The American Scholar.docx

The American Scholar.docx

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TheAmericanScholar

TheAmericanScholar

RalphWaldoEmerson

Commencementspeechesarecustomarilyroutine,pedantic,mildlyinspiringlecturesfilledwithplatitudes."TheAmericanScholar",-acelebratedcommencementaddressdeliveredbyRalphWaldoEmersontothePhiBetaKappaSocietyatHarvardin1837defiedsuchpedestriandescription. OliverWendellHolmescalledthisspeechAmerica's"IntellectualDeclarationofIndependence" InadditiontobeingacallforliteraryindependencefromEurope,andfrompasttraditions,thespeechsetoutEmerson'sblueprintforhowawarehumansshouldlivetheirlives. 

TheAmericanScholar

AnAddressDeliveredbeforethePhiBetaKappaSociety,atCambridge,August31,1837

MR.PRESIDENTANDGENTLEMEN:

Igreetyouontherecommencementofourliteraryyear.Ouranniversaryisoneofhope,and,perhaps,notenoughoflabor.Wedonotmeetforgamesofstrengthorskill,fortherecitationofhistories,tragedies,andodes,liketheancientGreeks;forparliamentsofloveandpoesy,liketheTroubadours;norfortheadvancementofscience,likeourcontemporariesintheBritishandEuropeancapitals.Thusfarourholidayhasbeensimplyafriendlysignofthesurvivaloftheloveoflettersamongstapeopletoobusytogivetolettersanymore.Assuch,itispreciousasthesignofanindestructibleinstinct.Perhapsthetimeisalreadycomewhenitoughttobe,andwillbe,somethingelse;whenthesluggardintellectofthiscontinentwilllookfromunderitsironlids,andfillthepostponedexpectationoftheworldwithsomethingbetterthantheexertionsofmechanicalskill.Ourdayofdependence,ourlongapprenticeshiptothelearningofotherlands,drawstoaclose.Themillionsthataroundusarerushingintolifecannotalwaysbefedonthesereremainsofforeignharvests.Events,actionsarise,thatmustbesung,thatwillsingthemselves.Whocandoubtthatpoetrywillreviveandleadinanewage,asthestarintheconstellationHarp,whichnowflamesinourzenith,astronomersannounce,shallonedaybethepole-starforathousandyears?

InthishopeIacceptthetopicwhichnotonlyusage,butthenatureofourassociation,seemtoprescribetothisday—theAMERICANSCHOLAR.Yearbyyearwecomeuphithertoreadonemorechapterofhisbiography.Letusinquirewhatlightnewdaysandeventshavethrownonhischaracterandhishopes.

Itisoneofthosefableswhich,outofanunknownantiquity,conveyanunlooked-forwisdom,thatthegods,inthebeginning,dividedManintomen,thathemightbemorehelpfultohimself;justasthehandwasdividedintofingers,thebettertoansweritsend.

Theoldfablecoversadoctrineevernewandsublime;thatthereisOneMan,—presenttoallparticularmenonlypartially,orthroughonefaculty;andthatyoumusttakethewholesocietytofindthewholeman.Manisnotafarmer,oraprofessor,oranengineer,butheisall.Manispriest,andscholar,andstatesman,andproducer,andsoldier.Inthedividedorsocialstatethesefunctionsareparcelledouttoindividuals,eachofwhomaimstodohisstintofthejointwork,whilsteachotherperformshis.Thefableimpliesthattheindividual,topossesshimself,mustsometimesreturnfromhisownlabortoembracealltheotherlaborers.But,unfortunately,thisoriginalunit,thisfountainofpower,hasbeensodistributedtomultitudes,hasbeensominutelysubdividedandpeddledout,thatitisspilledintodropsandcannotbegathered.Thestateofsocietyisoneinwhichthemembershavesufferedamputationfromthetrunk,andstrutaboutsomanywalkingmonsters—agoodfinger,aneck,astomach,anelbow,butneveraman.

Manisthusmetamorphosedintoathing,intomanythings.Theplanter,whoisMansentoutintothefieldtogatherfood,isseldomcheeredbyanyideaofthetruedignityofhisministry.Heseeshisbushelandhiscart,andnothingbeyond,andsinksintothefarmer,insteadofManonthefarm.Thetradesmanscarcelyevergivesanidealworthtohiswork,butisriddenbytheroutineofhiscraft,andthesoulissubjecttodollars.Thepriestbecomesaform;theattorney,astatute-book;themechanic,amachine;thesailor,aropeofaship.

Inthisdistributionoffunctionsthescholaristhedelegatedintellect.Intherightstate,heisManThinking.Inthedegeneratestate,whenthevictimofsociety,hetendstobecomeamerethinker,or,stillworse,theparrotofothermen’sthinking.

Inthisviewofhim,asManThinking,thetheoryofhisofficeiscontained.HimNaturesolicitswithallherplacid,allhermonitorypictures;himthepastinstructs;himthefutureinvites.Isnot,indeed,everymanastudent,anddonotallthingsexistforthestudent’sbehoof?

And,finally,isnotthetruescholartheonlytruemaster?

