Henry David Thoreau was the quintessential rugged individualist, yet he also had the mind of an ivory tower academic. He avoided hard work, yet wrote essays that influence American culture to this day; he inspired Martin Luther King and Gandhi to lead peaceful revolutions. Thoreau’s criticism of the government and his call to patriotic rebellion are as relevant today as ever, as the United States steadily creeps toward fascism.
Though his political essays are brilliant, Thoreau was a philosopher rather than a politician. As a student at Harvard, he excelled in his studies of Greek, Latin, German, and philosophy. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy:
“He was well versed in classical Greek and Roman philosophy, ranging from the pre-Socratics through the Hellenistic schools, and was also an avid student of the ancient scriptures and wisdom literature of various Asian traditions. He was familiar with modern philosophy ranging from Descartes, Locke and the Cambridge Platonists through Emerson, Coleridge, and the German Idealists, all of whom were influential on Thoreau’s philosophy. He discussed his own scientific findings with leading naturalists of the day, and read the latest work of Humboldt and Darwin with interest and admiration.”
After he graduated, Thoreau met Ralph Waldo Emerson, a famous writer and transcendentalist. Emerson’s friendship influenced Thoreau’s philosophical beliefs, and therefore his writing. As a transcendentalist, Thoreau was more concerned with spiritual matters than practical ones. For that reason he was drawn to “pure” philosophy rather than “applied” politics.
Walden, an early environmentalist manifesto, is considered Thoreau’s masterpiece. Emerson owned secluded property in Massachusetts, where he allowed Thoreau to live according to his idealistic philosophy. This gave Thoreau plenty of time to reflect and write.
Thoreau valued independence, solitude, and simplicity, which he wrote about in Walden. He also appreciated the beauty of nature and believed humanity should treat the natural world with reverence long before environmentalism became trendy. He believed people lose vital aspects of themselves within social groups. As he wrote in Walden:
“I find it wholesome to be alone the greater part of the time. To be in company, even with the best, is soon wearisome and dissipating. I love to be alone. I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude. We are for the most part lonely when we go abroad among men than when we stay in our chambers. A man thinking or working is always alone, let him be where he will….Society is commonly too cheap. We meet at very short intervals, not having had time to acquire any new value for each other.”
Thoreau’s individualism formed the basis of modern American culture. Even now, America is classified as an “individualist” nation while Asian, Hispanic, and most other cultures are “collective,” meaning the group is considered more important than the individual. The work of the transcendentalists initiated the concept of individualism.
Valuing the individual higher than the social group gives significant power to the average person. This “power of one” concept inspired great changes in American society, making us the freest nation in history. Walden proves that one person with a great idea can indeed change the world.
Sophisticated Innocence 