Philosophy

Part of Emerson's project during the course of this immense volume is to provide a clear account of his philosophical views. Fortunately, he includes an international level of discourse whereby distinctions between the American preoccupations of the nineteenth century have been compared with those of the British and again contrasted to those of the Continental philosophies abounding at the time. Emerson's lived reality is that of Christian America and he reveals a rather in-depth knowledge of theology as part of his philosophical and intellectual knowledge base.

Metaphysical questions have great significance here. The answers and the approach to such problems has a direct impact and influence upon the multiple sciences as well as the arenas of philosophy and theology. One of these is the question of whether or not there is a God, and another is the question regarding the human soul and what this is and how...