In this class thus far, we have had the opportunity to read and learn about 26 different philosophers and ways to ascertain the good life. Most recently, we have dealt with philosophers who talk about the use of reason, self-exploration, and self-realization. The works that I found more interesting of the three topics were that of Self-Exploration and Self-Realization. Furthermore, certain philosophers had thoughts along the same line as me and I have chosen to write about 4 philosophers that I agreed with in a positive way.
Self-Exploration.
o Ralph Waldo Emerson .
Ralph Emerson wrote many journals and essays dealing with the subject of transcendentalism. One of his most famous works is the essay "Self-Reliance."" In "Self-Reliance,"" Emerson hit on the idea that the individual should be completely reliant on God, and that every person has been put into their certain life and position by God and that the person needs to trust themselves. .
He said that God has put the power to handle things, think, and act into each individual and that the individual needs to trust what God has put inside them to do things with their lives. The idea is almost that of predestination, except for the fact that we have the choice of which road to take. Predestination is the idea that a higher power, or God, has planned everything that will happen to a person in their life. Emerson's idea is that God has put the choice to us, but he has given us all of our unique gifts for the paths we can choose to take. In "Self-Reliance,"" Emerson wrote, "Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string. Accept the place the divine providence has found for you, the society of your contemporaries, the connection of events- (Guignon 213). .
Emerson also gave the idea of trusting ourselves through God. He said that you have to trust in God to tell you what to do and what to think. He said that if you do this that God will provide answers.