“Most of the luxuries, and many of the so-called comforts of life, are not only indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind. With respect to luxuries and comforts, the wisest have ever lived a more simple and meagre life than the poor. The ancient philosophers, Chinese, Hindoo, Persian, and Greek, were a class than which none has been poorer in outward riches, none so rich in inward.”
- Henry David Thoreau
Citation: Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1854.
Above is an excerpt from Henry David Thoreau’s Walden from the chapter entitled “Economy”. Thoreau was a renowned transcendentalist of the 1800’s who wrote many celebrated works; Walden is arguably his most famous. Thoreau spent two years and two months living in a house on Walden Pond in Concord MA, and wrote the majority of Walden while there. Due to this, it is a very trustworthy source to study. However, it was largely based on Thoreau’s opinions and beliefs, so it should not necessarily be believed in its entirety by the reader. In publishing his thoughts, Thoreau was attempting to get his beliefs to the public. Overall, this specific chapter focused on the common desire for wealth and things of luxury. In his writing, Thoreau exhibited many common transcendentalist beliefs relating to nature and spirituality, but he also had a few new ideas as well. As mentioned above, he spoke of the human desire for monetary success, and suggested that this desire was the reason for many people's unhappiness. Also, by living at Walden Pond for so long with so little, Thoreau used his own experiences as evidence for his arguments, at one point saying that the only necessities of life are food, shelter, fuel and clothing. Throughout the writing, Thoreau tried to convince readers to be rid of whatever material things not necessary for a comfortable life, and with this to not work so many hours; with this, they could achieve happiness.
