... greening of literary studies known as ecocriticism. (3) To consider an influential example, in "Natures Economy" (1994) Donald Worster locates, in Thoreau's work of the 1850's, the emergence of an ecological philosophy. He calls it a "more intense empiricism" that he predicates on Thoreau's difference from, and necessary rejection of, the transcendental idealism he first learned from an Emerson "who tended to devalue ... mind derives its language of ideas (such as "organic" or even "metonomy") from its, the mind's, own contexture in nature's processes. In his 1858 lecture "The Natural Met...

• Word Count: 9971
• Approx Pages: 40
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... described as belonging to the tradition of "wisdom literature" that includes Confucius, Marcus Aurelius, Michel de Montaigne, and Francis Bacon, among others. Despite personal hardships, Emerson developed a moral philosophy based on optimism and individualism. In "Self-Reliance," he wrote, "Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind," and, "Whoso would be a man, must ... discussion group was formed with Emerson as its leader. It eventually came to be called the "Transcendental Club." The club published an influential magazine, The Dial, devoted to literature and philoso...

• Word Count: 3135
• Approx Pages: 13
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School