Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Final Thoughts
Katja
ENGL 48A
Journal # 23, final thoughts, Emerson
5 December, 2006
"Whilst thus the poet delights us by animating nature like a creator, with his own thoughts, he differs from the philosopher only herein, that the one proposes Beauty as his main end; the other Truth." (Ralph Waldo Emerson 1126)
I chose this Emerson quote from Nature in relation to the final yesterday. I think it pretty well captures Emerson’s ideas of the purpose of thought.
Depending on your role in society thought serves different purposes; the poet shapes his thoughts to bring beauty to the world; the philosopher to show truth. The poet creates for others, perhaps preventing others from thinking for themselves, or removing their need to do so, depending on how you look at it. His work is entertaining; a distraction; a naive imitation of creation; a folly. The philosopher, the most serious of thinkers, is concerned with integrity, exactitude, veracity. His brand of thinking will bring order to the chaos of unschooled, freewheeling thought; it will ultimately reveal the truth to the one patient enough to wait for it.
Emerson is trying to convey that every person has a reason for independent thought, in every person’s life thinking will serve an important purpose that will be the means to some end. The goal is not the point, Emerson wants us to be conscious of our thoughts and consider them as important as the purpose they serve. I believe Emerson considers an active intellect a primal part of being human, a drive that should not be ignored but honored and fostered. Mapping the intellect through thought is a way to realize your raison d’être.
ENGL 48A
Journal # 23, final thoughts, Emerson
5 December, 2006
"Whilst thus the poet delights us by animating nature like a creator, with his own thoughts, he differs from the philosopher only herein, that the one proposes Beauty as his main end; the other Truth." (Ralph Waldo Emerson 1126)
I chose this Emerson quote from Nature in relation to the final yesterday. I think it pretty well captures Emerson’s ideas of the purpose of thought.
Depending on your role in society thought serves different purposes; the poet shapes his thoughts to bring beauty to the world; the philosopher to show truth. The poet creates for others, perhaps preventing others from thinking for themselves, or removing their need to do so, depending on how you look at it. His work is entertaining; a distraction; a naive imitation of creation; a folly. The philosopher, the most serious of thinkers, is concerned with integrity, exactitude, veracity. His brand of thinking will bring order to the chaos of unschooled, freewheeling thought; it will ultimately reveal the truth to the one patient enough to wait for it.
Emerson is trying to convey that every person has a reason for independent thought, in every person’s life thinking will serve an important purpose that will be the means to some end. The goal is not the point, Emerson wants us to be conscious of our thoughts and consider them as important as the purpose they serve. I believe Emerson considers an active intellect a primal part of being human, a drive that should not be ignored but honored and fostered. Mapping the intellect through thought is a way to realize your raison d’être.
# posted by Katja @ 10:59 AM 
