Carlyle and Emerson and their philosophy of life

According to Mr. Chesterton, "The most practical and important thing about a man is still his view of the universe. We think that for a landlady considering a lodger it is important to know his income, but still more important to know his philosophy. We think that for a general about to fight an enemy, it is important to know the enemy's numbers, but still more important to know the enemy's philosophy. We think the question is not whether the theory of the Cosmos affects matters, but whether in the long run anything else affects them." William James, in his lecture on "Pragjnatism", preaches the same doctrine as does Mr. Chesterton: "We each and all have a philosophy, which philosophy is the most interesting and important thing about us, since it determines the perspective in our several worlds,--it is not a technical matter but is more or less a dumb sense of what life honestly and deeply means."