This essay originally appeared in The Ideal in the West, by David A. Beardsley  (idealinthewest.com) Many of the principles Americans take for granted can be traced to the “Transcendentalism” of Emerson and his circle, whether realized or not. Over the next few episodes we will take a look at some of these principles and the…

This essay originally appeared in The Ideal in the West, by David A. Beardsley  (idealinthewest.com) The first thing we have to say respecting Emerson as a subject for writing about the Ideal is that we are aware of the irony.  He spent his whole life trying to convince us that each of us is the…

This essay originally appeared in The Ideal in the West, by David A. Beardsley  (idealinthewest.com) I think it’s safe to say that when most people consider Ralph Waldo Emerson, they think of a rather avuncular producer of pithy quotes in an archaic style of writing.  Although his words still pop up with fair frequency, especially now given the…