Henry David Thoreau was an American transcendentalist and author, known for his 1849 essay “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience”. In the essay, Thoreau criticizes the current American government system, and pleads for a better, less involved government in the United States.
Thoreau begins his essay by stating “That government is best which governs not at all” (1). This statement sums up most of Thoreau’s overall view on government: that it would be better off nonexistent. Although he understands that this ideal, no-government situation is impossible or nearly impossible to exist, Thoreau makes many points to back up his idea of the perfect society.
Thoreau has very strong opinions on the current state of the government. He believes that
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the government is a tradition that does not do what we (Americans) give it credit for: “It does not keep the country free. It does not settle the West. It does not educate”(1). Instead, these accomplishes are those of the people themselves. A main point in the essay that Thoreau tries to get across is that the current government leaves power to the majority, and not morality. He even states that “a government in which the majority rule in all cases can not be based on justice” (1). Thoreau makes a good point that government’s power comes from the majority, because the majority is strong —but that doesn’t mean that they are the most just or morally correct. The two biggest “injustices” that Thoreau refers to in his essay are the Mexican- American war and the current state of slavery.
While Thoreau wrote “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience”, the United States was amidst the brutal war with Mexico. Thoreau found this war with Mexico injust for two main reasons. For one, the war was a fight over land, a fight for America’s desire for manifest destiny. Thoreau very strongly believed that a man should be a self-sufficient farmer who is not worried about land, property, or money. He also found war wrong in that soldiers are made into machines without humanity and used by the government. Thoreau goes as far as saying that “[soldiers] put themselves on a level with wood and earth and stones; and wooden men can perhaps be manufactured that will serve the purpose as well”(2), basically saying that those who fight for the country have no morals, and they are just a tool for the government to use. The second major issue that Thoreau brings up is slavery. He states that he cannot be a part of a government that allows and encourages slavery. Slavery during this time is generally recognized as wrong and immoral, but it still is considered lawful. Here, Thoreau makes a good point that although many men say that they are opposed to slavery and war, they do nothing about …show more content…
it. In the essay, Thoreau makes it very clear on how he expects citizens to behave towards the government in protest. Foremost, he says that Americans should resist from being apart of government by distancing themselves from it and “washing [their] hands” of the “unjust” society. He puts a lot of emphasis on the importance of following one’s morals, not the law. In fact, he says multiple times that it is a good thing to disobey the governing laws. Thoreau is sure to point out that he believes voting is bad in the sense that a vote does little to influence any decision, stating “Even voting for the right is doing nothing for it” (3). He says that a wise man won’t leave decisions to a majority vote. Instead, Thoreau proposes resisting the government in another way—by refusing to pay taxes. Thoreau shifts the essay to start talking about his experiences with resisting the government.
He says that he only interacts with the government once a year, when the tax collector comes. Thoreau makes a point to argue with the tax gatherer (whom he calls his “civil neighbor”), telling him that he should resign. He also says that he hasn’t paid a poll tax in six years, and because of it, he spent a night in jail.
Henry Thoreau’s night in jail proved his belief in that his actions are worth the punishment if it means resisting the government and defending his morals. Thoreau encourages that American citizens have the duty to rebel, given the current government affairs. He says that people should do justice no matter what, at any cost, even if the cost is jail or even one’s life. In fact, he says that “Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison”(4). For change to occur, Americans must take risks and defend their
morals. Overall, Thoreau believes that it is America’s duty to resist the government to make for a better society. He suggests that there are men out there capable of being great authoritative and legislative figures, but none are currently fighting for their beliefs. Thoreau recognizes that there cannot be a perfect government, but still we should strive for the best possible institution, one that is just and pure. He believes that the current movement towards democracy is good, but not enough. For Thoreau, the “perfect and glorious state” is one that respects the individual and their morals, and isn’t so focused upon property, wealth, and other superficial, selfish things.
Henry David Thoreau was a poet, social philosopher, and educator in the early to mid- 1800s (Hampton). He graduated from Harvard University in 1837 and, upon his return to his hometown of Concord, Massachusetts, befriended Ralph Waldo Emerson, also a philosopher and poet (Hampton, “Ralph Waldo Emerson”). Emerson was also the leader of the Transcendentalist movement which was based on the idea that people should lead by example -- social reform begins with the individual, not the government -- and that the movement should be peaceful (Woodlief, Ruehl). Thoreau agreed with this approach until the United States invaded Mexico in May, 1846 (Brown, Witherell). Opposed to slavery, Thoreau saw the invasion of Mexico as an attempt by the government to extend slavery westward. In his essay “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience,” published in 1849 with the original title, “Resistance to Civil Government,” Thoreau protests against the government and states that is a man’s duty to rise up against the government when the government commits a wrong (Thoreau). In his writings, Thoreau uses the three rhetorical approaches of Pathos, Ethos, and Logos in his attempts to persuade his readers to his point of view (Heinrichs).
