The Dial

Transcendentalism: A Reader
Edited by Joel Myerson

Introduction to the Dial

Though Ralph Waldo Emerson and Margaret Fuller had a long-lasting friendship that revolved around their philosophical discussions, a close look at their correspondences also reveals their conflicting opinions. One conflict resulted between Fuller’s unabashed and forthright feminism with Emerson’s more renowned status as a writer and therefore his ability to override Fuller’s writings. For example, “Fuller had drafted the original introduction to the Dial, but Emerson thought it “forestalls objection; it bows, though a little haughtily, to all the company; [and] it is not quite confirmed in its own purpose.” (291) Following his decision to help edit Fuller’s draft, Emerson ended up writing his own introduction, which was published in July of 1840.

As Emerson complained that Fuller’s introduction lacked a clear “purpose”, it was evident in his writing that The Dial hoped to cover a variety of topics ranging from religion to politics to literature. In addition to this discussion Emerson wanted to make it clear that “we do not wish to say pretty or curious things…but, if we can, to give expression to that spirit which lifts men to a higher platform…brings them worthy aims and pleasures.” (293) Similar to his speech on “The American Scholar” given to the graduating class of Harvard in 1837, Emerson felt that it was time for new ideas, new modes of thought, as opposed to the reiteration of renowned ideas in history. Like the scholars who he advised to spend their time “living” since that would give them greater knowledge than the history contained in books, Emerson tells the readers of the Dial: “we wish not to multiply books, but to report life, our resources are therefore not so much the pens of practiced writers, as the discourse of the living, and the portfolios which friendship has opened to us.” (293)