Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Concept of Truth

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self Reliance is a work that attempts to address the perils of conformity and the primacy of individualism in the modern man. Emerson makes a strong argument for the individual’s self reliance, and assails acceptance of societal norms as problematic and even dangerous to the soul. Emerson’s point about individualism does have certain consequences that are detrimental to society as a whole, however. Chief among these sticky issues is the concept of truth that Emerson uses, a truth that is completely dependent on what holds thus for the individual, and not anything else.

Emerson’s definition of self reliance is completely predicated on relying on oneself for one’s interpretation of reality, or truth. Emerson sees this perception of the world as something that has its root in one’s intuition, which is found at birth. This intuition is intrinsically related to the later tuition one receives as one is educated. Interestingly, to Emerson the intuition of one’s infancy is both to be dismissed and celebrated, as one’s knowledge of pure truth is grounded in one’s individuality on the one hand and experience on the other. What this seeming inconsistency leads to is an amalgamation of conceptual truth, where on the one hand truth is only what one believes it to be and on the other a product of one’s experiential history- which logically would include education.

“To thine own self be true,” says Polonius in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “And it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.” This famous line, delivered to Laertes as he departs for France, is most certainly an influence on the philosophy of Emerson. Emerson said “If we live truly, we see truly”, making the point that for one to live life in the most optimal of fashions, one simply must trust oneself implicitly as to one’s interpretation of reality. And although Emerson does realize the truth of life is dependent on the individual in his theoretical framework, and thus a far more abstract ideology than he would probably admit, he dismisses this out of hand by asserting the necessity of simply attaching oneself to those whose thinking is akin. Emerson says quite clearly that, “if you are true, but not in the same truth as me, cleave to your companions, I will seek my own”. This is not the philosophy of a man in touch with societal reality, but rather that of a man whose philosophical framework is reliant on the interpretation of truth and reality as befits the individual.

Emerson believes that in order for one to be a well-rounded member of the world and society, it is of the most importance for one to indulge one’s own perceptions and morals before all others. Knowing who and what a man is an important step to understanding their perception of the world and their truth, which in turn leads one to know whether or not this truth is acceptable and palatable enough to merit sharing time with. One’s truth may not necessarily directly correlate to another’s, and for Emerson it is of paramount importance that these truths be open and discoverable. Conformity, then, to societal norms which are based on tradition, is something to be rejected as it leads to an obfuscation of the perceivable truth that one adheres to. As Emerson puts it, “if you maintain a dead church, contribute to a dead Bible society, vote with a great party either for the government or against it, spread your table like base housekeepers,- under all these screens I have much difficulty to detect the precise man you are”. In other words, Emerson believes that any conformity to any standard of society whatsoever is indicative of an empty, meaningless personality with no truth to it.

Truth is a concept that is difficult to ascertain, especially from a theoretical standpoint. Emerson had his truth, a truth based upon the individual’s experience within the world. Emerson’s truth was dependent upon the individual to such a degree that it required only the individual and the individual’s interpretation of reality to be true. No previous ideology or ideals are important to the actuality, the now, which is the truth and all truth, as long as it is relatable to personal interpretation. This reliance on the individual sensation and interpretation is the true self reliance of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s philosophy.