Frederick Douglass was a very smart man. However, often he as seen as a man that was "raised in a condition that denied any intelligence in him and punished his attempts to explore it's potential" (Dorbolo). Frederick Douglass was also very much against slavery and had written many books or autobiographical works. It is said that Douglass's writing always led to one major point in the end, and that was always the awareness of the evils of slavery (Dorbolo). I thought that it was very interesting how Douglass viewed the importance of language and how it very much relates to freedom. He said it related to freedom because "it is the medium of social connection among individuals".I think that Douglass was a pretty smart guy.
Both Frederick Douglass and Ralph Waldo Emerson did agree with each other on many things, however, there were some other point of views that made them quite different from each other. For example, Ralph Waldo Emerson was very much about all of the soul, matter, and spirit. For example, "Matter and spirit are not opposed but reflect a critical unity of experience"(Brewton). Douglass on the other hand, sounded more like a thinker. At least that what it kind of sounded like from the reading. However, both of them seem like very thoughtful people. There are also some things though that make them very similar as well. Such as, they both believed that people learned best, or should learn from their own experiences. They also both seemed like they were very independent, thoughtful, and intelligent men. Although they tend to seem pretty similar people, the way Douglass talks in his speeches or books does I think sound differently then Emerson. I think the reason for that is simply because Douglass was so passionate about getting the word out that slavery was an evil thing and that he so much wanted people to realize his point of view, so I feel like he was a little more driven.
Dorbolo, Jon. "Great Philosophers: Frederick Douglass." Oregon State University. 2002. Web. 04 Feb. 2012.
Brewton, Vince. "Emerson, Ralph Waldo [Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy]." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Web. 04 Feb. 2012
"The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro by Frederick Douglass." History Is A Weapon. Web. 06 Feb. 2012
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