The American Scholar 2nd part

Transmutation -> books, or the past in general, supposed to be inspiring influence for scholars, &
responsibility of scholars is to transform this knowledge, the facts of life but also information
acquired from reading & living. What Emerson calls ‘short-lived actions’. Scholar musty transform
these into what he calls ‘immortal thoughts’, by which means knowledge. Scholars give meaning to
experience by theorizing it. This is how you produce philosophies of life, by converting observations
intro ‘truth’, according to Emerson.

Distillation -> when book focuses on being imperishable & has undying values enduring through the
ages. Relevance applies to different contexts. Not all philosophers & critics have ability to write
evertrue thoughts. Best of them perform distillation, meaning use facts of life & experience in order
to convert them into substantifique moelle, universal truths.

Scientific metaphor -> air-pumps making perfect vacuums -> chemistry instrument to remove air
from box to perform experience. Process of distillation very rarely achieve, scarcely properly
achieved. Often trivial elements, that do not apply outside context.

Each age must write its own books -> important to write in context. Word ‘age’ metonymy for gen of
scholars. Creativity should be very much contextual. Use books from past & derive from them
number of universal truths. Transcendentalists, for instance, very attached to democratic principle,
written about by gens of writers; wichtig to create philosophies pertaining to your own context.

Tyranny of past authors on contemporary authors indirect, books of past not made with that design.
Some thinkers understand them to be ultimate truths: thence tyranny, & thinkers become
bookworms, reading blindly and wo critical thinking, unchallenged assimilation of knowledge. ‘Love
of the hero corrupts into worship of his statue’; neither books nor authors should be considered
idols, scholarly dogma, philosophical gospel, erudite doctrine. Emerson’s critique regards such
despotism, afforded in academic institutions around country. Warns us about reproduction through
time of that immense mistake.

‘Bookworm’ word often used to refer to people who spend a lot of time in library. Not necessarily
that read badly or dumbly, though that is the point in the context of Emerson’s text. He does not
consider them unintelligent, but uncritical of what they read, bc sometimes authors have been
canonized, & you are not asking yourself why that is the case.

Enumeration in order to critic bookworms: ‘the restorers of readings, the emendators, the
bibliomaniacs of all degrees’. To restore means to retrieve, wo creative process; to emendate means
to slightly alter & correct, sometimes those readers will add a bit to what was said, but not innovate.
Works should definitely be inspired, but not monopolized.

Emerson uses repetition very often, same idea passed through different metaphors & expressions,
back-to-back, in order to convince the audience. Known as commoratio.

Emerson calls originalideamaking the ‘active soul’: do not repeat what was already said. Use reading
to inspire creation then make your own works and books that have meaning in context.

‘Genius is always sufficiently the enemy of genius by over-influence’ -> otherwise innovative mind
might be overwhelmed by influence of previous genius. Scholar’s creativity siphoned off by ancient
texts reproduced through time (Bible, Shakespeare…) in Shakespeare’s text, many universal
perspectives on politics or existence, useful commentaries, that certainly apply to our time and space
-> being a little harsh, but his point is intellectual vampirism. One must be an inventor to read well:
use your reading to invent your own philosophies & theories.

Anthimeria -> grammatical recategorization for effect, such as ‘Shakespearization’ of Englishlanguage

poets.

Many antithesis -> scholar must be cause rather than effect.

Scholar should be part of system, not satellite -> natural body revolving around another, thus
limited in capacity to move, trajectory regulated by that of usually bigger body. Idea of
dependence. In astronomy, system is combination of elements that form unitary whole. Idea
of completeness and interdependence, rather than independence, but certainly not
dependence.

Cinder/smoke rather than fire -> if scholar is bookworm, will produce cinders/smoke.
Creative process aborted. Scholar will create fire and flame if creative process result of
detachment from authoritative texts. Turning creative power towards present & future.

"A fig tree, looking on a fig tree, becometh fruitful." -> knowledge from the past should certainly be
used as inspiration for creative process. §16 benefits of reading when done correctly. Books should
not be instrumentalized, subdued; scholar should be nourished by them when inspiration has gone:
read books and it will be found again. These books which inspire us are the result of a creative
process, kindled by the Sun, which is the inspiration.

‘Thought and knowledge are natures in which apparatus and pretension avail nothing.’ -> Binary
pattern. ‘Apparatus’ -> people who display knowledge sometimes bookworms, sometimes they’re
also your teachers, who have created all these intellectual institutions. Uni is apparatus. All networks
of knowledge are places where you can be fed w knowledge, where creative imagination will not be
promoted, uncovered. Beware institutions. Useful as conveyors of knowledge, but beware what you
do and should do w that knowledge. Pretension -> snobbery, show, affectation, arrogance,
artificiality; Emerson warning us against normalization of scholarship and snootiness of scholars.

Scholars must unify & give meaning to chaos. Be careful of those who do seek fame & recognition.
Creative process should not be institutionalized. Scholars must avoid at all costs crystallization of past
beliefs in the institutions.

