Spiritual Laws Summary and Analysis

Although the world is prone to admire and adore the men of great achievements, such as Caesar and Napoleon, their accomplishments are only possible by marshalling spiritual powers, Emerson says. In the case of warriors, their minds are formed in a certain direction and once they have removed the chatter and illusions of the world and the intellect, they are able to exercise their talents in spectacularly successful ways other men call "genius." Simplicity is the key to peace of mind and success, according to Emerson. Such simplicity derived from spiritual principles is evident in nature and in the universe, where the mind and will of humans is utterly powerless. By misusing our mind and will, we create our own evils when surrendering to the "optimism of nature" is all we need for a good life.

Emerson uses the...