Final answer:
Emerson's statement that our reading is "mendicant and sycophantic" criticizes the superficial approach to literature and knowledge, suggesting a dependency on others for intellectual direction and a tendency to seek approval rather than self-reliance.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Ralph Waldo Emerson stated that "...our reading is mendicant and sycophantic," he was critiquing the superficial and servile nature of how society engages with literature and knowledge. To be mendicant is to be a beggar, suggesting that our approach to reading is impoverished and reliant on others for direction, rather than being self-sufficient and proactive. Similarly, being sycophantic implies an obsequious or flattering attitude, indicating that readers often seek to ingratiate themselves with those deemed intellectually superior, rather than cultivating their independent understanding and opinions.
Emerson's philosophy asserts the importance of a more authentic and self-reliant engagement with knowledge, as opposed to treating it merely as a means to gain social approval or mimic others' ideas without truly making them one's own.
Many writers and philosophers, including Wordsworth and Smith, have similarly highlighted the need for self-reliance and the importance of using one's intellect to challenge social norms, promote civic responsibility, and create genuine social reforms. Notably, Emerson's views express a concern that the humanities and liberal education can be rendered insubstantial if they are pursued only for show rather than with genuine intellectual curiosity and for the betterment of society.