“ATOM BY ATOM, ALL THE WORLD INTO A NEW FORM:” Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Theory of Reform

The idea of dissent has often been discussed in association with the works of the Transcendentalists, who greatly influenced the literary and philosophical landscape of the United States in the 19th century. This article aims to shed light on an often-ignored side of Ralph Waldo Emerson who, often described as an aloof thinker, was an adamant dissenter and, more specifically, a conscientious reformer. By focusing on his theory of reform as expressed in a selection of essays devoted to this theme, this paper argues that Emerson’s concept of reform, though primarily directed towards the individual, was also intended to have repercussions in society at large. This dichotomy between individualism and communal effort is analyzed in texts which cover a twenty-year span in Emerson’s life, to demonstrate that this dualism constitutes an opposition that must be reevaluated and ultimately resolved.