Quest for Wisdom Essay -- essays research papers

Quest for Wisdom: Two Approaches Two approaches to the â€Å"Quest for Wisdom† that I enjoyed are Walden, by Henry David Thoreau and Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor E. Frankl. Both of the authors took similar approaches by using narration of a main segment of their lives to explain their philosophy and how they arrived at their conclusions. Though both conclusions represent individualism they are strikingly different. Thoreau values the doctrines of Transcendentalism, seeking ones inner self through Nature, while Frankl Existentialism values the interpretation of individual experiences and responsibility of ones actions. Thoreau spent years building his approach and developing his own beliefs. Born in Concord, Massachusetts, in July 1817, he developed an early love of solitude and communion with nature. He studied English, history, philosophy, and four different modern languages at Harvard College and graduated in 1837. From 1837 to 1840 he tried jobs unsuccessfully as school teacher and tutor. From 1841 to 1843 he took a job as a gardener and handyman where he was inspired by the exploration and writing about spiritual relationships between humanity and nature, and the ideas of Ralph Emerson. On July 4, 1845 Thoreau started an experiment on Emerson’s land at Walden Pond and spent two years watching, writing, and understanding the power of nature. The only way Thoreau could encounter a relationship with nature was to independently bond with the way of the woods, streams, p...