo Emerson Biography") He also became a minister, and directed a school for girls. ("Ralph Waldo Emerson Biography") Much of his life was devoted to philosophy. (Schulman) Chesterton was liked by his contemporaries, even the ones that disagreed, and still is looked upon in mostly a positive light today. (Ahlquist) In his time, he debated with many of the peers in his field about philosophies. ("Chesterton and His Contemporaries") The public view of him in modern times however, has not been without controversy. When being considered for sainthood in 2013, there have been findings in his writings that suggest that he might have been anti-Semitic. (Rigby) Emerson doesn’t, and didn’t have the same reputation among piers or history that Chesterton had and has in regard to the worth of his opinions. The people now and then generally have had varying opinions of him. (Wilson) As stated in a Cliff notes summary “Throughout his life, Emerson's thought and work generated mixed reactions — sometimes entirely positive or negative, but more often a combination of the two.” (Wilson) He became popular in his congregation with the style of his sermons as a minister. (Schulman) He was often criticized for his idea of completely doing away with old ideas to make way for new ones. …show more content…
As stated in a previous paragraph, Emerson believed that a little bit of God acted like a voice in people’s heads telling right from wrong. He also stated in a way that if someone looks inside themselves and only find themselves that it is close to atheism. (Schulman)
Chesterton believed that old tradition needed to be brought back. In Orthodoxy he wrote that “Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead”. (Chesterton) By this it can be inferred that in his opinion traditions are important to keep the voices of the dead to have a say.
Emerson was opposed to tradition. He believed that people should make their own traditions and ideas instead of what had been laid before them. (Heitman) It is stated by the NEH magazine that “His work led him toward transcendentalism, a loosely defined philosophy that stressed indvidual [sic] intuition, as opposed to tradition and institutional authority” (Heitman) His abandoning of traditional Christian ideas led to much criticism from Orthodox Christians who claimed that his ideas were moving away from Christianity.
Mr. Eddlem
US History H1
2-18-16
Ralph Waldo Emerson and G.K. Chesterton were both important American author’s. Both of them wrote about religion in their writings Orthodoxy (Chesterton) and Self-Reliance (Emerson). However, the views and philosophies expressed in the writings oppose each other in many ways. Each author had other accomplishments besides these two pieces of literature, but these two will be focused on as they express the discussed view-points. While both men were regarded as different from their contemporaries, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s work was and still is questioned of its quality (Wilson), while Chesterton was even respected by his disagreeing contemporaries, and is considered a respected yet lesser-known author …show more content…
Another essay he wrote was called Nature. It was on one of his new philosophies at the time that he wrote it. ("Ralph Waldo Emerson Biography") He also became a minister, and directed a school for girls. ("Ralph Waldo Emerson Biography") Much of his life was devoted to philosophy. (Schulman) Chesterton was liked by his contemporaries, even the ones that disagreed, and still is looked upon in mostly a positive light today. (Ahlquist) In his time, he debated with many of the peers in his field about philosophies. ("Chesterton and His Contemporaries") The public view of him in modern times however, has not been without controversy. When being considered for sainthood in 2013, there have been findings in his writings that suggest that he might have been anti-Semitic. (Rigby) Emerson doesn’t, and didn’t have the same reputation among piers or history that Chesterton had and has in regard to the worth of his opinions. The people now and then generally have had varying opinions of him. (Wilson) As stated in a Cliff notes summary “Throughout his life, Emerson's thought and work generated mixed reactions — sometimes entirely positive or negative, but more often a combination of the two.” (Wilson) He became popular in his congregation with the style of his sermons as a minister. (Schulman) He was often criticized for his idea of completely doing away with old ideas to make way for new ones. …show more content…
As stated in a previous paragraph, Emerson believed that a little bit of God acted like a voice in people’s heads telling right from wrong. He also stated in a way that if someone looks inside themselves and only find themselves that it is close to atheism. (Schulman)
Chesterton believed that old tradition needed to be brought back. In Orthodoxy he wrote that “Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead”. (Chesterton) By this it can be inferred that in his opinion traditions are important to keep the voices of the dead to have a say.
Emerson was opposed to tradition. He believed that people should make their own traditions and ideas instead of what had been laid before them. (Heitman) It is stated by the NEH magazine that “His work led him toward transcendentalism, a loosely defined philosophy that stressed indvidual [sic] intuition, as opposed to tradition and institutional authority” (Heitman) His abandoning of traditional Christian ideas led to much criticism from Orthodox Christians who claimed that his ideas were moving away from Christianity.