The Later Lectures of Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1843-1871

Abstract

The following sections, although appearing only in the volume designated below, contain information that pertains to both volumes. These sections may also be downloaded. Volume 1: 1843-1854 contains: Preface; Works Frequently Cited; and, Historical and Textual Introduction. Volume 2: 1855-871 contains: Manuscript Sources of Emerson's Lectures in the Houghton Library of Harvard University; Index to Works by Emerson; and, General Index. Drawing primarily from previously unpublished manuscripts in the Ralph Waldo Emerson Memorial Association Collection in the Houghton Library at Harvard University, recent editions of Emerson's correspondence, journals and notebooks, sermons, and early lectures have provided authoritative texts that inspire readers to consider Emerson's place in American culture afresh. The two-volume Later Lectures of Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1843-1871, presents the texts of forty-eight complete and unpublished lectures delivered during the crucial middle years of Emerson's career. They offer his thoughts on New England and 'Old World' history and culture, poetic theory, education, the history and uses of intellect - as well as his ideas on race relations and women's rights, subjects that sparked many debates. These final volumes contain some of Emerson's most timelessly relevant work and are sure to engage and inform any reader interested in discovering one of our country's greatest intellectuals.