In part III, importance of experience: living life also important to creative process. Emerson insists on
importance of action, travelling, experience life, as serves to replenish creative process. According to
Emerson, ideal life has ‘undulations’, see alternate patterns between thought & action:
contemplation & participation both. 3 rd part conclude by ‘thinking is the function, living is the
functionary’ -> superiority of character in scholar who gets education from life also, not just books.
Travelling the world only path to becoming creative scholar.

Kant, Goethe, Brontë sisters haven’t travelled the world but produced internationally renowned
literature – same w Emily Dickinson, yet still managed to produce prominent & important poetry,
acknowledging several dimensions of American perspective.

What must be remembered about that text is that it initiates the creative process of producing truly
national lit, an American one, which so far had been in the making until that very point, but was not
yet the fully-fledged literary prod that we know today w birth of naturalism, regionalism, following
civil war, and 20th c. modernist mvt; in 1840s is when his of American lit truly begins, nascent lit we
are dealing w -> Emerson inspired thinkers & writers to make truly American lit, grounded in
historical, cultural and social context of country – and that is relevant, sth to be remembered.
Emerson sometimes a little harsh on certain authors or perspectives.

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Civil Disbobedience

Thoreau convinced abolitionist, opponent to gvt in place when produced that text, which was
President Polk’s (1845-9 POTUS). Dems back then were in favour of slavery, unlike Thoreau, who calls
em ‘slave gvt’. Pdt. Tyler’s gvt had welcome Texas into the union, which had been state free from
Mexico for about 10 yrs.

There was a standing army at the time, and one waging a war against Mexico for Cali, & US took half
of Mexico at end of war on top of that. Very harsh critique of gvt initiated, as well as citizens in g.al,
not opposing sufficiently enough gvt in place.

Gvt should not be governing anyone, should be governed by people, and not just some people.

Law never made man more just -> law =/= justice to Thoreau.

To Thoreau, idea of gvt wichtig, bc acts as protective tool. People feel safe when feel governed, when
s.o else taking care of em, in order to structure the nation. Gvt supposed to ensure security of
citizens & protect their life. Sounds Leviathan and Ben Franklin ish. Yet should not interfere w other
aspects of life. Protects pursuit of happiness & that’s that.

‘Expedient’ means resource, means to an end, mere tool, which should be defined by American
people. Serves purpose & certainly should not be self-serving structure, should work for greater
good. Should not defend areas & privileges or ruling classes, those who are in control of their gvt.

‘Inexpedient’ means not wise, reasonable, moral. Growing inability of gvt to play that moral:
apparatus corrupt, bc supports slavery and declared illegal war.

Standing army is professional & permanent, will not be disbanded in times of peace, remains there &
awaits war, unlike militia. Stresses inexpediency of gvt. Dates back to long-lasting controversy,
question raised in early days of republic: should nation have profi army? Fathers of nation said ‘no’.
Samuel Adams called them ‘nurseries of vice’, James Maddison addressed constitutional convention
1787 on that issue & called army ‘instrument of tyranny at home’. To him, dangerous to liberties of
people.

Risk of propagation of tyrannical habits at stake. Thoreau alludes to that risk, as federal gvt indeed
tyrannical, as supports slavery and declared war on friendly neighbour.

‘Wooden gun’ metaphor participates in promotion of gvt, bc good th about it, despite inexpediency
in certain matters. Phony weapon w no real purpose, other than giving false sense of security.

‘Does not’ parallel structure -> power of gvt defined by alacrity of failure. Great hopes put therein;
often does not fulfil angry hopes.

Gvt not useful beyond giving citizens sense of security; on other hand, fails to make number of
wichtig decisions than American people support.

Gvt compared to ‘some complicated machinery or other’ -> watchmaker image. That shall satisfy
people’s idea of gvt. If you hear the ‘din’, it means it’s at work, satisfies people’s desire for protection
& safety. Gvt can give sense of protection, sometimes false; on other hand, gvt can also be useless in
making wichtig decisions.
Majority rule flaw in democratic process according to Thoreau. Minorities bend to majority -> law of
the jungle. ‘Physically the strongest’ metonymy, not actual muscles -> numerical superiority allows gp
to vote laws biding on all. This seen as unfair. Justice impossible in that context according to Thoreau,
as political minority always at disadvantage, by virtue of having to accept laws that do not agree w.
Calls for rule of individual conscience. Relies on number of rhetorical q: votes in gvt should be votes
of conscience. Once elected, should 4get about political affiliat° (ofc not political reality). Calls for
rule of individual consciousness in politicians – which doesn’t happen. Gvt should decide what nötig
when opportune.

Three tenets of American nation: protect° of life, liberty, & pursuit of happiness of every citizen.

Men first; subjects after.

What dictates you what is right th to do? Conscience, if you have one. Your right > the law. Hence
paradox relied on: ‘the law never made a man behave more just’.

Marine -> made by gvt, not self anymore, shallow husk of a man, ‘shadow and reminiscence of
humanity’. Armymen disciplined, modelled & become automaton of State. Oxymoron ‘a man laid out
alive and standing’. When armyman or civil servant, lost conscience, according to Thoreau, individual
vitality.

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§4 poem by Charles Warth, The Burial of Sir John Moores after Corunna. -> reflect upon.