Was Thoreau's Ideas Still Relevant Today?

525 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Thoreau felt about government

My jaw hit the floor with the very first sentence, which contains one of my favorite quotes “I heartily accept the motto, 'That government is best which governs least'; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically.” I was continuously stunned as I kept reading. No wonder it's considered dangerous; some sources imply that Thoreau's ideas would be dangerous if more people around the world knew about it. Thoreau definitely sounds like he would have been one of the more radical figures during his time.
It's also even more relevant today than it was right in the middle of the nineteenth century. “All men recognize the right of revolution; that is, the right to refuse allegiance to, and to resist, the government, when its tyranny or inefficiency are …show more content…

I please myself with imagining a State at last which can afford to be just to all men, and to treat the individual with respect as a neighbor....A State which bore this kind of fruit, and suffered it to drop off as fast as it ripened, would prepare the way for a still more perfect and glorious State, which I have also imagined, but not yet anywhere seen.”

That's true right-wing thinking here. Note that Thoreau's “more perfect and glorious State” is peaceful anarchy, which is the end product of both post-State socialism and post-State libertarianism. According to the way the current “right” attacks it, I can't imagine most liberals would have a problem with it, either. In other words, it doesn't matter who you are. Read this. You may hate it, you may love it, but you will come away from it with a better understanding of how things have changed in this country in the past 150 years, and how terrifying those changes are, and how that cannot be a bad

Show More
Related

  • Compare And Contrast Thoreau And Civil Disobedience

    596 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the great era of foundational philosophers, two stand out, Plato and Thoreau. Each had their own opinion on various topics, especially on civil disobedience. Plato’s life span was approximately 428-348 BC. Plato wrote numerous works throughout his lifetime, however we will be focusing on one, the Crito. Thoreau’s life span was 1817-1862. To help us determine what civil disobedience means to both of these philosophers we will first look at a general definition. According to Merriam-Webster civil disobedience is defined as “refusal to obey governmental demands or commands especially as a nonviolent and usually collective means of forcing concessions from the government.” This definition will act as a springboard to compare and contrast both of their thoughts on the topic. We will determine, according to Plato and Thoreau, when we are called to engage in civil disobedience and when the moral parameters of civil disobedience are pushed too far.

    Read More

  • Justice in Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience

    934 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Thoreau’s view, he felt that the government was insufficient. At times such as these, government may not always be the best way to turn, yet it provides guidelines. This theme in his essay is just another opinion. Justice cannot be fully defined in one sentence by every person. It depends on the background and the experiences one has had.

    Read More

  • Civil Disobedience In Thoreau's Occupy Wall Street Movement

    1293 Words  | 3 Pages

    Though Thoreau 's basis was more along the lines of environmentalism he was quite the political man in his essay Civil Disobedience. Thoreau 's thoughts on the American government can be seen in the first few paragraphs

    Read More

  • Improving The Government In Thoreau's Civil Disobedience

    378 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the passage "Civil Disobedience" by Thoreau the author explicitly states that the current government is not sufficiently strong enough for the governed a whole. Thoreau's diction directly states his belief on improving the government into a success. He firmly displays his argument through repetition and metaphors. First, Thoreau profoundly informs the negative downsides of the American Government. For instance he utilizes an example of repetition repeatedly stating, "It does not keep the country free. It does not settle the west. It does not educate. The repeated phrase "it does not" creates a sense of ultimate disapproval. A disapproval in which the author intends the audience to consider as well. Which in fact he disapproves the modifications

    Read More

  • A Comparison of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Beliefs

    604 Words  | 2 Pages

    know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my

    Read More

  • Henry David Thoreau's Views

    1203 Words  | 3 Pages

    Thoreau was against the The Mexican American War and the act of Slavery in our society and was very skeptical towards the U.S government regarding these issues. The U.S government did more to harm the citizens of America more than it did to protect them and Thoreau realized that and was not afraid to speak his mind.. The law will never make men free; it is men who have got to make the law free” Thoreau is saying that don't just wait for change to come, make the change happen. He stand for what is right regardless of the consequences, therefore, he wanted the citizens of America to be bold enough to do the same.

    Read More

  • Ralph Waldo Emerson and David Thoreau the center of the Transcendentalism.

    650 Words  | 2 Pages

    Even though it passed more that a hundred of years after Thoreau posted his essay, his ideas are still germane today. I can relate Thoreau’s concept not only to American government, but also to authorities all over the world. It doesn’t seem that the people rule the country anymore; the authorities are led by few individuals who have the most influence. Even though this is very visible, people don’t do anything about that, they are just some marionettes in the hands of the ones who rule the system. Many parliaments from the world lost the notion about making the laws to protect the people, but not themselves as the higher class of the country.

