One of the topics that I found to be most intriguing from our class discussions were our talks about Emerson’s, Nature, piece.  However, I found his spiritual associations with nature a bit confusing.  The “transparent eyeball” piece we analyzed in class addresses this aspect of his perceptions, as do some other areas of the text.

We learned that Nature has come to be thought of as the “manifesto” of transcendentalism.  We also learned that reason versus understanding and finding divinity in nature are interests of transcendentalists too.  To myself, these ideas seem conflicting. Emerson writes, “In the woods, we return to reason and faith.” (29). This seems very foreign.  Reason and faith are very different ways of thinking.  I have always viewed faith as believing in something without needing reasoning, while reason seems like something involving little faith and mostly facts.  So the juxtaposition of the two feels shocking and contradictory. Emerson abandoned his life of organized religion, so I wonder to what kind of faith is he referring?  Especially, since later in the essay he writes that “religion and ethics” have an, “analogous effect with all lower culture, in degrading nature…” (48).  Although Emerson references and makes many comparisons of nature with religious topics, I am led to believe that perhaps he is not directly referencing a religious faith, but rather faith in oneself, or perhaps something else?

The section of Nature titled “Spirit”, somewhat addresses Emerson’s beliefs of nature and a higher power, however, it also associates different beliefs together as one.  Understood through this section, Emerson seems to believe in the interconnectedness of nature, the soul, and a higher power or spirit in nature.  Emerson seems to have a strong belief that there is a spirit in nature. This rings similar to some of the Native American beliefs that I have recently read about in another class.   Specifically, how he believes that we are interconnected with nature.  One article by J. Donald Hughes and Jim Swam entitled, “How Much of the Earth is Sacred Space?” talks about how Native American culture focuses on how all of the earth is sacred while many white people believe that they can just set aside places to be “sacred”.  Emerson’s belief in the deep spiritual connection that one has in nature, seems similar to the respect the Native American people had and have for the land.  He speaks about how there is a spirit that is a “Supreme Being” that “puts forth through us” (51).   Directly after he explains this way of thinking as he continues to say, “man rests upon the bosom of God” (50).  Usually, the idea of the earth being a spirit and the idea of a monotheistic “God” are not compatible.  This also brings up whether or not his view of man, nature, and spirituality is anthropocentric or biocentric.  His respect and desire for one’s healthy connection to nature seem to convey a more biocentric view, however, he also seems to often relate man to the divine spiritual power.  Such as when he writes, “The world proceeds from the same spirit as the body of man” (50).  This seems like a rather bold claim that could be interpreted as anthropocentric.  Overall, his beliefs of spirituality seem to have components of interconnectedness between man and nature with hints of anthropocentrism, but also a focus on biocentrism.  How do you interpret his religious views and do you believe that faith and reason are totally compatible?