This assignment is to compare concepts from the essays of American Renaissance writer Ralph Waldo Emerson to

modern events. We are to analyze the relevance of Emerson’s philosophies today. The primary sources are the
three essays I will provide in .pdf documents: Compensation and Spiritual Laws, and Nature. Some of the
main concepts are 1) Emerson’s idea that god is in nature, 2) his idea that all things, even bad things, are
for good, because god is good, 3) his idea that all men should pursue a vocation suitable to their talents,
and in so doing can come in touch with the divine essence which is in nature and in man, 4) the importance of
beauty in life. The topic is flexible, you can identify any main concept in Emerson’s essays and choose to
compare it to any modern ideas or events (supported by reference essays or articles.) An example of what this
paper might do is compare Emerson’s concept of nature, bound together as one and containing the divine, to
modern scientific ideas of ecosystems, modern environmental ideas, and similar ideas.