Paragraphs 19-27 Summary

Emerson believes all men are equal in the sense that each person is subject to the same forces of life. He asserts that an unknown man who makes a good choice is as important as a famous man who also makes a good choice is. When a "private" man acts on his own, original views, he will stand out more than a mediocre king. Emerson believes that the respect which a king, noble or wealthy man is accorded is due any man. He believes the freedom which powerful men have to be their own persons should be granted to all men.

Paragraph twenty-one is a rather complicated, philosophical commentary upon the source of original thought. Emerson asks the question, what sparks originality? He says that this question leads one back to the essence of life, which he names "Spontaneity or Instinct...