In his speech titled The American Scholar, Ralph Waldo Emerson presents his unique perspective on what it means to be a scholar. To fulfill this communicative purpose effectively, the speaker explores and reflects on the various external influences on scholars and scientific thought in the United States. Among such factors are nature, things of the past, and literature, and the author pays focused attention to each component’s role in the emergence of a well-educated person.
Regarding the tremendous effects of nature, Emerson defends this point by explaining how nature’s essential systematicity encourages thinkers to see invisible links and tendencies and highlights the importance of studying nature (2). To continue, in terms of “the mind of the Past” and books, Emerson suggests that some types of readings, such as exact science and history works, are more valuable than the other types (3). He supports this claim by exemplifying the instances in which books are overestimated and taken as the ultimate source of knowledge despite having been written by common people that were not immune to mistakes. Therefore, he takes a critical stance toward his peers’ attitudes to learning about the world multiple times.
Finally, having discussed several influencing factors that affect knowledge formation on a global scale, Emerson shares his opinion concerning every scholar’s essential duties. This discussion is centered on becoming Man Thinking while also retaining self-trust, freedom, bravery, and virtue and dealing with solitude (Emerson 7). In this part of the speech, the author does not resort to specific logical arguments or points that would tie his conclusions to particular observable phenomena or events that the audience understands. Instead, the section devoted to duties is full of opinion-based and subjective statements regarding the scholar’s role in society and abstract values to guide this person’s contributions and professional activity.
Reference
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. The American Scholar: An Oration Delivered Before the Phi Beta Kappa Society at Cambridge, August 31, 1837. Author, 1838.