Humanities Essay: Emerson, Thoreau, and the Essence of Nature and Life

This essay delves into the philosophies of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, exploring their perspectives on nature, solitude, and self-reliance. It examines Emerson's belief in the importance of connecting with nature to understand its beauty and significance, advocating for solitude to escape the distractions of society. The essay also analyzes Thoreau's concept of "Life Without Principle," emphasizing the need to live authentically, independent of societal pressures and the pursuit of money. It connects these ideas to the painting "Kindred Spirits" by Asher B. Durand, illustrating the bond between friends and the appreciation of nature. The essay highlights the interconnectedness of these principles, emphasizing the value of nature and self-happiness in achieving a fulfilling life, and encourages readers to apply these principles to find satisfaction and purpose.

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Humanities are the academic discipline that studies aspects of human culture and society.
Humanity is referred to the entire human race or characteristics that belong only to human
being. Such as, kindness, sympathy, mercy. The example of humanity is entire people in the
world and treating someone with kindness. There are few subjects of humanities which are
also known as branches of learning that helps to investigate human constructs. This includes
Philosophy, arts, languages and many more.
Ralph Waldo Emerson explains the effect of NATURE in humanism. Before
proceeding further with his explanation, first let us understand the meaning of nature. Human
nature is a set of characteristics, way of feeling, behaving and thinking that all human being
have in common (Ziff).Ralph Waldo Emerson states that beauty of nature can be understood
when human are alone. Solitude means when human is alone as man realizes the importance
of nature when he is excluded from the hustle life. (R. W. Emerson, The Laws of Nature) As
Emerson states “Build therefore your own world”.
As per the Emerson view nature gives lot of things to human, like sun, moon,
trees, and many more but in return man gives nothing to nature and this will disturb the parity
of nature. So, it is important for everyone to take himself far away from the interruption of
the society to know the significance of nature. (W. Emerson) Emerson thought that human
beings take nature and its value for granted. Let us take an example stars, man take stars for
granted as they know whenever they go, the stars is always with them, human thinks they are
accessible, but actually it is only visible, it cannot access because of distance of stars and
earth. Likewise, the nature is not accessible because of today’s hustle life human unable to
know the significance of the nature. (R. W. Emerson, Nature)
There are many aspects like conservation, sustainability and many more in
which human can contribute for the betterment of nature. For example, Humans have three
goals in the view of sustainability: To minimize the depletion of natural resources, to promote
the development without causing to the environment and to make use of nature friendly
practices. Emerson says that everything in this world is related with each other. Apart of
collecting integrated object, see the whole nature. This is very important to view the nature
blank instead of seeing as apparently, because nature plainly gives life with full of peace and
silence. In order to create a deep connection with nature, it is necessary to view the nature
through the eyes of child because child sees everything by the plain eyes, without judging it. (
Sandberg)
According to Emerson “The happiest man is he who learns from
nature the lesson of worship”
Thoreau’s Life without principle states that live according to you. In simple
words, Hendry David Thoreau tells to separating ourselves from the society as a whole and
lives according to your own wish. He believes that we should not live for money and society.
Instead, we should give time to enjoy the phases of the life. (Thoreau)
According to Thoreau, “Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me
truth.” And “The question is not what you look at, but what you see.”

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To give the clear picture of Life without principle Thoreau’s states that the aim of
the labour should not be to get a good job, the aim must be to do the best in any job and love
to do any job. According to this principle Thoreau gives more importance to self-happiness
instead of money because in today’s world everyone is too much dependable on money
which is not correct. Inner happiness more satisfied than the monetary satisfaction (Linder
and Durand).
Asher B. Durand, (born on Aug 21, 1976) an American painter, one of the founder of the
Hudson River School and landscape painting. Asher, best known work, Kindred spirit 1849
shows his friends Thomas Cole, the painter and the poet William. Asher gifted the painting to
his close friend Cole. The painting states the beautiful relation to two friends with a domestic
view. Kindred spirit in not only a gift for Cole but also Durand’s own mastery of his
expertise in painting portraits.
Connection of Ralph Waldo Emerson- Nature and Thoreau’s Life without
principle.
Both the above principle is connected with each other as both is Human nature oriented.
Ralph describes to stay away from hustle life to understand the significance of nature and
Thoreau describes to stay away from the society and greediness of money to understand the
significance of inner happiness. In the statement, society, money, hustle life should me
ignored to achieve the aim of both principles. Both principles is written by thought of positive
side as the main priority is to give the importance to nature and earn the self-happiness.
In today’s world, human lost in their work life. They spent more time on work
place than home; they spent more time with the other person instead of giving time to own.
This will disappear the real you and value of nature. Human don’t know the value of free gift
from god which is nature as human don’t have time to think about it. All of them are busy in
their professional and hustle life. That is the reason these both principles written to make the
human understand that they will get more satisfaction if they give time to themselves. They
will get happier if they access the natural things. They will get more motivation, if the work
they are doing gives happiness. Yes, money is important but money can buy the needs you
want but money cannot buy the happiness you want. You need to create happiness by
reserving sometime for nature, for our happiness. A happy man can do anything in this world
with full efficiency and effectively. (Thoreau)
The solution of this essay to every citizen to apply the principle in their life accordingly so
that they can achieve self-happiness and satisfied life.
Work is important but it would be better if that work gives you happiness. Do what is good
and what makes you happy. Give time to nature, it will nourish you and improves the
thought process.

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Bibliography
Sandberg, Carl. “Nature and Man.” International Journal on Studies (1843): 1-5.
Durand, Asher Brown . Crystal Bridges. 2010. 26 June 2019.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo . The Laws of Nature. America: North Atlantic Books, 2010.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Nature. America: Beacon Press, 1985 .
Emerson, Waldo. Society and Solitude. England: HU press, 2007.
Thoreau, Henry David . Life Without Principle. America: Crystal Bridges, 1849.
Ziff, Larzar. Emerson: Selected Essays. America: Penguin Books, 1980.

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