In Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay "Self-Reliance," the importance of the individual apart from the masses is continually stressed. Emerson clearly states that a human's full potential is only achieved when his or her thoughts and desires are unaffected by the society around them. Though Emerson comments on the guiding qualities of an effective individual, he neglects to discuss how these seemingly selfish endeavors may affect the society as a whole. With the help of Thomas Hobbes's rigid view of the citizen's duty to unquestionably follow laws of society, Emerson's philosophy of the individual will be expanded in hopes of observing its affects on the whole. Emerson's emphasis on the isolation of thoughts and accomplishments as well as a return to innocence in societal actions is potentially detrimental to the cohesion and solidarity of a nation.
             Hobbes not only believes that the individual's rights are limited in comparison to the society, but he also claims that a human must protect his desires and beliefs from others in direct competition. In his essay "Self-Interest," Hobbes states that "a law is the public conscience," and therefore it is each citizen's duty to abide by these rules despite their individual beliefs (153). This impartial and uniform set of laws may diminish personal identity, but promote societal stability and are designed to be "needful, for the good of the people" (154). These set of principals are enforced by fear of punishment under these laws. Consequences breed order. The individual's voice is rarely heard in affairs of government or national improvement. Hobbes also promotes the notion of survival of the fittest in personal endeavors, and "all society is therefore either for gain, or for glory" (144). One's own desires are only considered worthy if they are unable to surmount the ideals of all others in comp...