Final answer:
Ralph Waldo Emerson held the belief that the sacred is the individual's capacity to live according to their own principles, highlighting individuality, nonconformity, and the internal moral compass as central tenets.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ralph Waldo Emerson, a central figure in the transcendentalist movement, believed that the sacred exists in the individual's ability to live a life according to their own principles, guided by an internal moral compass. Emerson's essays, particularly Nature and Self-Reliance, advocate for the divinity of the individual and the importance of nonconformity. True spirituality, according to Emerson, is found within oneself and through a harmonious relationship with nature, rather than being dictated by societal norms or the majority's influence. The sacred in Emerson's perspective is the integrity of the individual soul which embraces freedom and the capacity to realize the divine within and all around.