Project Gutenberg 2004-08-01 Public domain in the USA. 365 Emerson, Ralph Waldo 1803 1882 Emerson, R. W. (Ralph Waldo) Emerson, R. Waldo (Ralph Waldo) Emerson, Waldo Representative Men: Seven Lectures Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Representative_Men Uses of great men -- Plato, or the philosopher -- Swedenborg, or the mystic -- Montaigne, or the skeptic -- Shakespeare, or the poet -- Napoleon, or the man of the world -- Goethe, or the writer. Produced by Miranda van de Heijning, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team "Representative Men: Seven Lectures" by Ralph Waldo Emerson is a philosophical work written during the mid-19th century. This collection of lectures explores the influential figures in human history, examining how their ideas and actions shape society and serve as models for others. Emerson delves into the lives and philosophies of notable personalities such as Plato, Swedenborg, Montaigne, Shakespeare, Napoleon, and Goethe, emphasizing the role of great individuals in driving human progress and understanding. The opening of the text introduces Emerson's view on the significance of great men, stating that humanity's belief in such figures is natural and even poetic. He emphasizes that society derives joy and meaning from these paragons, who serve as lenses through which individuals can grasp complex ideas and aspirations. Emerson discusses the societal impact of these figures, asserting that their thoughts inspire collective action and serve as moral compasses. Through this exploration, he sets the stage for a deeper analysis of each representative figure in the subsequent lectures, revealing how they contribute to a greater understanding of human nature and the fabric of civilization. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 65.9 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 Plato Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749-1832 Montaigne, Michel de, 1533-1592 Swedenborg, Emanuel, 1688-1772 PS Text Biographies Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches Category: American Literature Category: Philosophy & Ethics 401509 2025-07-03T07:10:23.202226 text/html 398168 2021-01-27T02:41:25 text/html 240238 2025-07-03T07:10:30.415690 application/epub+zip 245397 2025-07-03T07:10:26.543683 application/epub+zip 216326 2025-07-03T07:10:25.201239 application/epub+zip 441656 2025-07-03T07:10:33.511656 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 422390 2025-07-03T07:10:29.630694 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 361737 2022-09-03T11:12:12.125467 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 358164 2025-07-03T07:10:22.839268 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 353197 2020-12-29T14:42:54 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 20722 2025-07-03T07:10:33.639647 application/rdf+xml 17705 2025-07-03T07:10:25.696198 image/jpeg 4206 2025-07-03T07:10:25.445193 image/jpeg 148805 2021-01-27T02:41:25 application/octet-stream application/zip 142648 2020-12-29T14:42:54 application/octet-stream application/zip 240911 2025-07-03T07:10:23.235217 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia