Emerson's Civil Wars - Sacks, Kenneth S.

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Résumé :
Kenneth S. Sacks explores how America's first public intellectual, determined to live self-reliantly, wrestled with his personal philosophy and eventually supported collective action to abolish slavery. Ralph Waldo Emerson was successful in creating a national audience for his philosophy, and enjoyed the material and social rewards of that success. However, contrary to other Emerson scholars, Sacks argues that Emerson resisted active abolition for much longer than is currently thought, and did not become a supporter until events forced his hand. Committing to the antislavery movement was risky, and it ran against his essential belief in social gradualism. Events in the mid-1850s, however, hastened Emerson's conversion, and he eventually became a leader in the movement. A welcome corrective, Emerson's Civil Wars enriches our understanding of Emerson's antislavery activities, life, and career.

Biographie:
Kenneth S. Sacks is Professor of History and Classics at Brown University. He is the author or editor of seven books in classical history and American intellectual thought, including Understanding Emerson: 'The American Scholar' and his Struggle for Self-Reliance (2021) and Emerson: Political Writings (2008).

Sommaire:
Kenneth S. Sacks explores how America's first public intellectual, determined to live self-reliantly, wrestled with his personal philosophy and eventually supported collective action to abolish slavery. Ralph Waldo Emerson was successful in creating a national audience for his philosophy and enjoyed the material and social rewards of that success. Contrary to most other Emerson scholars, however, Sacks argues that Emerson resisted active abolition and did not become a supporter until events forced his hand. Committing to the antislavery movement was risky and ran against his essential belief in social gradualism. Events in the mid-1850s, though, hastened Emerson's conversion and he eventually became a leader in the movement. A study of an intellectual under the pressure to engage in political action, Emerson's Civil Wars enriches our understanding of Emerson's antislavery activities, life, and career....