Read the excerpt from Society and Solitude. Highlight text that explains Emerson's argument. Choose another
color to highlight supporting evidence. Use sticky notes
to present possible counterarguments.
The necessity of solitude is deeper than we have said, and is
organic. I have seen many a philosopher whose world is large
enough for only one person. He affects to be a good companion;
but we are still surprising his secret, that he means and needs to
impose his system on all the rest. The determination of each is
from all the others, like that of each tree up into free space. 'T is
no wonder, when each has his whole head, our societies should
be so small. Like President Tyler, our party falls from us
every day, and we must ride in a sulky at last. Dear heart!
Take it sadly home to thee - there is no cooperation. We begin
with friendships, and all our youth is a reconnoitering and
recruiting of the holy fraternity they shall combine for the
salvation of men. But so the remoter stars seem a nebula of
united light, yet there is no group, which a telescope will not
resolve; and the dearest friends are separated by impassable
gulfs. The cooperation is involuntary, and is put upon us by the
Genius of Life, who reserves this as a part of his prerogative. 'T
is fine for us to talk; we sit and muse and are serene and
complete; but the moment we meet with any-body, each
becomes a fraction...