More handpicked essays just for you.
Comments And Questions About Civil Disobedience By Henry David Thoreau
Thoreau on the duty of civil disobedience analysis
American history slavery
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau was one of the most important pieces of literature written in the mid-1800’s. This essay was written to argue against government intervention and that the people should take more responsibility and only support a government that pushes forward ideals that the general public supports. What marks Civil Disobedience as part of its time is its rejection of governmental control and favors individual liberty during the heart of the slavery debate. This essay was written at a time when the issue of slavery was at the forefront of American culture. Americans all across the country were debating whether or not that slavery was good for the future of the United States. Thoreau in this essay strongly opposes the slavery that is currently going on in the United States. This time period in American history had Americans debating whether the idea of slavery was moral, as they were starting to hear more stories of those who …show more content…
He points to political conventions that the major political parties hold, that they almost always consist of politicians and politicians alone. There is very little influence from the working class in this process and they only are able to get a say once it comes down to a general election. Thoreau argues that there a large amount of reputable individuals who do not get a say that he believes should get a say because they are just as able as those who are ultimately in charge of the political process. The lack of communication between the parties and the citizenry led to the creation of smaller political parties during the 1840s and 1850s as individuals were looking for political parties that would serve their interests as opposed to just serving the interest of the elite (Rose 36-37). Thoreau’s essay discusses the need for changes in the political system towards one where there is more inclusion in the process for those outside of the
Thoreau talks about the politics, power and civil disobedience in his works. He believed that when many thought alike, the power was stronger within that minority. I think that Thoreau's intention was to point out that those people who dare to go against what seems to be unjust and go against the majority, and stand erect, are the people who transform society as a whole.
Martin Luther King and Henry David Thoreau each write exemplary persuasive essays that depict social injustice and discuss civil disobedience, which is the refusal to comply with the law in order to prove a point. In his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” King speaks to a specific audience: the African Americans, and discusses why he feels they should bring an end to segregation. Thoreau on the other hand, in “Civil Disobedience,” speaks to a broader, non-addressed audience as he largely expresses his feelings towards what he feels is an unjust government. Both essays however, focus on the mutual topics of morality and justice and use these topics to inform and motivate their audience to, at times, defy the government in order to establish the necessary justice.
Thoreau conveys many points in his writing and a large recurring one is the state of society. As stated before, he believed that people are too focused on physical gain and modernization which leads them into desperation. He adds on to this belief later in the book asking that above all else whether it be money or fame he be given honesty (Thoreau 246). To Thoreau, the truth is more important than anything measurable in status. Thoreau believes that a minimalist lifestyle is a good lifestyle, similar to Mccandless. He speaks of how it is good that he can put all of his belonging in one pile in his yard because it removes the clutter from his life (Thoreau 85). He also says that his best quality in life is to want very little, because it keeps himself true to himself and keeps him from distraction. Thoreau also believes that every man should be one in himself not oppressed by the government. He says that everyone should be able to be themselves whether is is in accord with the government or not (Thoreau 240). He is essentially saying that the government should not be a part of people's life decisions only to maintain the
In 1848, David Thoreau addressed and lectured civil disobedience to the Concord Lyceum in response to his jail time related to his protest of slavery and the Mexican War. In his lecture, Thoreau expresses in the beginning “That government is best which governs least,” which sets the topic for the rest of the lecture, and is arguably the overall theme of his speech. He chastises American institutions and policies, attempting to expand his views to others. In addition, he advances his views to his audience by way of urgency, analyzing the misdeeds of the government while stressing the time-critical importance of civil disobedience. Thoreau addresses civil disobedience to apprise the people of the need for a civil protest to the unjust laws created against the slaves and the Mexican-American war.
Douglass and Thoreau both felt as though the government as well as society turned a blind eye to the mistreatment of human beings, especially during slavery. He saw freedom being celebrated, but it just reminded him of how so many were willing to continue on not dealing with all of the wrong that had taken place. Regardless of what he saw before him, he refused to forget. Douglass felt that “to forget them, to pass lightly over their wrongs, and to chime in with the popular theme, would be treason most scandalous and shocking,”. Instead, he chose to deal with the subject of American Slavery, in which he brought out the idea of individuals supporting what was wrong rather than what was
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.
An American Author, Transcendentalist and tax resister, Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord Massachusetts, and lived there most of his life. He was opposed to many of the things that went on in our society and debated many issues in his life. Two of these major issues are , the Mexican American War and the implement of Slavery in our society. This was the reason for many of his writings include “Slavery in Massachusetts” and “Civil Disobedience” where he wrote about his principles and views against the U.S government and their involvement in the Mexican American War and the evil of Slavery. Thoreau opposed to these because they promote unjust government practices which he was strongly against.
...esistance to Civil Disobedience", Thoreau gives off the impression of changing his views and contradicting his beliefs about the people of society. However, through this analysis I have shown that while his beliefs on society did not change, the ways in which he attacked this society did. In making his beliefs less overt, he actually captured more of society's attention and made this essay one of the most controversial of his time. Had he not changed his tactics, who knows if this essay would have been as influential.
In 1846 while living at Walden, Thoreau demonstrated the doctrine of passive resistance when he was arrested for not paying poll taxes because of his opposition to Texas entering the Union as a slave state and his opposition to the Mexican War. He was robbed of the chance to test the tax when he was released from jail the next day after a relative paid what was owed. Desiring to make the public aware of the abolitionist cause, Thoreau composed an essay that considered the rights and duties of the individual in relation to government. He noted that man is not bound to a government that legislat...
In the past in this country, Thoreau wrote an essay on Civil disobedience saying that people make the law and have a right to disobey unjust laws, to try and get those laws changed.
Non-violent activist, Cesar Chavez, in his article, published in the magazine of a religious organization, he discusses the effects of nonviolent and violent protest. Cesar Chavez purpose was to persuade his readers that nonviolent protest will always have the better outcome than violent. Cesar uses a authoritative effusive tone throughout his article in order to lead his readers to fully believe that nonviolent protest will be more pure and stronger solution.
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.
During his time in jail, the passage captures the spontaneity of his imagination and feelings in contrast to the more logical, philosophical mode of writing practiced elsewhere in the story. The passage serves to inoculate Thoreau against the accusation of self-righteousness or moral grandstanding, which he refutes in subsequent paragraphs. It attests to the fact that he has already put his words into action. The first-person narration allows Thoreau to frame a complex and abstract political issue in a voice that personally bears witness to the human effects and consequences of government oppression. It exposes the reader to Thoreau's own ambivalence and to the ongoing process of self-examination that he encourages his fellow men to undertake in their own conscience. While confident in his conviction that slavery is morally wrong, Thoreau generally avoids dogmatic, authoritative statements I favor of a more tentative, moderate firs-person voice. Thoreau personifies the State "as a lone woman with her silver spoons." He casts government not as a mechanical agent of injustice but as a feminized object of pity. His confrontation with the State proves to him that physical violence is less powerful that individual conscience. He realizes that, far from being a formidable brute force, government is in fact weak and morally
Thoreau 's essay is both an abstract work of political theory and a practical and topical work addressing the issues of the day. On the one hand, Thoreau is making several theoretical claims about the nature of democracy and the relationship between citizen and government. For example, Thoreau argues that government should be based on conscience and that citizens should cease associating with an unjust government. Thus, Thoreau 's work must be considered as a work of political philosophy, invoking ideals and making claims about the way government and society should be
Thoreau, Henry D. "Slavery in Massachusetts." Reform Papers. Ed. Wendell Glick. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 1973. 91-109.