Peer Response Post

Peer Response to Influenced Thinking

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This post is in response to Influenced Thinking by Farzana Manjra

“The one thing in the world, of value, is the active soul. This every man is entitled to; this every man contains within him, although, in almost all men, obstructed, and as yet unborn. The soul active sees absolute truth; and utters truth, or creates. In this action, it is genius; not the privilege of here and there a favorite, but the sound estate of every man. In its essence, it is progressive.” (Emerson)

After reading Farzana’s post titled Influenced Thinking, I felt that I completely agree with what she is saying. Farzana says that what Emerson is saying relates to that of Rousseau and Bach, such that man is influenced by society. Farzana talks about how “he says a person can be influenced so much by society that he doesn’t even think anymore instead he thinks what the society thinks and he doesn’t have his own ideas or thinking anymore.” Essentially, we are being controlled like puppets by society to do what society wants us to do. I believe that e are born with a clean slate, unknowledgeable about what are the rights and wrongs of life. Being influenced by society, man can be influenced to believe that what society does is “correct” or “the right thing”. In the above posted quote by Emerson, he is saying that man is entitled to build himself and discover what the real truths in life are. Fight the societal beliefs and be who you want to be; develop your own sense of right and wrong.

Through the lens post, Weekly Post-Check-In #3

Experience is Power

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In Emile, Rousseau spends a lot of time stressing on the importance of direct-experience learning as foundation for an individual’s education as opposed to learning from books. A child should be able to learn the ways of the world without having to read about it from some text in a physical manifestation of the past. As Rousseau says, “Our first feelings are centred on self” – and the individual will only grow from knowing that (9). Many of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s sentiments from his speech, “The American Scholar,” express Rousseau’s belief in direct-experience learning.

Although he does not totally condemn the usefulness of books in man’s education, Emerson does firmly state over and over again not to rely so much on the text that it become the source of “over influence” and instead focus on the self and the truth one can gain through it (4). This coincides with Rousseau’s principle that one put the book down and decide to experience life on his own terms. True genius does not spend time reflecting on the accomplishments of men in the past – he makes his own goals and soars above them. Emerson says, “Genius looks forward: the eyes of man are set in his forehead, not in his hindhead: man hopes: genius creates” (4). What inner truth would one find in someone else’s words, in someone else’s opinions? However, Emerson does admit if read properly, there are still things to gain from books; similarly, Rousseau believes that books are needed eventually in one’s education. But what the two are trying to say is that books shouldn’t be the basis of man’s education: it should be experience.

Experience is what teaches man to live. Man needs to live if he ever wants to learn: “Thinking is the function. Living is the functionary” (Emerson 7). It is with experience that man learns how to use his body to gain wisdom, to use his fingers to experiment with science or his eyes to perceive a sight in a way yet unknown to mankind. A true genius takes every experience, whether it be thought, emotion, or both, to educate himself. Like Rousseau, Emerson mentions feelings being a teacher to man: “Drudgery, calamity, exasperation, want, are instructors in eloquence and wisdom. The true scholar grudges every opportunity of action past by, as a loss of power” (6). Experience is the most reliable resource. Even if a man’s physical tools are taken away, his most powerful one is intangible and supreme: it is experience.

Peer Response Post

Not only Books

This is my peer response post to Eric Chan’s post

I agree with what Eric says about how Emerson believes that school and books are essential to education, but this formal education should not be your only form of education. Emerson states, “Books are the best type of the influence of the past, and perhaps we shall get at the truth – learn the amount of this influence more conveniently” (3). Books give insight on what has already happened, helping you learn from history’s mistakes, however, as time passes, there are certain things that can be outdated, so “Each age, it is found, must write its own books; or rather, each generation for the next succeeding” (Emerson, 4). Books do provide another man’s insight for the reader, but people interpret information differently, whether it is because you are from a different era or different area of the world. Granted, books teach you a substantial amount of information, but that is all it does; you are just basically memorizing the text that is given to you.

I also agree with Eric’s point of how Emerson’s values reflect a little of John Locke’s values concerning books. There is a substantial amount of value of books and schools and they are a great foundation for your knowledge, but it definitely should not be your only source of knowledge. Emerson coins the term, “bookworm”, to identify the people who basically just memorize the information given to them in books (4). His belief is that books are, “… for nothing but to inspire” (5). Like Locke, Emerson believes that you gain knowledge through your experience, “We no more feel or know it, than we feel the feet, or the hand, or the brain of our body” (6); you only know what you have already experienced or what you have learned from others, “I learn immediately from any speaker how much he has already lived, through the poverty or the splendor of his speech” (Emerson, 7). Books and formal education are important for the foundation of knowledge, but it definitely should not be your only source of it, be “man thinking” and learn more about the topics that interest you and really think about what you are reading to develop your own thoughts and opinions on the topic. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up proving the author wrong!

