“I have no expectation that any man will read history aright who thinks that what was done in a remote age, by men whose names have resounded far, has any deeper sense than what he is doing today.”

American essayist and poet of the 19th century, Emerson is best known for his transcendentalist philosophy and influential lectures on self-reliance and individualism. His works, including "Self-Reliance" and "Nature," championed intuition, personal experience, and the inherent goodness of humanity.