The Psychology of Being Traditional:

An Enquiry into R. W. Emerson’s Self-Reliance

Abstract

R. W. Emerson, the transcendentalist, has been one of the most celebrated American essayists. One of the central aspirations in his philosophical writing is his constant preoccupation with the theme of individualism and scathing criticism of the tradition. While discussing the importance of individualism, Emerson has to address the notion of tradition. In fact, the whole of the essay is a sort of antithesis between the traditional and the individual. This paper theoretically investigates the theme of tradition that figures in his essay ‘Self-Reliance’. It finds out various psychological factors that make human beings traditional. He also enumerates consequences of being traditional and justifies his criticism scientifically.