"The American Scholar"

Emerson’s argument in “The American Scholar” about American society still holds true today.


One reason Emerson’s argument still holds true today is because people who have only one job, are only taught one certain skill for that job, and they don’t get the chance to explore other things. Like a doctor for example is only taught how to treat patients and try to cure them, but they wouldn’t think about the patients feelings much like a physiatrist would. “In the divided or social state, these functions are parceled out to individuals, each of whom aims to do his stint of the joint work, whilst each other performs his. The fable implies that the individual, to possess himself, must sometimes return from his own labor to embrace all the other laborers. But, unfortunately, this original unit, this foundation of power, has been so distributed to multitudes, has been so minutely subdivided and peddled out, that it is spilled into drops, and cannot be gathered.”


Another reason Emerson’s argument still holds true today is because people are defined by the type of job they do. For example, when you think of people who work at Target, the first thing you think is that they aren’t educated, and they probably just have a high school degree. When in reality the truth is that they just can’t seem to find a job with the economy. Emerson explains that “The planter, who is Man sent out into the field to gather food, is seldom cheered by any idea of the true dignity of his ministry. He sees his bushel and his cart, and nothing beyond, and sinks into the farmer, instead of Man on the farm.” Although it is true man is determined by his job, I feel this isn’t right because no matter what the job is, they all have their own importance and specialty.