Final answer:
Emerson's 'divine idea' refers to our innate goodness and potential.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay 'Nature,' when he says we are 'ashamed of that divine idea which each of us represents,' he is referring to our innate goodness and potential.
According to Emerson, every individual carries within themselves the seed of divinity. He believes that society often suppresses or hides this divine nature out of shame or fear.