"Wealth" by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 - April 27, 1882), the central figure of the Transcendentalist movement, was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet known for his advocacy of individualism and his cogent criticism of societal norms.

His essay "Wealth" continues to reflect his core philosophies. Emerson's insights disseminated through his essays and over 1,500 public lectures have profoundly shaped American thought and ideals.

Rejecting the prevalent religious and social beliefs of his time, Emerson's pivotal essay "Nature" in 1836 laid the groundwork for Transcendentalism. His 1837 speech, "The American Scholar," was heralded by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. as America's "Intellectual Declaration of Independence."

Emerson's profound thinking is encapsulated in his collections Essays: First Series and Essays: Second Series, which feature celebrated works like Self-Reliance, The Over-Soul, and The Poet. These, along with Nature, represent the zenith of his intellectual output from the mid-1830s to the mid-1840s.