Representative Men · Question
How does Representative Men develop the theme of Self-Reliance and Endogenous Growth?
Answer
Representative Men by Ralph Waldo Emerson develops Self-Reliance and Endogenous Growth across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
Great men are depicted as endogenous plants that grow from within outward; true education and influence come from unfolding one's own nature rather than from direct external giving or imitation.
The chapter emphasizes that man is an endogenous plant, growing from within, and that true education is self-unfolding.
Napoleon's power is described as coming from within himself: 'His principal means are in himself. He asks counsel of no other.' He is a self-made man who relies on his own insight and prompt action.
Goethe's method of verifying every term and his refusal to take things on trust exemplify a self-reliant approach to knowledge and culture.
Evidence in the book
- I: Uses of Great Men
The chapter emphasizes that man is an endogenous plant, growing from within, and that true education is self-unfolding.
- Napoleon; or, the Man of the World
Napoleon's power is described as coming from within himself: 'His principal means are in himself. He asks counsel of no other.' He is a self-made man who relies on his own insight and prompt action.
- VII: Goethe; or, the Writer
Goethe's method of verifying every term and his refusal to take things on trust exemplify a self-reliant approach to knowledge and culture.
