In "Self-Reliance," Emerson references Moses, Plato, and Milton. Why, according to Emerson, were these men great?

A. They did not imitate, but established and communicated their own original philosophies.
B. They spread the word of God, each in his own way.
C. They were deeply committed to studying nature and the natural law.
D. They were rebels who learned how to conform to societal conventions.