Politics
Politics - meaning Summary
Building a Republic Rightly
Emerson argues that wealth, force, and cunning cannot create a true polity. Material goods buy only their like; magic or military fame cannot elevate a state above its base elements. A genuine republic arises when arts, virtues, religious community, and everyday civic life converge—when the home, church, and state-house serve common social ends. Only then does the “perfect State” exist, rooted in culture and moral cohesion rather than money or power.
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