    Read More

  • Emerson and Thoreau

    780 Words  | 2 Pages

    Both Thoreau and Emerson argue that asserting one’s opinions is crucial to attaining a better society. Emerson decries the danger of societal conformity and challenges the reader to “speak what you think now in hard words” in order to remedy it (Emerson 367). Likewise, Thoreau speculates that if “every man make known what kind of government would command his respect” it would be “one step toward obtaining it” (Thoreau 381). With these remarkably similar statements, both transcendentalists appeal to the reader’s patriotism by using language evocative of the agitated and outraged colonial Americans who demanded the people’s voice be heard in government. Although published roughly a half century later, “Self-Reliance” and “Civil Disobedience” mirror the sentiments of famous Revolution-era leaders such as Thomas Paine and Patrick Henry.

    Read More

  • Thoreau's Role In Civil Disobedience

    387 Words  | 1 Pages

    Thoreau’s civil acts of defiance were revolutionary as he practiced a form of protest that

    Read More

  • Civil Disobedience

    639 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this short story Thoreau plays the protagonist as well as a pacifist. He continually reiterates his beliefs of law and conscience. Thoreau believes we have a conscience to determine right and wrong and views the government, at a state level at least, as useless. He gives the reader several examples of things the government does that would be against most conscious decisions. Such as: The listing of accomplishments the “government” made possible, included in this list is the repetition of the word “It” referring to the government. “It does not keep the country free. It does not settle the West. It does not educate. The character inherent in the American people has done all that has been accomplished”(221).

    Read More

  • An Analysis Of Henry Thoreau: Resistance To Civil Government

    1206 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Henry Thoreau’s essay, Resistance to Civil Government, the harmless actions he takes to rebel against the government are considered acts of civil disobedience. He talks about how the government acts wrongful such as, slavery and the Mexican-American war. This writing persuades Nathaniel Heatwole, a twenty-year-old college student studying at Guildford College in Greensboro, North Carolina, to take matters into his own hands, by smuggling illegal items on multiple Southwest airplanes. The reason in that being, is to show the people that our nation is unsafe and dangerous. In doing this, he takes his rebellion one step too far, by not only jeopardizing his life, but as well as many other innocent lives.

    Read More

  • Civil Disobedience: Henry David Thoreau

    781 Words  | 2 Pages

    Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was a philosopher and writer who is well known for his criticism of the American government during the time. During Thoreau’s life, there were two major issues being debated in the United States: slavery and the Mexican-American War. Both issues greatly influenced his essay, as he actually practiced civil disobedience in his own life by refusing to pay taxes in protest of the Mexican War. He states that the government should be based on conscience and that citizens should refuse to follow the law and have the duty not to participate and stay as a member of an unjust institution like the government. I argue that the notion of individualism and skepticism toward government is essential to the basis of many important reform movements in the modern society.

    Read More

  • Henry David Thoreau's Integrity

    596 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although his actions were admirable and act as evidence to integrity, the writings of Henry David Thoreau and Emerson reveal a haughty and pretentious individual. Thoreau's courage was noble. He was quick to immerse himself in his beliefs

    Read More

  • Thoreau's Civil Disobedience and Walden

    1527 Words  | 4 Pages

    Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was an American philosopher, author, poet, abolitionist, and naturalist. He was famous for his essay, “Civil Disobedience”, and his book, Walden. He believed in individual conscience and nonviolent acts of political resistance to protest unfair laws. Moreover, he valued the importance of observing nature, being individual, and living in a simple life by his own values. His writings later influenced the thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. In “Civil Disobedience” and Walden, he advocated individual nonviolent resistance to the unjust state and reflected his simple living in the nature.

    Read More

  • Resistance to Civil Government: Henry David Thoreau

    1381 Words  | 3 Pages

    From these three men, we can learn the significance of detaching ourselves from the social norm and instead, fight for our values in a non-violent way, in order to make a change in our government’s corrupt and unjust laws. In “Resistance to Civil Government,” Thoreau articulates the importance he places on resistance against a powerful, controlling government. He opens his essay with a reference to the quote, “‘That government is best which governs not at all,’” and shares the motto, “‘That government is best which governs least’” (Civil).... ...

    Read More

More about Was Thoreau's Ideas Still Relevant Today?

Open Document