Emerson is often considered the father of the transcendental philosophical tradition. Transcendentalists believe in three major principles: individualism, idealism and the divinity of nature. The Transcendentalists believed that an individual could “transcend” or go beyond the physical world of the senses into a different world of spiritual experience through free will and intuition. Emerson and the Transcendentalists believed that God was not distant and unreachable, but knowable through our own souls and through a deep connection with nature. The central themes in all of his works were individuality, freedom, human self-realization and relation to nature.
In his essay on Nature, Emerson explores the relationship between humans and nature. He asserts that the beauty of nature can be understood by people only when one is in solitude. The true understanding of significance of nature is hindered by the hustle and bustle of daily life. Emerson is of the view that we take nature for granted. For example, we take the stars for granted because we know that they will always be there. However, although they are “accessible” in that they are visible to us, they are also inaccessible due to the distance between us. We can never physically touch them. However, there is an inter-connectedness among the nature, soul and the divine that we miss. “Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.” He feels that we must view nature from the eyes of a child. A child sees things in new an unbiased ways, untainted by any previous judgments. Emerson then rejects the analysis of the ancient historians and ancient theories.
He suggests that divinity is in all of nature. Nature is never “mean” or unpleasant in any way. Like the Stoics, Emerson believed that Nature could be the basis of moral principles as well as well-being. But, humans in their present state do not really “see” nature. He held because of the distraction around us, “we see but we do not see”. We pass by nature but do not strive to understand it. Nor do we ask to what end is nature.
Emerson sought to understand the world around us and our place in it. What is the world? What is Nature? How can we explain the beauties and mysteries of Nature? There are three main ideas that Emerson elaborates in this book. The first is the preeminence of the Soul. This is divine and identical in all of us. It is an eternal spark. Nature is everything that is not “us”. The second is the sufficiency of nature. Nature is a reflection of God. God reveals his divine plan to us through nature. God and Nature and two sides of the same coin. Nature exists to unlock the free spirit. The third is the immediacy of God.
Nature is composed of eight chapters that elaborate on the harmony between humans and nature. The main theme that Emerson stresses upon is that every individual must develop their own equation with nature. Thus his emphasis that we must not rely on any second-hand information but must see, hear and feel nature for ourselves away from the distractions of daily life. Throughout this book Emerson envisions nature as a unison between matter, soul and God. The correct focus on nature will give us the perspective to lift ourselves above the mundane existence of this world and understand a higher calling. We will then be able to comprehend the common bond we have with the Divine. He does not offer a “solution” but says that each of us has a unique path on our own. One must learn from nature as well as understand the universal laws through it. Somewhere in our daily bustle of life, we have forgotten common bond that nature creates between the material, spirit and the Divine. Every creature on earth has some part of the Divine in it. It is the manifestation of the Divine in some way. It is for us to understand how and why. For Emerson, Nature itself is God’s way of showing the divine to the human mind. It is not a concrete thing in itself. Therefore, everyone must seek to understand the inner calling of this by themselves. Not just look at the outer structures but the inner meaning of nature itself. The reason why we are unable to see this is because our lenses are fractured by the mundane. We are disunited with ourselves. The more we seek to close this gap, the closer we will be with God. Here Emerson draws a lot from the Eastern philosophies not just his own Unitarian tradition. He feels that when he stands alone in the woods, he feels the Universal Being flowing though him. He elaborates on how we can get closer to the Divine in each of the chapters in Nature.
Emerson says that there are seven facets of the relationship between man and nature: commodity, beauty, language, discipline, idealism, spirit and prospects.
As a commodity, nature exists to serve humankind. But, to understand nature in this way, humans must consciously endeavor to do so. Commodities or the physical aspect of nature is the only way in which humans comprehend nature. He talks about how nature supports us in every way on earth. Different elements like metals, plants, and animals to other things like metals, earth, air, fire, and water nourish us in every way. He suggests that even the art made by humans reproduces nature in some way or another. In this way, there forms a pattern of integration into the whole. The. Vege wind blows the seed which then becomes the plant. Water that evaporates from the seas nourishes the plant. Vegetables and grains grow from these plants which then feed humans and animals. Thus nature provides an endless “commodity” of “divine charity” that surrounds and sustains us. Humans are bonded to their surroundings through praxis.