Peer Response Post, Weekly Post-Check-In #3

Books Are Not Enough

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My post is in response to Mohammed Uddin’s post that can be found here.

In your post, I found many similar thoughts I had about Emerson’s views shown in “The American Scholar.” You first mention nature and how Emerson believes that nature is essential to man. I also agree with this theory. Nature is the only thing we hold to, when we are born. It is the “first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind (Emerson, page 2).” When we allow nature to take control, we allow ourselves to gain more knowledge that the world holds. Nature has no “beginning [and] there is never an end” instead it follows a “circular power returning into itself (page 2).” Nature is ongoing which is why the knowledge we can gain from it, is boundless. We should allow ourselves to experience nature and gain from what it has to offer. When we don’t use nature, our “minds does not yet possess (page 3)” all that it can attain.

I especially agree with you on Emerson’s similarities to Rousseau and Locke. Rousseau believed that our education comes from “nature, from men, or from other things.” Emerson believes that nature, the past, and action help build an education. They both have an organized and strategic view on education. Like Emerson, Rousseau relied on nature and “freedom, not power (Rousseau 5).” He comes up with the idea that “nature provides for the child’s growth in her own fashion (Rousseau, 6).” While experiencing nature at young age, we allow push ourselves to think more thoroughly and divert from any other influence on our ideas. These are ideas expressed in both Emerson’s and Rousseau’s views.

Locke’s beliefs can be summed up “in one word, from experience (Locke, 5).” He believed in experiencing the world on our own, leaning towards sensations and reflections. Emerson also believed in experiencing and taking action. The world, which lies all around us, holds the key “to unlock [our] thoughts (Emerson, 6).” When we apply ourselves, we are only allowing ourselves to gain more wisdom. Both Locke and Emerson realized that books and teachers aren’t the essentials to learning but rather experience, which also connect to Rousseau’s thoughts on nature.

I agree with everything Uddin expresses in his post. Sometimes we focus on just learning in school, through teachers and books. However, in order to expand our knowledge and gain as much as we can, we must allow nature and experience to take part. Books are not enough.

Close Reading Post

Frankenstein and Emile

In Rousseau’s Emile, or Education, a clear emphasis is placed upon a person’s ability to do certain things at a particular age. In addition to this, Rousseau indicates that humans are educated through three significant faculties which include from nature, men, and things (Rousseau 6). As such, Rousseau’s incorporation of Emile in the treatise enhances these ideals by emphasizing how each faculty affects us from birth to adulthood as well as our reactions to these experiences overtime. Accordingly, Rousseau states that, “Leave [Emile] to himself and watch his actions without speaking, consider what he is doing and how he sets about it. He does not require to convince himself that he is free, so he never acts thoughtlessly and merely to show that he can do what he likes…” (Rousseau 14). As a result of this, our reliance on others at birth is essentially fundamental to our development, but overtime as we get older, that reliance diminishes to the extent that we are able to reason and do things on our own accord, rather than simply accepting everything that is taught to us by others.

Similarly, in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus, the monster illustrates aspects of Emile through his interactions with humans and the environment. During the monster’s conversation with Frankenstein in the hut, he recalls the immediate sensations he experienced when he left Frankenstein’s apartment which included cold, darkness, hunger, and thirst (Shelley 11). These sensations resonate with Rousseau’s concept of learning through nature, being that the monster had to learn how to adapt to his surroundings. Additionally, the monster’s story continues when he finds a fire which had been abandoned by some wandering beggars. He was delighted with the warmth it produced and he thrusted his hand into the live embers, but quickly drew it out with a cry of pain (Shelley 11). This interaction is an evidence of education through things being that though the monster discovered that though the fire can be used as a source of warmth, he has to be careful not to get too close to the flames as illustrated by the fact that he burned himself. Finally, during the monster’s endeavors in a hovel, he realizes that the cottagers are able to communicate with each other. As such, he desired to learn their language by stating, “I perceived that the words they spoke sometimes produced pleasure or pain, smiles or sadness, in the minds and countenances of the hearers…” (Shelley 12). This is an example of education through man, though in an indirect sense, being that the monster learns the art of communication by observing his neighbors. As such, the monster overlaps Emile in the sense that both characters had to learn and distinguish things by themselves.

Peer Response Post

Too Much Books

This is my peer response to Eric Chan’s post.

