Title: Ralph Waldo Emerson
First published: 2002
Description: "In this original and highly readable book, Peter Field explains how Ralph Waldo Emerson became the first democratic intellectual in American history. By focusing on his public career, Field contends that Emerson was a democrat in two senses: he single-handedly sought to create a vocation equal to his conviction that America represented the democratic promise of the Western world; and as importantly, he acted the part of the democrat by attempting to bring culture to all Americans.

Utterly disaffected with the self-satisfied Boston Brahmin establishment into which he had been born, he set forth through the nation in order to assume the role of conscience, critic, and gentle exhorter to the people. More poet than philosopher, Emerson demands to be understood as a public intellectual. Peter Field deftly portrays Emerson as he attempted to create himself - as a unique ironic prophet to the American people."--BOOK JACKET.
Subjects: Intellectual life, Democracy in literature, Political and social views, Democracy, History, Emerson, ralph waldo, 1803-1882, Democracy, history, United states, intellectual life
Places: United States
People: Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
Time periods: 19th century
LC classification: PS1642.P64 F54 2002