So in the second part of The American Scholar speech, he talks about the mind of the past. I know you are thinking what does that even mean? It means exactly what it says, the thoughts of the people in a different time period than you are in right now. To obtain these views, Emerson encourages strongly the importance of books. He says they are a direct indication of people's thoughts and feelings in that time period. To Emerson, knowing thoughts of the past to help build your own personal thoughts are is another key part to being a true American Scholar.
-SWigg