I agree with Eric saying that school and books are a great source of education, but it cannot be your only kind of education. Man rely too much of his education on books, rather than trying to find the genius within himself. It is true that books are great for teaching the past, but “they are for nothing but to inspire” (Emerson 2). Books should allow your mind to think and create new. For a bookworm, books could be dangerous. People who value books too much lose all their original distinctive thoughts and just accept what’s written inside the book. For book valuers, “Instantly, the book becomes noxious: the guide is a tyrant. The sluggish and perverted mind of the multitude, slow to open to the incursions of Reason, having once so opened, having once received this book, stands upon it, and makes an outcry, if it is disparaged” (Emerson 2). Ralph Waldo Emerson says, “Hence, instead of Man Thinking, we have the bookworm” (Emerson 2). A Man Thinking would be someone who reads about other’s ideas, brainstorms from it, and develops a new modern idea; rather than following ideas from the past. An example of a book worm would be, “the English dramatic poets have Shakspearized now for two hundred years” (Emerson 2). Instead of creating their own poems, they are obsessed with Shakespeare, which is already outdated. 

Emerson says college is built from books. He says, “books are written on it by thinkers, not by Man Thinking; by men of talent, that is, who start wrong, who set out from accepted dogmas, not from their own sight of principles. Meek young men grow up in libraries, believing it their duty to accept the views, which Cicero, which Locke, which Bacon, have given, forgetful that Cicero, Locke, and Bacon were only young men in libraries, when they wrote these books” (Emerson 2). This is very true in modern day education, students just memorize facts straight from the textbook. Not many actually go beyond, test the ideas, and develop new ones. But just accepting the ideas written by young men is still wrong. A Man Thinking will go out into nature, explore, and from their discoveries they will produce unique ideas.

I agree with what Eric said about the connection of Locke to this topic. I also want to add on how Rousseau view of books. Rousseau says we should not just learn from books, but rather go out and experiment and experience. From your very own experience, we have a true scholar and not from being mesmerized with ideas of past. Overall, I agree with  much Eric has said his post and also “books are well used but abused.”

Through the lens post, Weekly Post Check-In

WoMan Thinking

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According to Emerson, In The American Scholar, there are 3 essential ways in which we learn which are the influence of nature, the influence of books and the past, and the influence of action. Emerson focuses his discussion heavily on the influence of books. In Section II, Emerson states that “Books are the best type of the influence of the past”. Books are partially true but one must take into consideration the possible bias of society during that period. He believes that people take books for absolute fact, causing them to stray away from their original thoughts and ideas. For this reason, he also believes that books can pose a threat to our intellectual development. As we keep reading through section II , Emerson further explains his  theory. “Colleges are built on it. Books are written on it by thinkers, not by Man Thinking; by men of talent, that is, who start wrong, who set out from accepted dogmas, not from their own sight of principles. Meek young men grow up in libraries, believing it their duty to accept the views, which Cicero, which Locke, which Bacon, have given, forgetful that Cicero, Locke, and Bacon were only young men in libraries, when they wrote these œbooks”.  Books tend to stray people away from their original thoughts and ideas. Brilliant writers have a way of captivating an 9audience causing them to hold on to their every word as the divine and most absolute truth, when that shouldn’t be the case. Emerson reiterates the idea of “man-thinking” a lot throughout his essay. His idea of what a thinking man is someone who creates, not one who simply reads about the creations of others. He did not wrap up his speech without briefly discussing the benefits of reading if done correctly. He also believes that “there is a portion of reading quite indispensable to a wise man”. These being history, science, and similar subjects.  All in all, Emerson’s view on the relationship between the book and school is that it helps us best not to rely solely on the teachings of books and school should help us find our individual truths. …….”[schools] can only highly serve us, when they aim not to drill, but to create”.

Close Reading Post, Weekly Post Check-In

Emerson’s Views

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“The American Scholar”  by Ralph Waldo Emerson depicts the ideology of nature being the essence of life. I agree with many of Emerson’s points about the value of nature and how it is essential to a man. Emerson’s views about education, books, and school are quite intriguing. One line that I found quite interesting was when Emerson said “Hence, instead of Man Thinking, we have the bookworm.” (Emerson, 3) Basically, Emerson implies that people are too much into books and not much into the outside world. According to Emerson, people believe that the only way to learn and grow is to read books. However, Emerson does find books to be very useful. Books are the “best type of the influence of the past.” (Emerson, 2). According to Emerson, books help people learn about the past and is a great source of knowledge.