Buttheoldoraclesaid,“Allthingshavetwohandles:

bewareofthewrongone.”Inlife,toooftenthescholarerrswithmankindandforfeitshisprivilege.Letusseehiminhisschool,andconsiderhiminreferencetothemaininfluenceshereceives.

I.ThefirstintimeandthefirstinimportanceoftheinfluencesuponthemindisthatofNature.Everyday,thesun;and,aftersunset,Nightandherstars.Everthewindsblow;everthegrassgrows.Everyday,menandwomen,conversing,beholdingandbeholden.Thescholarisheofallmenwhomthisspectaclemostengages.Hemustsettleitsvalueinhismind.WhatisNaturetohim?

Thereisneverabeginning,thereisneveranend,totheinexplicablecontinuityofthiswebofGod,butalwayscircularpowerreturningintoitself.Thereinitresembleshisownspirit,whosebeginning,whoseending,henevercanfind,—soentire,soboundless.Far,too,ashersplendorsshine,systemonsystemshootinglikeraysupward,downward,withoutcentre,withoutcircumference,—inthemassandintheparticle,Naturehastenstorenderaccountofherselftothemind.Classificationbegins.Totheyoungmind,everythingisindividual,standsbyitself.Byandbyitfindshowtojointwothings,andseeinthemonenature;thenthree,thenthreethousand;andsotyrannizedoverbyitsownunifyinginstinct,itgoesontyingthingstogether,diminishinganomalies,discoveringrootsrunningunderground,wherebycontraryandremotethingscohere,andfloweroutfromonestem.Itpresentlylearnsthatsincethedawnofhistorytherehasbeenaconstantaccumulationandclassifyingoffacts.Butwhatisclassificationbuttheperceivingthattheseobjectsarenotchaotic,andarenotforeign,buthavealawwhichisalsoalawofthehumanmind?

Theastronomerdiscoversthatgeometry,apureabstractionofthehumanmind,isthemeasureofplanetarymotion.Thechemistfindsproportionsandintelligiblemethodthroughoutmatter;andscienceisnothingbutthefindingofanalogy,identity,inthemostremoteparts.Theambitioussoulsitsdownbeforeeachrefractoryfact;oneafteranotherreducesallstrangeconstitutions,allnewpowers,totheirclassandtheirlaw,andgoesonforevertoanimatethelastfibreoforganization,theoutskirtsofnature,byinsight.

Thustohim,tothisschool-boyunderthebendingdomeofday,issuggestedthatheanditproceedfromoneroot;oneisleafandoneisflower;relation,sympathy,stirringineveryvein.AndwhatisthatRoot?

Isnotthatthesoulofhissoul?

Athoughttoobold,adreamtoowild.Yetwhenthisspirituallightshallhaverevealedthelawofmoreearthlynatures,whenhehaslearnedtoworshipthesoul,andtoseethatthenaturalphilosophythatnowis,isonlythefirstgropingsofitsgigantichand,heshalllookforwardtoanever-expandingknowledgeastoabecomingcreator.HeshallseethatNatureistheoppositeofthesoul,answeringtoitpartforpart.Oneissealandoneisprint.Itsbeautyisthebeautyofhisownmind.Itslawsarethelawsofhisownmind.Naturethenbecomestohimthemeasureofhisattainments.SomuchofNatureasheisignorantof,somuchofhisownminddoeshenotyetpossess.And,infine,theancientprecept,“Knowthyself,”andthemodernprecept,“StudyNature,”becomeatlastonemaxim.

II.ThenextgreatinfluenceintothespiritofthescholaristhemindofthePast—inwhateverform,whetherofliterature,ofart,ofinstitutions,thatmindisinscribed.Booksarethebesttypeoftheinfluenceofthepast,andperhapsweshallgetatthetruth—learntheamountofthisinfluencemoreconveniently—byconsideringtheirvaluealone.

Thetheoryofbooksisnoble.Thescholarofthefirstagereceivedintohimtheworldaround;broodedthereon;gaveitthenewarrangementofhisownmind,anduttereditagain.Itcameintohimlife;itwentoutfromhimtruth.Itcametohimshort-livedactions;itwentoutfromhimimmortalthoughts.Itcametohimbusiness;itwentfromhimpoetry.Itwasdeadfact;nowitisquickthought.Itcanstandanditcango.Itnowendures,itnowflies,itnowinspires.Preciselyinproportiontothedepthofmindfromwhichitissued,sohighdoesitsoar,solongdoesitsing.

Or,Imightsay,itdependsonhowfartheprocesshadgoneoftransmutinglifeintotruth.Inproportiontothecompletenessofthedistillation,sowillthepurityandimperishablenessoftheproductbe.Butnoneisquiteperfect.Asnoair-pumpcanbyanymeansmakeaperfectvacuum,soneithercananyartistentirelyexcludetheconventional,thelocal,theperishablefromhisbook,orwriteabookofpurethoughtthatshallbeasefficientinallrespectstoaremoteposterity,astocontemporaries,orrathertothesecondage.Eachage,itisfound,mustwriteitsownbooks;orrather,eachgenerationforthenextsucceeding.Thebooksofanolderperiodwillnotfitthis.

Yethencearisesagravemischief.The