Book 1, Nature, Addresses & Lectures : Chapter 2, The American Scholar Summary and Analysis

During the first Lectures, the author presents some of the main ideas of his thoughts. One of these is that the nineteenth century is Philosophic and Retrospective. Another is that there is a new form: the American Scholar. Emerson writes briefly about the Thinking Man. He shows how this archetype has been transfigured by the written word too often into "the bookworm". He explains to readers that he believes this Thinking Man culturally turns into the Scholar. This makes the speech well suited to graduating classes. One of his speeches is directed towards graduating clerics. As such, it makes perfect sense when he brings up morality and character and the intellect. He asserts that character is worth more than the intellect. He also acknowledges that Understanding and...