Emerson and Rousseau have several similarities on their approach on education. Rousseau believes that there is a proper path to take for a person to successfully develop, mature, and learn. Rousseau also says that people get influenced by society if they don’t develop the right way. Rousseau wants children to experience their childhood with nature and slowly develop into a thinker in the adolescence age to refrain from being corrupt. Emerson’s points also relate to being a thinker while experiencing nature.

Locke and Emerson share the idea that books and knowledge are essential in learning however aren’t the only way to learn. Locke’s emphasis on “sensations” and “reflections” are a major reason why he feels that experience is necessary in gaining knowledge. Emerson says “Success treads on every right step.” He also argues that success is not just attained from books, however, also can be gained from nature and experience. He believes that people can become free thinkers by developing through nature and not just books.

Close Reading Post

Week 6: “The American Scholar”

Emerson places an emphasis on nature and how it alters our thoughts. The quote “The first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature” (Emerson, 2) showcases that nature plays a major role in one’s life. His ideology is that people try to understand the world through theories, history, studies, and what people say instead of experience it themselves. People are so focused at what books say, that they don’t try to understand it by themselves. Emerson accentuates that books are important and are “nothing but to inspire” (Emerson, 4). His solution is that direct contact with nature is the best option to gain better insight for understanding the world.

I agree on Emerson’s philosophy. People rely too much on what people have to say. Our reliance on facts, theories, historians, is restricting them on observing nature. Instead of reading other people’s ideas and thoughts, people should gain inspiration from nature. “The hour is too precious to be wasted in other men’s transcripts of their readings” (Emerson, 5). One must be inspired in order to create something themselves.

A quote that connects to Rousseau’s idea of children being born without innate ideas but are influenced by other people around them are “In the right state….when the victim of society, he tends to become a mere thinker or still worse, the parrot of other men’s thinking” (Emerson). They both have connecting ideology of how someone always influences one’s thinking. People are so influenced by society that they don’t care to think on their own.

Emerson and even Locke see the true value of school and books has on humans. School and books are main foundations for one’s knowledge. However, books and schools aren’t the only way to get education. When one merely relies on books and school it takes away from the individual from learning on their own. A person is more than a book, they have active soul and thoughts. “Instead of Man Thinking, we have the bookworm (Emerson, 5). School and books prevent one from having an active soul. Schooling is only good when it comes to learning the fundamentals however it is detrimental when it forces students to learn. “..But they can only highly serve us, when they aim not to drill” (Emerson, 6). School and books lessens creativity and hurts one’s experience of learning. Both Emerson and Locke believe that school and books can be a tool for success but isn’t the only aspect of success. “Books are the best of things, we used; abused, among the worse” (Emerson,4) It can cause more harm than good when is it misused.

“Books are the best of things, well used; abused, among the worst” (Emerson 4).

Close Reading Post, Weekly Post-Check-In #3

Read Properly

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Emerson believes that school and books are essential to education. Books are a great way to help learn about the past; they are, “best type of the influence of the past, and perhaps we shall get at the truth, — learn the amount of this influence more conveniently” (Emerson 3). Books can also provide another man’s insight for the reader: “It came into him, life; it went out from him, truth. It came to him, short-lived actions; it went out from him, immortal thoughts” (Emerson 4). Similarly, school can create and gather brilliant minds together: “but to create; when they gather from far every ray of various genius to their hospitable halls, and, by the concentrated fires, set the hearts of their youth on flame” (Emerson 6). While Emerson values the benefits and contributions of books and school he can see the negative which is very similar and can relate to John Locke.

Locke like Emerson can see the value of school and books. Both can be a great foundation for your knowledge; however, books and school cannot be your only form of education. Resorting only to books and school take away from an individual. Emerson finds that there are many valuable aspects of a person such as an active soul and thought. However, through books there is no thought only an avid reader: “instead of Man Thinking, we have the bookworm” (Emerson 5). Additionally, every individual has an active soul and the “soul active sees absolute truth; and utters truth, or creates” (Emerson 5). An active soul is what makes a genius, but with school and books it prevents one from having an active soul. In relations to school, schooling is great to the extent of teaching the necessary and fundamentals. However, it is detrimental when it starts to force one to learn: “Colleges, in like manner, have their indispensable office, — to teach elements. But they can only highly serve us, when they aim not to drill” (Emerson 6). With extensive use school and books it abolishes creativity and diversity ultimately hurting one’s learning experience. Both Emerson and Locke have the same opinion on schools and books. Both can be tools for success; however, they can cause more harm than good when misused. “Books are the best of things, well used; abused, among the worst” (Emerson 4).

 

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