Without any government intervention, the state would be in shambles with no regulations on food, drugs, or the workforce. As for government based on conscience, Thoreau’s argument falls flat when he fails to recognize that majority rule is the only fair rule. Thoreau needed to learn that when friction takes over a machine, the machine is to be fixed, not thrown away. Evidently, Henry David Thoreau’s argument against organized government in America is much too flawed to be
Thoreau, inspired by the actions of Jefferson, stood up for slaves and soldiers in the Mexican-American war by using civil disobedience, to help preserve the American philosophy of the unalienable rights. He urged for other citizens to go against the authority. Thoreau refused to pay taxes due to his strong opposition to slavery and the Mexican-American War. He spent a night in prison due to his refusal to pay taxes to a government in which the money would be going to such things as slavery and the war. Thoreau wants for the people to realize the wrongness in taking soldiers
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.
Jacobus, Lee A. Henry David Thoreau. "Civil Disobedience." A World Of Ideas: essential readings for college writers. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2002. 141-167
In evaluation of Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” essay, the answer to this is a resounding no. Thoreau opposed the war with Mexico in 1847 just like Jane Fonda opposed the Vietnam War more than 100 years later. Thoreau’s anti-war sentiment has been repeated in nearly every generation since the founding of this countr...
In his essay, “Resistance to Civil Government,” often times dubbed, “Civil Disobedience,” Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) argues against abiding by one’s State, in protest to the unjust laws within its government. Among many things, Thoreau was an American author, poet, and philosopher. He was a firm believer in the idea of civil disobedience, the act of refusing to obey certain laws of a government that are felt to be unjust. He opposed the laws regarding slavery, and did not support the Mexican-American war, believing it to be a tactic by the Southerners to spread slavery to the Southwest. To show his lack of support for the American government, he refused to pay his taxes.
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.
In his essay “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience,” Henry David Thoreau starts off by saying, “Government is best which governs least” (Thoreau 98). Thoreau clearly states that he is not an anarchist and does not believe that government should be abolished. Rather, he believes that we are entitled to a better government that is based upon morality and justice. Thoreau explores the idea of civil disobedience and challenges the role of government by describing his own incarceration for refusing to pay taxes during the Mexican-American War to expand slavery. When the government ceases to act morally, Thoreau argues that it is up to the individual to disobey and withdraw him or herself from the government. Thoreau...
"Civil Disobedience" by Thoreau describes the government and what he believes is best. Thoreau implements diction and imagery to support his claim that the best government is one that does not govern at all.
By refusing to pay taxes he is not objecting the taxes specific use, he is refusing allegiance to the state as a whole. Thoreau does not advocate complete defiance of democracy with his protest as he willingly accepts the consequences of breaking the law. Because Thoreau chooses his integrity over compliance he feels freer in jail than the people outside who follow the law like sheep rather than thinking and acting for themselves. He accepts the consequence of imprisonment for not paying his lawful tax, believing that by being imprisoned he is forcing the government to consider whether he is in the right by practicing civil disobedience. Thoreau wishes to be separate from the American government because it supports slavery. Thoreau chastises the government.
Thoreau explains “There are thousands who are in opinion opposed to slavery and to the war, who yet in effect do nothing to put an end to them; who, esteeming themselves children of Washington and Franklin” (Thoreau 3). George Washington and Benjamin Franklin are two prominent figures of American nationalism and independence, and many American citizens regard them as idols. Thoreau exploits their credential to motivate people to take actions against an ineffective government and oppose the war and slavery in the U.S. Thoreau also questions citizens by explaining what is ethical as a citizen. Thoreau states “but they do nothing in earnest and with effect. They will wait, well disposed, for others to remedy the evil, that they may no longer have it to regret” (Thoreau 4). Thoreau explains that people of the U.S. do not put in their efforts to change such as voting or protesting, yet they still expect other people to discard evils such as corruption, slavery, and government tyranny. Thoreau justifies the uselessness as unethical and condemns the citizens. By using the word such as evil, Thoreau wants people to fight against the evil, government tyranny, and express the true American nationalism. The author employs ethos throughout Civil Disobedience to make the people of the U.S. ethical and become more involved with the problems about the
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.
Thoreau fails to consider that not everyone was afforded the opportunity to attend a top tier college such as Harvard. He frequently compares his life and educational level to those less fortunate than him. The audience may ask why Thoreau, with such a great education, believes his tax protest will help stop the Mexican-American War. Logically, the minuscule amount of money he owes the government is likely to do nothing to help the American campaign. If no one in the country paid taxes, how could the United States support and defend itself? Thoreau does not consider alternatives such as voting and an active protest demonstration; these could allow his voice to be heard by the public. Because he is not logically sound, Thoreau is not successful in capturing the audience’s
Thoreau claims the government has failed to bring any development in the country. For instance, it has failed in keeping the country free, has not educated the nation or settled the west. But he claims the American citizens are the one who have done what the nation has accomplished. Thoreau states that he calls for at once better government, but not for at once no government. To get an ideal government according to Thoreau, the citizens should be asked what kind of government that commands their