Beauty on the other hand elevates the human mind. It is not something that we need for physical survival. But, it is regenerative in its quality and it is the end of nature. It has the capacity of enhancing human intellect. Emerson finds that a landscape has perfect symmetry. The beauty of nature has many qualities: healing, medicinal and restorative. Two things contribute to beauty—how things look and how things are perceived. Each of us from our own perspectives when we see nature. This is due to the amount of light that falls on an object, how it is reflected from it and how our minds interpret that vision. The beauty of nature has a transformative powers. When we observe nature in solitude, away from the disruptions of our daily life, we are “uplifted” and in his famous quote, “I become a transparent eye-ball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God”.
Language is how nature is displayed and understand it better. The will of God and his ideas are expressed through words in nature. He claims that every word represents an object in spirit. Natural facts are spiritual facts. Language corresponds to a feeling that is evoked when we see a particular object. Every word that is used can be traced back to nature. The origin of all words came from nature at one point and has been transformed over the years. In the beginning, language was pure and represented only nature. Writers, through imagery and symbols, can display the ultimate truth in nature. The will of God is represented in such language. Through such words, the beauty of nature in its sublime and natural state can be seen. He also believes that the corruption of man is followed by the corruption of language. Words are signs of natural facts.
Nature also provides discipline. It teaches us both understanding and reason. This does not mean how we understand the word “discipline” today in the form of certain types of rigorous behavior, law and punishment etc. It refers to the exactness of an objects existence as well as its relation to other objects. Many wise men are able to see beyond the surface of a physical object and into its soul. It takes a very wise person to see beyond the mere physical to the inner workings of an object to really understand it. He finalizes this notion through the discipline of measurement. We can get to know nature in steps or “degrees”. We require understanding to distinguish between natural objects. Everything in nature also shows us lessons we can learn from. He even includes things like Debt and Property as natural “objects” as things we can learn from. Reason is the logic by which we understand nature. It is the moral teacher which offers ethical and spiritual insights. Every natural object offers a spiritual discourse. Emerson always returns to the theme that nature creates a single whole. Every part is interconnected. The unity of all object is the most important theme in Emerson’s Nature.
The Transcendentalists believe that everyone will be exhilarated by the beauty of nature and will find a tranquility when they fully understand it and find a relationship with it. He talks about how the poet brings out the most beautiful aspects of nature in our minds through words. The poet can manipulate nature in that he can make it look the way he wants to us. This is not to say that he is dishonest in any way but can make us see things that we might not have noticed before. Emerson uses Shakespeare’s language as an example of figurative language that makes us see things in different ways. Emerson discusses the difference between the poet, the philosopher and the scientist in the realm of ideas. The poet is concerned with beauty, the philosopher with truth. Both use the mental process. However, the philosopher is more likely to rely on this thought and the scientist, in contrast, will rely on abstract reasoning. Philosophers, scientists and mathematicians do not even start with nature’s objects in any of their work. Emerson notes that these great ideas may not be accessible to all people but all people are capable of training themselves in the art of critical thinking and appreciation of nature. He finds a similar disconnect between religion and ethics and nature. Religion’s stress on the individual to move away from the physical world undermines the importance of nature. But, when a person contemplates on the Universal Being through nature, one’s mind reaches new heights of understanding. Using a circle to symbolize the interrelatedness of the universe of people and nature, Emerson says that the world of ideas are all part and parcel of the Universal Being. Transcendental philosophy takes us beyond time and space to attain a different level of consciousness and immortality.
Emerson then analyses the essential spirit of nature. What is nature made of and where did it come from. There is also the bigger question that needs to be answered which is toward what end did it come. The biggest truth is that the Supreme Being is present in all of nature. When we are unaware of this truth, there is an imbalance that is created within us. The sprit is the life force of everything around us. When we use intuition to try to understand nature, it makes us place it in the correct perspective. It makes us know that we are all interconnected to the Supreme Being and a microcosm of it. Nature is always in the service of man.
Emerson stresses the benefits of nature on the human soul. He explains that when we experience nature in the right way it will relieve us of stress as well as bring us closer to the Supreme Being. In his book Nature, Emerson outlined his ideas about the manifestation of this universal spirit in nature. It was everywhere around us. We only had to pause to understand it. However, we had to remove ourselves from the bustle of daily life to really comprehend nature. He made the controversial claim that we did not need religion to get closer to God or the real Truth. Nature would be sufficient to do this. It is the true canvas in bringing us closer to the Divine Being. The true lesson of worship can be learnt in solitude when we observe the beauties of nature. There is an intense connection between spirituality and nature. We have to awaken ourselves intentionally to understand this connection. Emerson uses Nature to emphasize that we should focus attention on our inner self for guidance. Reliance on one’s own thoughts and acceptance of the self are vital in achieving the one-ness with the Supreme Being.