Twenty First Century, Emerson's view on "The American Scholar"

When looking at "The American Scholar" and the views Emerson has makes me question how much this would change in the twenty first century. Emerson states the idea that "Thinking is the function. Living is the functionary." I found this quote extremely interesting and It made me think of how we are living life in todays society. Knowledge is fed through the way you act upon it and the actions you take against it. I think today we are doing exactly so. There is so much knowledge in our world, were doors are constantly being open to new materials and ideas, that we take it and use it to our best advantages. We are building off one another's ideas and creating our own. We are an interdependent world in the way that we would not be self-sufficient without one another. 


"It is one central fire, which, flaming now out of the lips of Etna, lightens the capes of Sicily; and, now out of the throat of Vesuvius, illuminates the towers and vineyards of Naples. It is one light which beams out of a thousand stars. It is one soul which animates all men." Unlike my previous paragraph, his quote questions me as to if Emerson would be happy with the way we are in this century. Although our own knowledge and ideas are built off one another, how much do we interconnect with one another? Society today is divided into such obvious classes where everyone kind of does their own things. We need each other to a certain extent, but do much now on our own. I don't think Emerson would like the way that is. Rather than ".. one soul that animates all men," it is more so a tree with many branches, branching off to one man.