Ralph Waldo Emerson was arguably one of the greatest American philosophers in the 19th century. His theories on self-reliance and independence have contributed greatly in the formation of American cultures. Some scholars say his goal was to vivify religion and free it from the oppressive conventions of the day (Higgins, par. 14). His theories have promoted individualism and self-reliance, which are key components of capitalism. He encouraged people to believe in themselves and pursue their dreams without depending on what their neighbors think about them. Additionally, he discouraged people from using others' thoughts as their own, and encouraged self-thought and independence. His ideas promoted the rise of the industrial revolution as people became self-reliant and entrepreneurs. Contrarily, Cornel West contradicted the views of Emerson. Although West supported the views of self-reliance, he was opposed to the idea that humans can live without one another. He argued that the society had lost its humanity in the quest to promote Americanism. In his essay "The Moral Obligation of Living in a Democratic Society", West emphasized the importance of individualism in a societal context. He said that although people in society should be independent, it is important for them to consider the interests of the rest of the community (Batstone, 7). Emerson emphasized the importance of self-reliance while West emphasized the need for unity in the community. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Cornel West both support self-reliance as a way of promoting equality and democracy in the society. 

One of Cornel West's major principles was the moral obligation to support the interests of the community. West cited the works of many African-American leaders, specifically W.E.B Dubois, who he refers to as "undeniably the most important Black intellectual of the twentieth century" (AALBC, par. 7). Dubois, who was supported by West, argued that the will of the people was submerged because leaders used their own opinions to develop generalizations of entire ideologies; poverty and race being major concerns. He believed that economic condition of Africans and African-Americans was a primary mode of their oppression which led to his support of communism (Morse, par. 1). He asserted that there would be no democracy if people in the middle class traded their opinions for positions of security and in order to fit in. He argued that many people in the society settled for a leader that provided a sense of normalcy, even if their policies did not match their ideologies. He argued that individualism without a sense of communal responsibility, forced people to settle for things that did not reflect their true beliefs. They believed that choosing a leader should be considerate of common interests of the community and the members of the society. Individualism had robbed poor communities of their bargaining power in the fight against poverty and racism. Americans lived in a hypocritical state, settling for ideologies that did not reflect their beliefs.

This opinion was contrary to the ideology of his predecessor Ralph Waldo Emerson, who argued that individualism was a key to the success of the American society. He urged individuals amongst society to follow their own opinions instead of conforming to the societal expectations. He preached nonconformism and praised an "independence of solitude" in "the midst of the crowd" (The Department of English USC Columbia, p. 455). The tendency of people acting as a united society has contributed to the failure of many communities.

 In order to please members of society, people tend to compromise their own beliefs to fit in with the society and promote a communal standpoint (When in Rome, do as Romans do). True democracy would influence people to express their opinions freely without worrying about the thoughts and perceptions of the people in a society (Emerson, 203). He did not want there to be a tendency for people to act according to the norms of a society or grouping instead of their own opinions. Emerson was opposed to the control the church had on the American society and encouraged the braking out from such societal constraints and promoting individualism.  Emerson's view does not undermine the importance of the societal living but opposes hypocritical living that is adopted by many people. Sometimes it is considered a courtesy to lie about one's true feelings so they do not hurt the feelings of their friends or neighbors in the society. Emerson urges truthfulness in a relationship between people. If a community expressed their true feelings about one another, then it would be possible to find ways to cure the immoral behavior in society. His opinions would help to curb the hypocrisy that is detrimental to modern day society. 

West points out that one of the main sources of the problems facing the modern society is the deterioration of cultures and morals (West, par. 15). Many of the problems that face the people in a society are due to a lack of communal responsibility. Problems such as wage stagnation and political lethargy are increased by a fading interest in the communal culture. People are often self-interested and do not contribute the the improvement of the lives of their neighbors. West argues that the erosion of the traditional values in the society threatened democracy as the powerful had extreme power over the poor with no one to mediate or help the poor fight for their rights (Batstone, 10). Increasing greed in the highly capitalistic nation was continually robbing the interests of the society as a whole. The erosion of the traditional culture that the societal responsibility contributed to an increase in greed in the society. Although this traditional culture stripped people of their free will, it acted as an important measure in promoting the interests of the community. 

In his essay, Emerson discusses the importance of one realizing his self-worth in the promotion of human activities. He argues that the cultures of a society limit the reorganization of self-worth, as people feel apologetic of their individuality and differences from the community. In an attempt to conform to the community, people lose their self-worth and view their ideologies as useless (Emerson, 200). The cultural and social constraints limit the expression of one's true self. They limit the potential of one's creativity societal expectations limit one's individual growth. If one is able to break away from these ideologies, it would help them to recognize their self-worth and improve their lives in the society. It would help to address vices that limit the economic, cultural and social growth of an individual.

Emerson encouraged individualism as a way of fighting poverty and demeaning cultures. During his time, cultures were oppressive and demeaning to the people, and promoted the growth of classes and clear differences between the rich and the poor. His ideologies on promoting individualism influence people to break loose from preconceived generalizations and attain their freedom. His individualistic ideologies prompted the people to fight for their rights, and increase their independence and the promotion of equal opportunities to development. However, as would be figured, this individualism did not look out for the community's interests. With an increase of individualism, the poor and middle class communities lost their bargaining power. The wealth of the country continued to be controlled by the few powerful people, while the rest languished in poverty. Cornell West advocates for the restoration of some of these positive cultures. He does not undermine the role of individualism in promoting equality, but advocates for the instillation of positive cultures that protect the interests of individuals in a society. Both Emerson and West have workable ideologies that promote the development of a society. Individualism should not cause the complete erosion of cultures, but should instead promote the development of new cultures that allow for creativity and open expression of true feelings, and accommodate the differences of people in a society. Individualism should strengthen the fabric of the community by promoting positive culture.

