Emerson's persistance that nature is natural and ALWAYS first in your life comes across true in the beginning but then, like many themes throughout his speech, contradicts itself when he claims that the "institution of preaching"(116), which these students will continue on to do is NOT solitary any longer, being practiced in "houses, in fields, [or] wherever the the invitation of men on your own occasions lead you." (116) This statement, I suppose can be seen two ways, the first in that this lack of solidarity makes it impossible to really naturally connect with the self, or nature; and second that this lack of solidarity is now what is and that it's almost more comforting to the norms of society, saying that you students have no place in this world to preach other than the common field, or home. Emerson claims that an intuition of nature shall be regarded for each person in passing by these graduates because men should "[hope] to derive advantages from another"(106) and not from the self. They are to guide and to lead. But this I also find contradictory, or maybe just unfinished because Emerson continues on to preach to the students the mistakes and burdens of the followings of Christianity. If they should not follow that, then why should others follow them? Emerson preaches to "Obey thyself" yet that God "shall decease forever." In their teachings they are seen as one with God and with this belief, they may as well be decease as well.
These students, puzzled and confused possibly as to what they are hearing but more so if they are headed in the right direction, believe that Emerson is true when he says "I see beauty that is to be desired"(109) and they know that people intrinsicly know what is good. But, they all believe from their education that God is good (everyone knows this!) and what Emerson is saying is that only YOU are good. I seem to sense a "Fuck this whole notion of what you have just learned about God and do what you feel is best to move on in this world. Although, you still must help others and be the best priests you may be through the natural aspects of nature, although society has blown that for you so... do your best"
Kenya,
ReplyDeleteGood post! I think you, in a sense, share here the sense f confusion that Emerson's audience may have felt as the tried to figure out just what was the charge that he was giving them (on the one hand, he seems to say that the sort of 'instruction' that they are bound to offer from the pulpit (they're ministers, not 'priests'--the latter would make them Catholic), is pointless--as each of us must find God on our own. At the same time, he lauds their potential ability to "provoke" their flocks toward God--a distinction that may have been lost on the audience, but one that we'll be exploring together in class. What about Emerson';s thoughts on Christianity itself? (At one point, he refers to it as a 'cult'). Wouldn't they find this offensive?