"Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string... Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist. He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness... Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind." — Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Self-Reliance," 1841
Emerson's celebration of the individual reflects continuity with which feature of American political culture?
- Acheck_circle
Republican ideals emphasizing the virtuous, independent citizen
- B
Mercantilist policies promoting national wealth
- C
Hierarchical Anglican religious authority
- D
Aristocratic conceptions of inherited rank
Explanation
Emerson's emphasis on individual conscience and self-reliance built on long-standing American republican ideals that prized the autonomous, virtuous citizen as the foundation of the polity.